EDINBURG, Texas – Zac Willis hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the top of 10th inning as Utah Valley University finished off a WAC series sweep, winning 4-1 at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley on Sunday. The sweep on the opening weekend marks UVU's best start in WAC play and is also the team's fourth straight win overall. 
 
The game was tied 1-1 when Trevor Howell walked with one out before Willis hit a one strike pitch out to left center for his fourth home run of the season and what turned out to be the game-winner. UVU (8-15, 3-0) added another run in the inning, on a dribbler off the bat of Justin Erlandson through the right side, scoring Jake Berry.
 
Patrick Wolfe (1-1), who came on in the ninth and stranded the bases loaded to keep the game going, retired the side in order in the bottom of the 10th and picked up the win.
 
"Getting a sweep on the road to open conference play is huge for us. We were far from perfect but did what we needed to do to hang in and get a win," said UVU head coach Eric Madsen. "I couldn't be more pleased with our pitching staff. They really kept us in it all weekend. And good for Zac to come up clutch for us with that big home run."
 
The Vaqueros (16-11, 0-3) took a 1-0 lead in the first inning, taking advantage of two Wolverine errors to plate an unearned run on an RBI single from Austin Siener.
 
Utah Valley tied it in the fifth when Berry walked to lead off and then moved to third when Erlandson doubled past third. Kade Poulsen drove in the run on a groundball to short, scoring Berry.
 
Both teams had golden opportunities to score in multiple innings. The Vaqueros stranded the bases loaded in the fifth and again in the ninth while the Wolverines had the bases full and one out in the seventh but could not score. UTRGV stranded 11 men on base while UVU left 10 on.
 
UT Rio Grande Valley got the leadoff man on in the bottom of the ninth but a failed bunt attempt turned into a 2-6-3 double play. Still, the Vaqueros got a pair of two-out singles before an error loaded the bases and put the winning run 90 feet away, but Wolfe got Anibal Leal to fly out to right to force the extra frame.
 
Wolverine starter Kaden Schmitt was solid in 5.0 innings of work. He allowed just the one unearned run on six hits with four strikeouts. Jason Jourdan, Logan Hold and Wolfe then combined to throw 5.0 scoreless innings in relief. For the series, the Wolverine bullpen combined for 11.2 shutout innings.
 
Erlandson came off the bench and had three hits to lead Utah Valley while Trevor Peterson, Berry and Jake Atkinson each had two hits.
 
UTRGV starter Andrew Garcia threw 8.0 innings and surrendered just the one run on seven hits while striking out seven.
 
The Wolverines return home this week for just the second series at Brent Brown Ballpark. Sacramento State comes to Orem for a three-game WAC series beginning Thursday at 6 p.m. MT.