SEATTLE – Brittney Vansway and Brianna Gatlin combined to go 5-for-6 with a pair of home runs and all four runs batted in en route to leading Utah Valley University softball to a 4-0 win over Seattle University in the opening game of the 2016 WAC Tournament on Thursday morning at SU's Logan Field in Seattle.
 
With the victory, the fifth-seeded Wolverines (9-41) will now advance on to face the top seed and 2016 conference champion New Mexico State Aggies later on Thursday afternoon, while the Redhawks (17-32) will drop to the consolation bracket with the loss.
 
"It was important for both Brittney and Brianna to come up clutch for us when they did. They both did a nice job of making adjustments at the plate and it showed," head UVU coach Nikki Palmer said. "Makayla (Shadle) and Bailey (Moore) also did a nice job of working together and cleaning that game up for us at the right moments."
 
The game remained scoreless until the top of the fourth when Vansway and Gatlin hit back-to-back jacks to give the Wolverines a 3-0 lead. Vansway belted her team-best eighth home run of the season following a Redhawk error for a two-run shot to left center, while Gatlin immediately followed by ripping a solo shot down the left field line to give UVU the 3-0 advantage.
 
Seattle U then looked to answer back in the last of the fourth by loading the bases with two away, but UVU reliever Bailey Moore managed to pitch out of the jam by drawing a fly out off the bat of Kaylee Lee to leave the bases loaded.
 
With the score still 3-0 in the sixth, Vansway and Gatlin then combined to produce another run when the duo recorded consecutive two-out hits to extend UVU's lead to 4-0. Vansway started the two-out rally with a double to left center and Gatlin promptly followed with a sharp single up the middle to drive in Vansway and give the Wolverines an insurance run.
 
The score remained 4-0 the rest of the way as Moore faced just four batters in both the sixth and the seventh innings to preserve the shutout for the Wolverines.
 
Moore and Makayla Shadle combined to shut out Seattle U in the contest, as the duo allowed just five hits while striking out two. Moore and Shadle did a nice job of stranding runners on the base paths, as Seattle combined to leave 10 runners on base in the contest.    
 
Moore (4-24) earned the win after scattering three hits and one walk in 4.0 innings of relief, while SU's Alyssa Reuble (6-12) suffered the loss after giving up four runs (three earned) on six hits in the full 7.0 innings.
 
Vansway finished just a triple shy of the cycle by going a perfect 3-for-3 to lead the way for UVU. The junior third baseman finished with two runs scored and two runs batted in with a single, double and home run. Gatlin was right behind her with a 2-for-3 performance with two RBIs and a run scored.
 
With the start in the ballgame, the senior Morgan Smith became Utah Valley's all-time leader in career games played with 217. She passed former Wolverine slugger Amanda Robinson's (2011-14) previous record of 216. Smith is now UVU's all-time leader in games played, stolen bases (61), stolen base percentage (91-percent), stolen base attempts (67) and triples (11). Smith also became the program's single-season record holder in steals just last month with 24.

The Wolverines improve to 7-2 all-time in WAC Tournament play with the win and 3-0 versus Seattle U in conference tournament play as well. 
 
With the victory, the Wolverines and NM State will now face off against one this afternoon (Thursday) at 3:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. MT. The winner of that contest will then play in the semifinals on Friday at 1 p.m. PT/2 p.m. MT, while the loser will head to an elimination game on Friday at 3:30 p.m. PT/4:30 p.m. MT.
 
"We've just got to come out and play our game," Palmer added. "We're prepared to face NM State and we're looking forward to coming back this afternoon and taking on the regular season champs."