OREM, Utah – Craig Brinkerhoff hit a three-run home run and Utah Valley University held off a late New Mexico State rally to win 6-5 on Friday night at Brent Brown Ballpark.

The Aggies (7-33-1, 4-14-1) put the potential tying run on base in the ninth but Kyle Valgardson struck out Derek Umphres to end it and preserve the opening of the three-game WAC series.

Valgardson picked up the save, his fourth, for the Wolverines (14-28, 10-9) while Danny Beddes lasted into the eighth and improved to 5-4. Seven different players had multi-hit nights for UVU with Kade Andrus and Spencer Gothberg both collecting three hits.

"We had some chances in key moments to knock in some more runs but this is a good win," said UVU head coach Eric Madsen. "They're trying to get into the tournament just like we are. We need to clean up some things but it was important to find a way to win when we didn't play as well as we're capable of."
 
After Andrus and Mark Krueger led off the third with back-to-back singles, Brinkerhoff hit the first pitch over the wall in center to give the Wolverines a 3-0 lead.
 
Umphres got two back for the Aggies in the fourth on a single to left with the bases loaded. New Mexico State had a chance for more in the inning but Michael Paulson was out at the plate trying to advance on a pitch that got by Jake Atkinson. Beddes then struck out Kyle Graf looking on a 3-2 pitch to end the inning.

Utah Valley manufactured its next two runs on a fourth-inning sacrifice fly by Krueger and another sac fly off the bat of Spencer Gothberg in the sixth. Gothberg's RBI came in a two-run inning and scored Krueger before a two-out error allowed Brinkerhoff to score and extend the lead to 6-2.

The Aggies crept within a run in the eighth, scoring three times capped by Quinnton Mack's pinch-hit, two-out single that brought home a pair to make it 6-5.

Utah Valley had 16 hits on the night but stranded 13 runners on base. The Aggies finished with nine hits while Billy Conard (3-6) took the loss after allowing four runs on 12 hits in 4.0 innings. Beddes surrendered five runs (four earned) on eight hits in 7.1 innings.

The win for the Wolverines keeps pace with Sacramento State, 7-2 winners at Chicago State on Friday. Both teams are 10-9 and tied for sixth in the conference standings.

The series continues on Saturday with a 6 p.m. first pitch from Brent Brown Ballpark.