MESA, Ariz. – Danny Beddes became Utah Valley University's career strikeout leader as the Wolverines opened the 2016 WAC Tournament with a 6-4 win over CSU Bakersfield on Wednesday at Hohokam Stadium.
 
Kyle Valgardson – already the Wolverines' (34-21) career saves leader – earned his eighth save, a new single-season UVU record. Craig Brinkerhoff hit his 11th home run of the season and also tripled, driving in two runs and now has 16 RBIs in nine career WAC Tournament games. Utah Valley has now won all three of its tournament-opening games since joining the WAC in 2014.
 
"Getting that first win is big. Danny Beddes pitched great and I thought our offense got out of the chute well," said UVU head coach Eric Madsen. "Bakersfield is tough, they play hard and you have to really grind it out with them, so I was really happy with the way we played."
 
Beddes finished with five strikeouts, setting the new career mark on a strikeout of Chance Gusbeth in the first. He currently has 96 strikeouts on the season, one shy of tying the single-season record. Beddes allowed three runs on three hits and moved to 9-3 on the season while earning his 20th career win.
 
"The first game is always the toughest one so it's good to get one out of the way," said Beddes. "I didn't have my best stuff today but I battled and made them put it in play and the guys behind me made a lot of plays."
 
Valgardson came on with two on and nobody out in the ninth and, after a two-out RBI single from Jake Ortega, got Dustin Frailey looking to end it.
 
Utah Valley will now face New Mexico State on Thursday at 3 p.m. PT/4 p.m. MT. The Aggies are the No. 2 seed.
 
The Roadrunners (18-36) scored first in the their first at-bat after Frailey walked, stole second and scored after a pair of groundball outs.
 
Three consecutive base hits to lead off the bottom of the first tied the game for Utah Valley with Greyson Bogden's base hit to right to driving in Howell to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Jordan Schlehuber delivered a two-run single in the second, scoring Spencer Gothberg and Stone Ramsey, who led off the second with back-to-back singles.
 
After Bogden walked to begin the third, Brinkerhoff hit a towering fly ball to right-center for an RBI triple and later scored on a wild pitch to give the Wolverines a 5-1 lead.
 
The 'Runners got a two-run single from David Metzgar in the eighth to make it 5-3 before Brinkerhoff's solo home run to left made it 6-3. Utah Valley finished with 10 hits, two each from Willis, Brinkerhoff and Ramsey.