OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University baseball team found itself on the wrong end of a 17-4 contest to No. 22 UC Irvine for the second consecutive day in the series finale on Sunday afternoon at UCCU Ballpark.
 
With the victory, UCI sweeps the non-conference series three games to none to improve to 12-4 on the season. UVU drops to 3-16 with the setback. 
 
UCI was the first to get things going with a first-inning run to jump out to an early 1-0 lead. After a leadoff walk, Jake Palmer later came around to score on a two-out single to right from Adrian Damla. The Anteaters then tacked on five more runs in the second to extend their lead to 6-0. Brendan Brooks started the scoring in the frame with a  sacrifice fly and Palmer followed with an RBI single up the middle to make it 3-0. Brandon Lewis then capped the scoring in the frame with a two-out, three-run homer to left. 
 
The Wolverines then got a run back in the bottom of the second when Mick Madsen came around to score to make it 6-1. After leading off the frame by getting hit by a pitch, Madsen then took second on a walk by Ty Vargas and advanced to third on a groundout. With two outs in the inning, he then came in to score on a wild pitch that got to the backstop to make it a five-run game. 
 
The Anteaters then added five more runs in the fourth behind home runs from Lewis and Mike Peabody, as well as a two-run single from Christian Koss to make 11-1. 
 
UVU then made it 11-2 behind a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth from Jake Berry. Berry's big fly was his first of the season and got out of the park in deep left-center. 
 
The Anteaters then tacked on two runs in the fifth, three more in the sixth and one in the ninth to put the game out of reach.  
 
Late in the game, Utah Valley managed to drive in a pair of eighth-inning runs to make it 16-4 at the time. Following Michael Beltran's fourth hit of the game, Alexander Marco then drove him in with a double to right-center and Berry later drove Marco home with an RBI single up the middle for his second RBI of the ballgame. 
 
UC Irvine starter Trenton Denholm (3-0) was credited with the win, while UVU's Walker Ramsey was tagged with the loss to drop to 0-4 on the year. 
 
Beltran led UVU at the plate by going 4-for-5 in the game, while Berry added a 2-for-4 outing with a pair of runs batted in and a run scored. Peabody led UCI by going 4-for-5 with two RBIs, four runs scored and finished just a single shy of the cycle. Lewis also drove in five in the game for the Anteaters on a two homer day. 
 
UCI pounded out a total of 14 hits on Sunday en route to recording the series sweep. For the weekend, the Anteaters combined to bang out 45 hits and drive in 49 runs in the series. 
 
With the setback, the Wolverines have now dropped four straight ballgames. 
 
The series marked the first time that UVU has hosted a nationally ranked opponent since May 2, 2017 when the Wolverines face No. 22 BYU. 
 
The Wolverines will now welcome neighboring rival BYU to UCCU Ballpark for a UCCU Crosstown Clash on Tuesday, March 19 for a 6 p.m. contest. The game will mark the second and final season meeting between the two foes and the conclusion of a nine-game homestand for the Wolverines. UVU will then head to the Emerald City next weekend to open WAC play at Seattle U (March 22-24). 
 
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