OREM, Utah – A three-run seventh propelled Utah Valley University to a series-opening, 4-1 win over Chicago State on Friday night in WAC play at Brent Brown Ballpark.
Jackson Overlund had the game-tying RBI single with one out in the seventh before
Callahan Moltzan delivered the game-winning RBI with a single to right.
Jake Berry also added an RBI on a sacrifice fly for the Wolverines (12-23, 5-5), who snapped a four-game losing streak.
Jackson Cofer (2-5) started and lasted a season-best 7.2 innings and struck a season-high seven while allowing just one run on six hits.
Patrick Wolfe came on with two outs and a runner at second in the eighth and got a groundout to third to end the inning. He retired the side in order in the ninth to pick up his eighth save.
"Jackson pitched extremely well, got of out of some trouble, and gave us a chance to win," said UVU head coach
Eric Madsen. "We had some good fortune and took advantage of some things in that seventh inning. Finding a way to win is what we've needed to do."
Down 1-0 in the top of the seventh, the Wolverine defense kept a second run off the board for the Cougars (8-26, 4-6). After a two-out walk to Zach Thomas, Julian Russell nearly left the park on the first pitch of his at-bat. Berry played the ball off the wall perfectly and hit shortstop
Trevor Howell, who got it to
Jake Atkinson at the plate in plenty of time to retire Thomas and end the inning.
UVU added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on an RBI single on Howell's third hit of the game. He is 12 for his last 22 and has mutli-hit games in five of the last six contests.
Trevor Peterson tripled and had a pair of hits while Berry also had two hits for the Wolverines. Russell had two hits -- both doubles -- and Jacob Vanitvelt added two hits for the Cougars.
Chicago State got a quality start from Jake Perkins, who carried a shutout into the seventh. He took the tough-luck loss and dropped to 2-5 after allowing three runs on eight hits while striking out eight in six-plus innings.
The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 3 p.m. MT to wrap up the series. Next week, the Wolverines host Utah on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before traveling to Northern Colorado for three WAC games.
