COLUMBIA, S.C. – Utah Valley University junior right-hander Paxton Schultz gave the Wolverines a chance by striking out a career-high 11 batters and the UVU offense managed to rally to take the lead in the ninth, but the South Carolina Gamecocks won it in the bottom of the frame with a two-out walk-off home run off the bat of Noah Campbell to claim a 6-5 victory and the series over UVU on a cold and wet Saturday afternoon at Founders Park. 
 
After Schultz gave up just three earned runs and struck out 11 while not allowing a walk over 7.0 impressive innings of work, UVU (1-4) found itself trailing the SEC Gamecocks (5-1) by just two runs, at 4-2, entering the top of the ninth inning. Pinch hitter Ryan Eastburn started the ninth-inning rally for the Wolverines with a leadoff double to left-center and Trevor Howell quickly followed with a single to right to put the tying runners on base with nobody out. With runners on first and third, Michael Beltran then helped the Wolverines tie it at 4-4 with a clutch two-run double to left to make it a whole new ballgame. After back-to-back outs, Alexander Marco then delivered with a two-strike, two-out RBI double down the leftfield line to plate Beltran and give UVU a late 5-4 lead.
 
In the last of the ninth, USC's Brady Allen managed to work a leadoff walk, he then advanced to second on a questionable balk call, and later reached third following a sacrifice bunt. With one out and the tying runner standing at third base, UVU reliever Jesse Schmit responded to strike out pinch hitter Jordan Holladay looking for the second out the frame. Then with the Preseason All-SEC honoree and Baseball America Preseason All-America candidate Campbell down to his final strike, Campbell managed to get ahold of a 2-2 pitch and belt it out of the ballpark to right for the walk-off home run.  
 
"I was proud of our guys, they really competed today after a tough game on Friday. I think that says a lot about the type of kids they are to respond that way today and compete like they did," head UVU coach Eric Madsen said. "Paxton pitched really well, his effort was outstanding. It was a tough way to see it end like that but I'm excited to see how we bounce back and play on Sunday."
 
The Gamecocks were the first to get on the board thanks to a two-out first-inning RBI single from Luke Berryhill to take a 1-0 lead. USC then made it 2-0 in the third after a two-out RBI triple off the bat of TJ Hopkins plated Quinntin Perez.
 
Still 2-0 in the fifth, Utah Valley's offense then got things going and managed to tie the contest up at 2-2. Marco started the frame with a leadoff double to left and Mick Madsen promptly followed with a double of his own to center to plate Marco and make it a one-run game. Jake Plecas then drew a walk and Kade Poulsen loaded the bases after getting hit by a pitch. UVU's second run of the inning then came home on a wild pitch, as Madsen crossed home plate to deadlock the score at 2-2. With two on and just one out, USC reliever Cam Tringali managed to escape the jam by drawing a groundout followed by a strikeout. 
 
With Schultz having not allowed a run since the third and having retired the Gamecocks in order in both the fourth and fifth innings, South Carolina managed to take a 3-2 advantage following a two-out sixth-inning solo homer off the bat of Berryhill that just cleared the fence in right-center. Then following back-to-back strikeouts for the first two outs in the seventh, USC's Chris Cullen then gave the Gamecocks a 4-2 lead by just clearing the fence in left with a two-out solo home run. 
 
The the Gamecocks threatening for more in the eighth, UVU reliever Matt Dalke managed to escape a bases loaded jam by drawing an inning-ending ground ball off the bat of Andrew Eyster to keep the Wolverines within striking distance heading to the ninth.  

In the top of the ninth, Utah Valley managed to score its three runs off of South Carolina closer Sawyer Bridges, who was on to try to earn a two-inning save. 
 
In just his second start of the season, Schultz shined for the Wolverines by fanning a career-high 11 batters and not allowing a walk in 7.0 innings of work. The UVU junior scattered seven hits and allowed just three earned runs (four total) on his way to helping keep the Wolverines in the game against the SEC foe. The 11 strikeouts mark the first time that UVU has tallied double figures in punch outs since Kaden Schmitt fanned 10 in a complete-game outing last May against Seattle U. 
 
In relief, Schmit (0-1) was tagged with the loss for UVU while USC reliever John Gilreath (1-1) was credited with the win.
 
Beltran led UVU offensively on the day by going 3-for-4 with two runs batted in, while Madsen went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a double. Howell and Marco each chipped in two hits apiece in the game for the Wolverines. Campbell, Berryhill and Cullen all homered in the contest for the Gamecocks. 
 
The ballgame marked just UVU's sixth all-time meeting against an opponent from the SEC and was USC's second victory over Utah Valley on the weekend. 
 
The Wolverines and Gamecocks will conclude the series with a Sunday matinee at 11:30 a.m. MT/1:30 p.m. ET at Founders Park. The contest will air live on SEC Network Plus (ESPN 3). Following Sunday's finale, UVU will return to Orem before heading to Northern California next weekend for a non-conference series at UC Davis.