OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University softball team split a midweek doubleheader against Wagner College on Wednesday afternoon at Wolverine Field in Orem. After the Wolverines claimed a 9-1 run-rule victory in the opener, the Seahawks responded to take game two by a score of 5-2.
 
Despite dropping the final game of twin bill, UVU (7-10) concluded its four-game homestand with a 3-1 mark after sweeping a doubleheader from Maine on Tuesday and splitting Wednesday's action against the Seahawks (2-11). The Wolverines have also won seven of their last nine ballgames after putting up a 3-1 record at the Nevada Classic last weekend, as well as a 1-0 shutout victory over Iowa State of the Big 12 Conference on March 5.
 
"We came out really strong in the first game and obviously we didn't do as well in the second one. But Wagner is a good team and I felt like we competed the whole day, but that second one just didn't fall in our favor," said junior shortstop Kirsten Andersen.
 
Freshman second baseman Lyndsay Steverson led UVU on the day by going 4-for-6 at the plate with two doubles, a home run, three runs scored and two runs driven home. Junior first baseman Taleigh Williams was next after finishing with a 2-for-5 day with two RBIs, a run scored and a walk.
 
GAME ONE
The Wolverines grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the first inning of the opener on an unearned run by freshman Caragh Morris, who scored on a dropped fly ball off the bat of Steverson.
 
After the Seahawks tied the game in the top of the fourth, Steverson helped Utah Valley pull ahead at 2-1 in the bottom of the frame after crushing out a solo home run to deep left center. Her solo blast marked her team-high eighth of the season and her eighth in UVU's last eight ballgames.
 
With the Wolverines still holding to the 2-1 advantage in the last of the fifth, UVU loaded the bases with one away. Senior Brittney Vansway then delivered a hit a two-run single that scored Andersen and senior Courtney Beavers to push the Wolverine lead to 4-1.
 
Utah Valley's advantage was extended to four runs at 5-1, as Steverson tallied her second hit and second RBI of the day with a single up the middle. The big fifth inning continued for the Wolverines after freshman Basia Query hit a single to third and junior Taleigh Williams added a two-RBI single to center field that brought home both Steverson and Query to put UVU ahead 7-1.
 
In UVU's next at-bat, sophomore Eryn Sustayta dropped in her second single of the frame to extend Utah Valley's advantage to 8-1 and Andersen promptly followed by reaching via a hit by pitch to load the bases for the senior Beavers. Six pitches later, Beavers drew the game-sealing walk to score Williams in from third and mark the squad's second run-rule victory in as many days.
 
Utah Valley delivered six hits and seven runs during the decisive fifth inning to put the game away.
 
Steverson led the Wolverines offensively in the ballgame by going 2-for-3 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Sustayta was next by finishing with a two-hit contest, as she too went 2-for-3 with a run batted in.
 
Freshman right-hander Angelica Ponce (1-0) earned her first collegiate victory in the contest after giving up one run on three hits while striking out two in the full five innings of action. Wagner's McKaleigh Goodale was tagged with the loss to drop to 0-6 on the year.
 
GAME TWO
Trailing 2-0 in the second game of the day, UVU used two hits in the bottom of the second to cut its deficit to one, at 2-1, on an RBI double to left center from freshman Taylor Miller that brought home Steverson. Stevenson's run came after she led off the inning with a double of her own to left center.
 
Wagner then stretched its advantage to 5-1 in the fifth thanks to a three-run home run from sophomore Jessica Carlucci.
 
Query then countered for the Wolverines in the last of the fifth with a sacrifice fly to center field that scored junior Kristy Snyder from third to cut the score to 5-2. In as a pinch-runner for Vansway, who lead-off the frame with a single, Snyder made her way to third from following a Steverson double down the left field line. The run marked the final one of the game that UVU could drive home, however, as the Seahawks went on to hold on for the 5-2 victory.
 
Wagner's Morgan Brown (2-2) went the distance for the Seahawks en route to earning her second victory of the season, while UVU freshman Kenzie Summers took the loss after allowing two runs on five hits in 2.0 innings of work.  
 
Steverson continued her hot hitting for the Wolverines by going 2-for-3 in the game with a pair of doubles and a run scored.
 
UP NEXT FOR UVU
The Wolverines will now take the weekend off before heading to Logan and Pocatello next week for a pair of midweek doubleheaders at Utah State and Idaho State. UVU and USU will first do battle in Logan on Wednesday, March 22 at 1 and 3 p.m., before capping the trip with noon and 2 p.m. contests at ISU on Thursday, March 23.