April 20, 2012

Box Score

OREM, Utah - Utah Valley University dropped the opener of a critical four-game Pacific Coast Softball Conference series to Weber State University 8-1 on Friday at Wolverine Field. The second game of Friday's doubleheader was suspended at the end of the eighth inning due to darkness and will pick up where it left off Saturday at 11 a.m.

The Wildcats (20-24, 9-4 PCSC) broke a scoreless tie in the first game with three runs in the top of the third inning. Brooke Silva plated the first runs with a two-run double and two batters later Symbree Minniear pushed home the other with a squeeze bunt to give Weber State a 3-0 lead.

WSU then pieced together another rally in the fifth as they scored four more runs to extend its lead to 7-0.

The Wolverines (25-18-1, 6-7 PCSC) then scored their lone run of the contest in the sixth when Jamie North doubled to leadoff the frame and later came around to score on a Wildcat throwing error.

Weber State managed to score an unearned run in the seventh and the Wolverines threatened in the bottom half of the inning with two on and nobody out but couldn't score as WSU won the contest 8-1.

Tiffany Mills started in the circle and suffered the loss to drop to 13-12 on the year, while WSU's Sarah Clark pitched the first six innings and improved to 16-9 with the win.

Despite the loss, Krystin Jachim led UVU offensively by going a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles and a walk. WSU was led by Clark in the batter's box as well as she too went 3-for-3 with two walks, two RBIs and a run scored.

In the suspended nightcap, the Wolverines scored first as they manufactured a run without a hit to take a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Kylee Brinkerhoff walked to start the frame and came around to score as Deianna Russell bunted her to second and a WSU throwing error allowed Brinkerhoff to score.

The Wildcats then took the lead after they scored two runs in the top of the third. UVU responded immediately with two runs of its own in the last of the third to pull back ahead at 3-2. Marie Williams started the rally with a leadoff bunt hit. Amanda Robinson then delivered an RBI triple to right to score Williams. Robinson then scored on an illegal pitch by WSU's Morgan Allaband to give UVU a 4-2 advantage.

That's where the game stood until the sixth inning when WSU loaded the bases and managed to capitalize on a UVU error by scoring two runs to tie the contest at 4-all.

The game then headed for extra innings tied at four with darkness approaching. The teams managed to get through a scoreless eighth before the umpires decided to suspend play until Saturday morning.

The Wolverines and Wildcats will conclude the remainder of Friday's second game Saturday at 11 a.m. UVU and WSU will then play two more games begin at 12 p.m. at Wolverine Field.