May 15, 2011
Box Score
VERMILLION, S.D. - Top-seeded Houston Baptist scored four runs in the first and three more in the fourth as it went on to defeat two-seeded Utah Valley in Sunday evening's Great West Conference Tournament semifinal game in Vermillion, S.D. by a score of 7-2.
With the loss the Wolverines (20-29) will now face North Dakota Monday morning at 9 a.m. The winner of that game will meet HBU (35-22) in the championship game Monday at 11:30 a.m.
"Our defense needs to step it up for us to succeed on Monday. If we are to comeback and win this tournament it will require that we play solid defense," UVU head coach Todd Fairbourne said. "Both Flanary and Summers pitched well enough for us to win but our defense behind them really struggled."
HBU wasted no time getting in the scoring column as it got out to an early 4-0 lead thanks to a couple defensive miscues by the Wolverines in the top of the first inning. Amanda Robinson quickly answered for UVU with a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the frame to cut the deficit to 4-1.
Both starting pitchers then settled down in the circle and put up zeros on the board for the next couple of innings.
UVU starter Kyli Flanary then ran into trouble again in the fourth when the Huskies loaded the bases with nobody out. HBU's Kate Maddock then worked an RBI walk for the first run of the inning. UVU then went to the bullpen and brought in Josi Summers who had already thrown a two-hit shutout against North Dakota earlier in the day.
Two more runs then came home in the inning for HBU when Summers uncorked a wild pitch and catcher Deianna Russell committed a throwing error to make it a 7-1 game. Summers then quickly ended the threat by retiring the next three hitters in order.
UVU then took advantage of two Husky errors in bottom of the fourth to get a run back in the frame. Mandy Tapia singled to leadoff the inning and she later scored from third on a dropped throw by HBU's second baseman Mac Christensen. The Wolverines were looking for more in the inning with the bases loaded and just one out but Samantha Telarroja lined into an inning-ending double play to spoil the rally.
HBU's Jammie Weidert went the distance from the circle to pick up the win and improve to 15-9 on the year, while Flanary allowed five earned runs in three plus innings of work to suffer the loss and drop to 6-15. In relief Summers picked up seven strikeouts in four scoreless and hitless innings of work for UVU. Summers pitched a total of 11 scoreless frames on the day.
Offensively the Wolverines could only muster three hits off of Weidert in the game. Robinson, Tapia and Mairaea Tanielu each had a hit apiece and Robinson led the way, as hers was a homer.
The UVU, UND game will be an elimination game Monday morning at USD's Nygaard Field. The winner will meet HBU in the championship game at 11:30 a.m. while the loser will go home. UVU or UND would then have to beat HBU twice to be crowned the champs, as the Huskies will enter play without a loss.
