IRVINE, Calif. – The Utah Valley University baseball team jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on an RBI single from
Trevor Peterson and home run by Pacen Hayes, but surrendered three runs in the seventh and eighth innings to UC Irvine as it fell, 2-4, in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night at Anteater Ballpark.
With the loss, the Wolverines fell to 5-11 for the year and drop their fourth-consecutive contest. UVU played a clean game in the field with no errors and came away with seven hits on the night. However, eight runners left on base proved to be costly although the Anteaters left 10 runners stranded themselves.
The bats were working early for Utah Valley as
Trevor Howell opened the game with a leadoff double and
David Modler followed with a single to advance Howell to third base. Peterson then singled up the middle to score Howell and give the Wolverines the early lead.
Hayes continued the hot start for UVU as he crushed a solo homerun to center field in the top of the fourth. UC Irvine would break through in the bottom of the inning though, as Cole Kreuter singled and then crossed home plate on a double from Adrian Damla.
The one run in the fourth proved to be the only one that
Jake Mayer would surrender until Irvine began its rally in the seventh inning and tied the game at 2 runs apiece. Mayer tossed 105 pitches in seven innings while giving up two earned runs on eight hits and two walks. The senior, right-handed pitcher reached double-digits in strikeouts for the game as he fanned 10 of the 27 batters he faced. His 10 strikeout performance is a new career high.
The decisive eighth inning began as Jake Carr came on in relief of Mayer and struck out the first-two batters he faced. Carr would then walk the next-three Anteater hitters and Jake Palmer hit a two-RBI single up the middle to put Irvine on top for good.
Kade Poulsen singled in the top of the ninth to try and spark a comeback for Utah Valley, but the Wolverines were unable to produce anything else before the third out.
Peterson ended his night 2-for-4 with two singles, an RBI and a stolen base. Drew Sims doubled and walked as he went 1-for-3 for the game, while Modler duplicated that performance but singled and walked while going 1-for-3.
The weekend's series will resume tomorrow (March 17) as the first pitch is slated for 3:00 p.m. MST. The series finale will then take place on Sunday, March 18 at 2:00 p.m. MST. Following the series with Irvine, Utah Valley will return to Orem for its first home game of the season at recently-renamed UCCU Ballpark. The Wolverines will take on Northern Colorado in a three-game series that opens on March 23.
