TEMPE, Ariz. – After picking up a couple of big wins over Wisconsin and Virginia earlier in the Kajikawa Classic, Utah Valley University couldn't maintain its lead in a wild game against San José State on Saturday evening at the Tempe Sports Complex as it fell by a score of 10-7.
The two teams combined for 17 runs, 21 hits and eight errors in the ballgame. UVU evens to 2-2 on the young season with the loss while the Spartans improve to 3-1 with the victory.
"It was a barnburner, and I'm proud of the girls for the work that they did," said head coach
Nikki Palmer. "San José State is a very, very good team. And I was pleased to see us battling right there with them."
After surrendering a pair of runs in the top of the first, UVU quickly answered in the bottom half of the frame thanks to a two-run home run off the bat of sophomore
Brittney Vansway. The Wolverines then managed to take their first lead of the game in the second inning when they took advantage of a couple of Spartan miscues.
Leading 5-2 in the third, San José State then began to chip away at the deficit. SJSU pulled to within a run, at 5-4 in the fifth, after a pair of solo home runs. UVU then struck back with a run of its own in the bottom of the inning thanks to an RBI double from junior
Dynasty Lauvai to take a 6-4 advantage.
The Spartans of the Mountain West Conference then took their first lead of the game, at 7-6, after scoring three unearned runs in the sixth. Utah Valley didn't go away though, as it tied it up at 7-all in the bottom of the sixth on a clutch RBI single from freshman
Haley Harrison. The tie didn't last for long, however, as SJSU managed to push across three more decisive runs in the seventh to propel it to victory. The go-ahead run came in on a bases loaded walk and San José State's Alyssa Martinez following by driving home two more via a two-RBI single.
Sophomore
Bailey Moore was saddled with the loss (1-2) in 5.2 innings of relief for UVU, while SJSU reliever Berlyn Rippentrop picked up the win (1-0).
Harrison and Vansway paced Utah Valley at the plate with two hits apiece. Five other Wolverines recorded one hit each in the contest.
UVU will close play at the season-opening tournament on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. versus Indiana of the Big Ten Conference at the Tempe Sports Complex. Following Sunday's game, the Wolverines will head back out on the road to take play five more games at UNLV's Wilson/DeMarini Classic in Henderson, Nevada, next weekend.
