CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Utah Valley University scored three times in the top of the ninth and survived the bottom half of the inning to prevail, 6-5, over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Friday night in the first of four games between the teams.
The win is the Wolverines' (4-4) third straight and also ends the Islanders (7-2) six-game winning streak.
David Modler went 3-for-5 and scored twice while
Callahan Moltzan drove in three runs including what turned out to the game-winner in the ninth.
Tied 3-3 in the top of the ninth, Modler singled with one out and moved to second when
Trevor Peterson was hit by a pitch.
Jackson Overlund doubled home Modler to give UVU a 4-3 lead before Moltzan drove home Peterson and Overlund on a base hit to left.
In the bottom of the ninth, with
Paxton Schultz on the mound for Utah Valley, a one-out base hit and a walk put two on and chased Schultz, who gave way to Drew Hill. Hill struck out Drake Osborn for the second out before a walk loaded the bases. A wild pitch allowed one run to score and an infield single brought home another and put the potential tying run at third. Hill got Luke Marbach to ground out to second to secure the win and register his second save in as many games.
UVU starter
Jake Mayer pitched seven strong innings, allowing just four hits while matching his career-high with eight strikeouts for the second consecutive outing. Three of the four hits against Mayer were solo home runs, the final of which tied the game in the seventh.
The Wolverines scored three times on four hits in the first inning.
Trevor Howell, Modler and Peterson, who drove in a run, led off the game with three consecutive base hits and Moltzan also had an RBI single in the inning.
Mayer kept Texas A&M-CC off the board through five innings before solo home runs from Harrison Dinicola and Thomas Jeffries made it 3-2. Osborn's one-out home run tied it in the seventh.
Utah Valley finished with 13 hits, compared to six from the Islanders. Schultz (1-1) picked up the win while Cole Carter (2-1) was saddled with the loss. The series continues on Saturday with a 1 p.m. CT/noon MT doubleheader.
