BELLEVUE, Wash. – Despite falling 4-1 in the first of three games at Seattle University this week, Utah Valley University was able to clinch a spot in next week's WAC Baseball Tournament in Mesa, Arizona. Holding the tiebreaker over both Chicago State and UT Rio Grande Valley, both losers on Thursday, the Wolverines assured themselves the opportunity to repeat as tournament champions.

In Thursday's opener against the Redhawks (19-31-1, 8-14), Paul Estrada hit his first career home run but it was the only run the Wolverines (16-34, 9-13) would score. Jackson Cofer pitched well over 7.2 innings but walks and a pair of defensive miscues allowed Seattle U to score a pair of unearned runs. 
 
The Redhawks jumped ahead 4-0 after three innings, scoring twice in the first and once each in the second and third. With Seattle U in front 3-0 in the third, Curtis Perrin added a run with a two-out, RBI single that scored Sean Sutton.
 
Cofer (3-7) settled in after that and at one point retired seven straight and nine of 10, including striking out the side in order in the fifth. His final line read four runs (two earned) on four hits with a pair of strikeouts and six walks. Seattle U starter Jake Prizina (5-2) also lasted 7.2 innings, allowing just one run on four hits with five strikeouts. Janson Junk got the final four outs of the game to notch his first save. 

Aaron Stroosma went 3-for-3 and score twice for Seattle U. Both teams finished with just four hits on the night in the two-hour 32-minute contest. 

The series continues on Saturday at 5 p.m. PT/6 p.m. MT with the Wolverines needing one win over the final two days to earn the No. 4 seed in the WAC Tournament, which begins next Wednesday at Hohokam Park.