OREM, Utah – A four-run first inning stood up for Seattle University in a 5-3 win over Utah Valley University on Saturday night at Brent Brown Ballpark, to even the three-game WAC series. The rubber match is set for Sunday at 11 a.m. MT.

A pair of doubles and a home run in the top of the first inning preceded a rain delay that lasted one hour. The Wolverines (22-17, 8-6) brought the potential tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth after Trevor Howell singled with two outs. Zac Willis hit a hard liner that seemed destined for extra bases but Brock Carpenter snagged it to end the game.
 
"Seattle obviously doesn't want to lose and they came out and jumped on us early," said UVU head coach Eric Madsen. "We did such a good job of being tough yesterday against a guy that had really good stuff but today we struck out way too many times. We have to do a better job with two strikes."
 
In the first, Sean Sutton doubled home the first two runs for the Redhawks (24-14, 11-3). With two outs in the inning Lucas Denney hit an opposite field home run down the line in left to make it 4-0.
 
The score remained 4-0 until the fifth when Willis delivered a two-out single that scored Spencer Gothberg and Paul Estrada to make it a 4-2 game.
 
After Seattle added a run in the seventh the Wolverines threatened in the eighth, loading the bases with one out. The damage was limited to one run though, on a sacrifice fly by Gothberg that plated Willis for the final run of the night.
 
Craig Brinkerhoff finished 3-for-4 for UVU while Willis had a pair of hits, two RBIs and a run scored to account for all three Wolverine runs.
 
Danny Beddes (4-3) took the loss after allowing the four runs in the first, although he only surrendered just one more hit over his 5.2 innings. He struck out nine, matching his season high, while allowing four hits and walked six.
 
Nick Meservey (5-1) got the win after six innings of work. He struck out eight with UVU scoring two unearned runs on six hits during his appearance. Zach Wolf pitched the ninth to pick up his fifth save. Meservey, Jake Prizina and Wolf combined to strike out 12 UVU hitters.
 
Utah Valley used five pitchers with three -- Beddes, Kaden Schmitt and Logan Hold --  combining on 13 strikeouts. Mark Krueger went 0-for-4 and saw his 21-game hit streak come to an end.