LAS VEGAS, Nevada – Peyton Prigge went 3-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs as Utah Valley University opened the Marucci Desert Classic with a 6-2 win over in-state rival Weber State on Friday at UNLV. It's the third straight win for the Wolverines, who are now 4-1, matching their best start since the 2013 season.
 
Prigge hit a game-tying two-run home run in the sixth and drove in two more runs during a decisive four-run sixth inning. Rien Milliken delivered the go-ahead RBI in the sixth and had two hits on the day.
 
Weber State took an early lead, scoring in the first when Landi Hawker tripled with one out and scored when Faith Hoe followed with an RBI single. Courtney Pestka hit a solo home run in the second to put the Wildcats up 2-0.
 
Prigge's home run came in the fifth with two out and Emery Nielson on base, tying it at 2-2. The sixth-inning rally started with a one-out single by Lyndsay Steverson. Laynee Betancur pinch-ran for Steverson and advanced to second on a Linnah Rebelledo base hit up the middle. After a strikeout put two outs on the board, Milliken came through with a single to left, plating Betancur and giving the Wolverines a 3-2 lead.
 
Nielson made it 4-2 with an infield hit that scored Rebolledo and moved Milliken to third. Nielson then stole second before Prigge singled home both runners to put UVU in front 6-2.

"They (Weber State) really had the momentum early on, we couldn't get anything going. But this team is resilient, they compete and they chipped away. And once the momentum shifted the pitchers kept us going and we didn't look back," said UVU head coach Stacy May-Johnson. 

Weber State got the first two runners on in the bottom of the seventh, but Brooke Carter induced three straight pop-ups to end it. Carter struck out five in 3.2 innings of relief and got the win for Utah Valley. Katie Zuniga made her first career start as she and Jordan Adams both pitched 1.2 innings for the Wolverines.
 
UVU finished with 11 hits on the day while Weber State had 10 hits including a 4-for-4 day from Ashlyn Visser. Utah Valley will next play Montana this afternoon in its second of six games this weekend in Las Vegas.