LAS CRUCES, N.M. – Utah Valley University held on to defeat WAC co-leader New Mexico State, 7-4, on Saturday afternoon at Presley Askew Field to the series with the rubber match Sunday at noon.
 
Danny Beddes pitched 8.2 innings before giving way to Kyle Valgardson, who struck out Daniel Johnson as the potential tying run to end the game and earn his fourth save. Beddes (4-2) struck out eight and allowed three earned runs (four total) on nine hits while striking out nine. Saturday was the fifth straight Beddes start the Wolverines (19-15, 6-5) have won with the victory also matching last season's win total with 19 regular season games to go.

Justin Erlandson went 3-for-5 with a home run – his first as a Wolverine – and three RBIs. Zac Willis doubled twice and also had three hits and two RBIs for the Wolverines.

For the second straight day, Trevor Howell led of the game and scored in the top first. After moving to third on a wild pitch, Howell scored on a base hit by Willis.
 
The Aggies (21-13, 9-2) rallied with two outs in the second, getting a double form Trey Stine and an RBI singe by Tristen Carranza to tie the game at 1-1.
 
UVU regained the lean behind back-to-back doubles in the third from Willis and Greyson Bogden and then added two more in the fourth to take a 4-1 lead. Erlandson singled home Paul Estrada and Howell grounded out to score Ryne Edmondson.
 
The teams traded runs in the sixth; Willis' second double gave Utah Valley a 5-1 lead in the top half of the inning and Dan Hetzel got that run back with an RBI single in the bottom half.
 
Mark Krueger, who was sick and did not start the game, came off the bench to deliver a pinch-hit single in the seventh to extend his hit streak to 18 games. It's the longest streak of his career and six shy of the school record, held by Chris Benson and Jake Rickenbach. Erlandson's home run followed Krueger's base hit and gave Utah Valley a 7-2 lead.
 
Jaron Balman and Brent Sakurai both had RBI base hits for New Mexico State in the bottom of the seventh to make it a 7-4 game.
 
In the ninth, a leadoff single and a two-out walk brought the potential tying run to the plate and chased Beddes, before Valgardson's game-ending strikeout.