EDINBURG, Texas – Utah Valley University came from behind late to take the Western Athletic Conference series opener at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on Friday night, 4-3.

Trevor Howell had three hits to lead the way for the Wolverines while Patrick Wolfe stranded runners in scoring position in the eighth and ninth to pick up his fifth save.
 
UVU (6-15) trailed 3-0 and were kept at bay by UTRGV (16-9) starter Carter Johnson through the first six innings. Johnson had only allowed one runner into scoring position over the first six innings on a first-inning double by Howell.

It was Howell who singled and moved to second on a wild pitch to lead off the seventh. After Johnson retired the next two hitters swinging to run his strikeout total to nine, Jake Berry delivered a two-out, RBI single to plate Howell and get UVU on the board. Berry moved to second on the throw home, which proved big when Callahan Moltzan followed with an RBI base hit to center to get UVU within a run at 3-2.
 
In the eighth, Kade Poulsen singled to lead off the inning, moved to second two batters later on an infield hit from Trevor Peterson, and then scored the tying run on Howell's third hit of the game, a single to center. Zac Willis followed by driving in what proved to be the game-winner on a sacrifice fly to plate Peterson.
 
In the bottom of the eighth, the Vaqueros put runners on second and third with just one out, but Logan Hold got a comebacker and was able to retire the lead runner before Wolfe came in and struck out Tyler Torres to keep the lead intact.
 
UTRGV had the tying run in scoring position with one out in the ninth but Wolfe struck out Noah Lee looking for out No. 2 before Conrad McMahon flew out to right to end it..
 
Hold (3-0) got the win while Johnson (4-2) took the loss for UTRGV despite striking out 10 over 7.1 innings. Wolverine starter Jackson Cofer pitched 6.1 innings and allowed three runs on just four hits while striking out five.  

The game was scoreless into the fourth until Vaqueros jumped ahead with three runs. I Estrella gave UTRGV a 1-0 lead with a grounder to second before Victor Garcia Jr delivered a two-run single for the early 3-0 lead. 

The series continues on Saturday with a 6 p.m. CT/5 p.m. MT first pitch. Jake Mayer is slated to start for the Wolverines.