OGDEN, Utah – Weber State scored twice in the bottom of the fifth inning on its way to recording a 4-3 come-from-behind in-state victory over Utah Valley in non-conference action on Tuesday afternoon at Wildcat Softball Field in Ogden.
 
Despite falling on Tuesday, UVU (16-24) has won six of its last eight ballgames. WSU improves to 24-19 with the victory after sweeping the three-game season series from the Wolverines.
 
Utah Valley didn't waste any time getting on the scoreboard in the contest, as it drove home a run in the top of the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Following a leadoff double to left from Brianna Moeller and a walk by Peyton Angulo, Basia Query then delivered with a two-out RBI single to center to give the Wolverines the early one-run advantage.
 
WSU, who currently leads the Big Sky Conference with an 11-4 conference clip, quickly returned the favor, however, with two runs of its own in the last of the first to take a 2-1 lead. Ali Belloc drove home both runs in the inning for the Wildcats with a two-run homer to left.
 
The Wolverines then answered back with a run in the second and another in the third to take a 3-2 advantage. Following a two-out hit and a stolen base from Kirsten Andersen in the top of the second, Moeller then drove her home with an infield single that Andersen managed to score from second off of to tie the game at 2-all. In the third, back-to-back doubles from Lyndsay Steverson and Query then gave the Wolverines the 3-2 lead, as Query drove home her second run of the game with an RBI double to left.
 
The score remained 3-2 Wolverines until the last of the fifth when the Wildcats again managed to break through with a pair of late runs to take a 4-3 lead. With Ashlyn Visser leading from second with two away in the frame, Courtney Petsky delivered the big blow with a go-ahead clutch two-run home run to left.
 
Kate Donaldson then continued to pitch well in relief for Weber State, as she retired the Wolverines in order in each of the sixth and seventh innings to help preserve the one-run victory for WSU.
 
Despite suffering the loss, Query recorded a three-hit game for the Wolverines by going 3-for-4 with a double and two runs batted in. Moeller and Steverson were next for UVU by each tallying two hits apiece. Landi Hawker led WSU at the plate by going 3-for-4, while Belloc and Petska each belted out a two-run home run.
 
Donaldson (8-5) earned the win for Weber State after pitching five innings of scoreless relief. Despite surrendering just two runs on four hits in 3.2 innings of work, Makayla Shadle (5-8) was credited with the loss for UVU.
 
Utah Valley, who holds a 7-4 conference record, will return to WAC play for its final conference series of the season this weekend at CSU Bakersfield (6-33, 3-9 WAC). With a sweep, the third-place Wolverines would most likely move into second place in the standings and receive a first-round bye at the 2018 WAC Tournament that will run May 9-12 at the NM State Softball Complex in Las Cruces, New Mexico. This weekend's series will consist of a doubleheader on Friday beginning at 3 p.m. MT/2 p.m. PT and the series finale on Saturday at 2 p.m. MT/1 p.m. PT.