May 26, 2011
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GRAND FORKS, North Dakota - Utah Valley survived a pitcher's duel to defeat North Dakota 3-2 on Thursday and now move into the Great West Conference tournament championship game. The Wolverines (33-22) have two chances to win one game on Saturday in their attempt to win a second straight tournament title.
Blake Krahenbuhl and Cory Baker were locked in a duel for eight innings with neither pitcher allowing an earned run through eight. Krahenbuhl (7-2) got the win after not allowing an earned run on six hits while striking out five.
Baker gave up just one hit - a bunt single by Cole McWhorter - in his first eight innings of work before UVU got three straight two-out hits in the ninth.
"I thought Blake went pitch-for-pitch (with Baker) under a lot of pressure, knowing he couldn't give up any runs," said head coach Eric Madsen. "For us to have to go in and win once is big. Not having to throw extra guys and wins games on Friday definitely puts us in a good position."
The Wolverines led 2-1 in the ninth before Kai Hatch, Court Zollinger and Billy Burgess all singled with Burgess' base hit scoring Hatch for what would be a big insurance run.
In the bottom of the ninth Ryan Gerber singled off of Krahenbuhl and after Josh Swenson entered for UVU, Jake Magner added another single to put runners on first and second with nobody out.
After a passed ball moved the runners up 90 feet, Swenson struck out Josh Ray and Kris Kwak hit a sac-fly to left to score Gerber, making it a one-run game. Swenson then got Zach Trygstad to ground out to McWhorter at second to pick up his second save in as many nights and his sixth on the year.
North Dakota will now face the winner of Friday morning's game between Houston Baptist and New York Tech. Whichever team wins on Friday afternoon will have to beat Utah Valley twice on Saturday to win the title.
The Fighting Sioux (12-34) picked up a run in the fourth on a base hit by Trygstad that scored Kwak from third.
The Wolverines, held by Baker without a hit until the sixth, got a one-out walk to Kirk Doxey before McWhorter reached on a bunt single. After Chris Benson sacrificed both runners over, Austin Heaps hit a ground ball towards second that Kwak couldn't handle, allowing both runners to score and putting UVU up 2-1.
North Dakota had the lead-off man on in the seventh but on a sacrifice attempt Willie Pratt doubled up Trygstad on a 5-6-3 double play and then retired Craig Dolmage on a bunt attempt to end the inning.
Thursday's meeting was the first between Utah Valley and North Dakota this season after a four-game series was snowed out earlier this year.
