RENO, Nev. – The Utah Valley University softball team belted out four more home runs coupled with a timely Saint Mary's error en route to completing an 8-7 come-from-behind victory over SMC on Saturday morning at the Nevada Classic.
 
Freshman Lyndsay Steverson and senior Brittney Vansway each belted out two home runs apiece on the way to leading UVU (4-8) to its third victory of the weekend tournament and fourth in a row. Vansway finished going a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs and three runs scored while Steverson went 2-for-3 with three runs batted in and two runs scored.

"I'm really proud of how we pieced together each part of the game this weekend. Thanks to our hard work off the field, we were able to compete and execute at the plate and on the field every inning of every game," freshman infielder Lyndsay Steverson said. 

The Gaels (9-11) scored twice in the top of the first inning of the opening game of the day to take a 2-0 lead. UVU didn't waste any time answering back, however, as it drove home four runs of its own in the bottom of the frame to take a 4-2 advantage. Vansway started the scoring with an RBI double and freshman Basia Query promptly followed with an RBI groundout to tie the score at 2-all. Steverson then delivered the big blow of the inning by belting out a two-run homer to give the Wolverines a 4-2 lead.
 
SMC's offense then erupted for five runs in the second inning to regain the lead at 7-4. Nikki Alexander, Hailey Sparacino and Cara DiMercurio all drove home runs in the frame for the Gaels.
 
With the score still 7-4 in the third, Utah Valley blasted out a pair of solo homers to cut the deficit to one. Vansway and Steverson drove out the third-inning round trippers to give Vansway her second of the weekend and Steverson her fourth with her second two-homer game.
 
Not to be outdone by the freshman Steverson, the senior Vansway then tied the game in the last of the fifth with a solo home run to make it a 7-7 game. The big fly marked Vansway's second of the game and her third of the tournament.
 
With the score still deadlocked at 7-7 in the last of the seventh, UVU loaded the bases with nobody out. Freshman Caragh Morris started the inning with a leadoff double, and Vansway immediately followed with a walk and Query then reached on an infield single to put runners on every base. The red-hot Steverson then hit a groundball to shortstop and with the winning run coming to the plate, SMC's Halle Sullivan air-mailed the throw home which resulted in a walk-off win for the Wolverines.
 
Junior Lauren Frailey earned the win in relief for UVU after pitching the final two innings of scoreless relief to improve to 3-2 on the year. SMC's Izzy Ortiz (0-1) was tagged with the loss after giving up two runs in three innings of work.
 
The victory not only marks UVU's second of the weekend over Saint Mary's, but also locks up the season-series over the Gaels at two games to one. It also marks the Wolverines' fourth win in a row. 
 
The Wolverines will conclude the weekend tournament with a Saturday afternoon tilt against the host Nevada Wolf Pack. Following Saturday's 3 p.m. MT/2 p.m. PT game against Nevada, UVU will return to Orem for a pair of home-opening midweek doubleheaders against Maine (Tuesday, March 14) and Wagner (Wednesday, March 15) at Wolverine Field next week.