May 24, 2011

GRAND FORKS, North Dakota - For the second straight year Utah Valley opened the Great West Conference Tournament with a win over Chicago State, winning 13-3 in eight innings on Tuesday at Kraft Field.

Utah Valley will next play on Wednesday at 4 p.m. CT/3 p.m. MT against the winner of the New York Tech/NJIT contest.

Chris Benson had three hits including a home run while Alex Exon had three hits and three RBIs and Billy Burgess added two hits and drove in three, including a long single in the eighth to end the game via the 10-run rule. Goose Kallunki also had three hits and an RBI and now has 59 runs batted in on the year.

Jeremy Gendlek, who was named the GWC Pitcher and Newcomer of the Year on Monday, went the entire way for the Wolverines (31-22), allowing two earned runs on seven hits in eight innings of work.

"Our guys went out and did what they had to do. We swung the bats well and Jeremy had a good day. I feel like we did what we had to do, for sure," said Wolverine head coach Eric Madsen.

UVU broke through with three runs in the first inning. Kirk Doxey walked and Cole McWhorter singled before Benson drove in Doxey with a base hit. Goose Kallunki and Alex Exon also both singled to drive in runs in the frame.

A four-run third gave UVU a 7-0 advantage before Benson hit a solo shot to left in the fourth to make it 8-0. In the third, Exon had another RBI base hit and Burgess tripled home two runs.

The Cougars (9-40) broke through with three in the seventh to make it a five-run game. Doxey then had an RBI groundout in the the bottom of the seventh to make it a 9-3 game.

The Wolverines closed it out with four in the eighth; Kai Hatch and Exon both drove in runs before Burgess ended the game with a hit over the head of Albert Carpen in center to score Exon from third.