MORAGA, Calif. – Jade Miller and
Basia Query combined for five hits and five RBIs as Utah Valley University swept both ends of a doubleheader with an 8-4 win at Saint Mary's. The victory also gave the Wolverines (10-4) the series win over the Gaels (4-12). Utah Valley defeated Saint Mary's, 16-2, earlier on Saturday.
UVU scored three in the second, two in the third and two more in the sixth to take a commanding 7-0 lead. Saint Mary's scored four times in the sixth to chip into the lead but the Wolverines added an insurance run in the seventh.
Linnah Rebolledo singled to lead off the third and moved to second on a one-out bunt single by
Emery Nielson. Miller drove home both runners with an RBI single and Query drove in
Madison Carr with base hit to make it 3-0.
In the third, Rebolledo tripled home pinch-runner
Laynee Betancur, who came in after
Lyndsay Steverson singled with one out.
Peyton Prigge followed Rebolledo with a triple of her own, scoring Rebolledo and giving the Wolverines a 5-0 lead. Query's sixth-inning double scored Nielson and Carr, who both singled, to extend it to 7-0.
UVU starter
Katie Zuniga (3-0) pitched into the sixth inning and started with five shutout innings on just three hits. The Gaels were able to string together a trio of hits against her in the sixth but
Devyn Cretz came in and got the final five outs to finish the win.
Miller was 3-for-5 with two RBIs and Query was 2-for-4 with three batted in. Nielson had a pair of hits and also scored two runs to go along with an RBI in the seventh. Rebolledo had a three-hit game and scored two runs while Carr and Steverson also added two hits. The Wolverines had 17 hits in the game while Saint Mary's finished with seven, led by a 2-for-3 day by Alex Casas.
Utah Valley will be off next week and resume play on March 6 in a tournament at Northern Colorado.