FRESNO, Calif. – After getting rained out on Friday, the Utah Valley University baseball team dropped a 6-3 contest to Fresno State in the 2019 season opener on Saturday afternoon at Bob Bennett Stadium in Fresno. 
 
UVU drops to 0-1 on the young season with the setback while the Bulldogs improve to 1-0. With rain having altered the series, the two teams will now play a doubleheader on Sunday afternoon and the series finale on Monday. 
 
"It was nice to be able to get the season underway after being rained out on Friday," head UVU coach Eric Madsen said. "I felt like our guys competed and kept giving us a chance. It would have been great for them win. We have some things to improve on and I look forward to seeing how we do the rest of the weekend.
 
After a scoreless top of the first inning, the Bulldogs got off to a quick start by driving home three runs in the last of the first to take a 3-0 lead. After a Wolverine defensive miscue, Fresno State pushed home an unearned run on a one-out RBI single from McCarthy Tatum to make it 1-0. Two batters later, Nolan Dempsey then drove home two more with an two-run double down the leftfield line to make it 3-0. UVU starter Jake Carr then settled down and responded to strike out the next two batters to escape the jam. 
 
Still 3-0 Bulldogs in the top of the third, the Wolverine offense then managed to respond with a pair of runs to make it 3-2. Kody Hall started the inning with a bunt single and Trevor Howell promptly followed with a double to left to put two runners in scoring position with nobody out. Michael Beltran then followed with an RBI groundout to short to drive home the first run. After a walk by Paul Estrada put runners on first and third, a Bulldog wild pitch then allowed Howell to come home to score UVU's second run of the game. 
 
Fresno State then tacked on insurance run in the fourth, another in the fifth and one more in the sixth to extend its lead to 6-2.
 
The Wolverines then responded in the seventh with of run of their own to make it 6-3. Kade Poulsen started off the inning with a single and later advanced to third following consecutive two-out singles from Beltran and Estrada to load the bases. Poulsen then came in to score on a wild pitch to make it 6-3. With runners on second and third, Fresno State reliever Oscar Carvajal got UVU's Drew Sims to flyout to right to end the threat.
 
After a scoreless eighth, the Wolverines then again threatened in the ninth by loading the bases with two away. Poulsen started the inning with a leadoff single. After back-to-back strikeouts, both Beltran and Estrada reached base via a pair of walks to make things interesting. With the tying runner on first base, Fresno State's Jamison Hill then managed to draw a popup off the bat of Sims to end the ballgame. 
 
Fresno State's Ryan Jensen (1-0) went five innings to earn the victory while UVU's Carr (0-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing three earned runs while striking out eight and walking two in four innings of work. Jamison Hill recorded the save after helping the Bulldogs escape the bases loaded jam in the ninth. Utah Valley's Blake Zeleny pitched well in relief for the Wolverines, as he allowed just one hit and one run while striking out two in three innings of work.
 
Estrada, Beltran and Poulsen led the way for UVU at the plate as each recorded two hits in the ballgame. Estrada paced the group by going 2-for-3 with two walks, while Beltran went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a walk and Poulsen finished 2-for-4 with a run scored. Dempsey led the Bulldogs with a 3-for-4 outing with a double and three runs batted in.
 
Fresno State head coach Mike Batesole, a two-time National Coach of the Year, recorded his 800th-career victory on the day.  
 
With rain having altered the series, UVU and Fresno State will now play a doubleheader on Sunday beginning at 2 p.m. MT/1 p.m. PT. The series finale will then be played on Monday at 2 p.m. MT/1 p.m. PT. All three games will be streamed on the Mountain West Network.