OREM, Utah – Utah Valley University scored six times in the third and then held on late to edge WAC leader Seattle University, 9-8, on Friday night at Brent Brown Ballpark. UVU has now won a season-high four straight and is within two games of the top spot in the WAC. The Wolverines moved to 22-16 overall and 8-5 in the WAC while the Redhawks dropped to 23-14 and 10-3 in league play.
 
Spencer Gothberg and Zac Willis both hit home runs for the Wolverines while Jordan Schlehuber had three hits. Jake Mayer (4-1) got his fourth win of the year while Kyle Valgardson recorded the final four outs to pick up his sixth save. Mark Krueger added two hits to run his hit streak to 21 games and also drove in two runs and scored twice.
 
"We did a good job of competing early and scored against a really talented pitcher. Seattle's a good team," said UVU head coach Eric Madsen. "Give our guys credit, they did what they have to do to win. This win is big. It gives us confidence. Winning game one is great but game two is that swing game so we need to be ready to go on Saturday night."
 
With the game tied 1-1 in the third, Utah Valley sent 11 hitters to the plate with the first six of the inning reaching base. Schlehuber and Trevor Howell began the inning with consecutive singles before Willis walked. Greyson Bogden was then hit by a pitch, forcing in a run and giving UVU a 2-1 lead.
 
Krueger hit a two-run single and Craig Brinkerhoff followed with another base hit to drive in Bogden and Krueger also scored on the play when the ball was misplayed in left. Justin Erlandson delivered the sixth run of the inning on a bloop single down the line in right, giving Utah Valley a 7-1 lead.
 
After the Redhawks got one run back on a base hit by Dalton Hurd in the fourth, Gothberg got that run back with a solo home run to left, his second of the season. The home run chased Ted Hammond from the game after he was tagged for seven earned runs (eight total) on nine hits in four-plus innings. Hammond took the loss and dropped to 6-2.
 
Willis' fifth home run of the season came on a moonshot in the sixth and gave the Wolverines a 9-3 lead before Seattle nearly came all the way back.
 
The Redhawks got two in the seventh and three more in the eighth – on a three-run home run by Sheldon Stober – to get within a run. Valgardson came on and struck out Brock Carpenter to end the eighth and worked around a one-out walk in the ninth, striking out Max Modeste to end it.
 
The Redhawks entered the day tied with Sacramento State at 10-2 in the WAC. The Hornets lost at UT Rio Grande Valley on Friday so both teams are now 10-3 with New Mexico State 9-4 after a loss at CSU Bakersfield. UTRGV moved to 7-3 with its win over Sac State.

The series continues on Saturday at 6 p.m. MT with rain in the forecast for Orem. Danny Beddes is slated to start for Utah Valley with Nick Meservey willl start for the Redhawks.