MORAGA, Calif. – Second-year freshman Nick Sims didn't allow a run over 5.1 innings and fellow freshman Devin Smith came on to earn a three-inning save en route to helping Utah Valley University record its second win in as many days over Saint Mary's, 3-2, in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader at Louis Guisto Field.
 
In his first career start, Sims was solid for the Wolverines (2-0) by allowing just five hits and no runs over 5.1 innings of work to earn his first collegiate win. Smith, who entered in a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, earned his first career save after striking out four and surrendering just one hit and one run over the final three innings to help UVU secure the victory.
 
With both starting pitchers having allowed just a handful of combined hits and the game still scoreless into the sixth inning, Utah Valley was the first to manufacture a run to take a 1-0 lead. Connor Hall started the rally with a one-out single and promptly followed by stealing second to get into scoring position. After a groundout to the right side off the bat of Garrett Broussard moved Hall to third, the second-year freshman outfielder then came into score on an infield RBI single from Mitch Moralez to give the Wolverines the one-run advantage.
 
The Gaels (0-2) then threatened in the bottom of the sixth by getting two runners on with just one away. But UVU reliever Tevin Hall came on and managed to draw a fielder's choice off the bat of Eric Smelko where the UVU defense was able to cut down the lead runner heading for third followed by Wolverine catcher Trey Newman throwing out a would-be base stealer moments later to end the threat and keep it a 1-0 game.
 
In the seventh, the UVU offense added a pair of insurance runs to make it 3-0 Wolverines. Kase Ogata reached on an error to lead off the frame and Pacen Hayes was hit by a pitch to put two on with nobody out. Newman then dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Ogata and Hayes to second and third, and Ogata then came home for the second day in a row on a wild pitch to make it 2-0. After Mick Madsen worked a walk, sophomore transfer Brandon Luna drove home Hayes with an RBI single to center to extend UVU's lead to 3-0.
 
SMC then made things interesting in the last of the seventh by loading the bases with no outs in the frame. Pinch-hitter Jack Murphy then drove in the first run of the game for Saint Mary's with a sacrifice fly to left for the first out. After a groundout moved the would-be tying runners into scoring position, the Wolverine reliever Smith struck out Justin Banks looking to end the threat and keep it a 3-1 ballgame. 
 
The Gaels then got two runners on in the eighth, but Smith was able to record a pair of strikeouts in the frame along with a foul-out to escape the threat. Then in the last of the ninth, SMC's Jacob Talamante tripled and later scored on a Ryan Novis groundout to make it 3-2, but Smith settled down and managed to draw a game-ending flyout off the bat of the clean-up man Banks to lock-up the win for UVU.
 
Offensively, Moralez led UVU for the second straight game by going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a stolen base, while Luna went 1-for-4 with an RBI of his own in his first start in a UVU uniform, and Hall finished with a 1-for-2 outing with a run scored and a stolen bag. Alexander Marco had UVU's lone extra-base hit of the game with an eighth-inning double.  
 
The win marks UVU's second consecutive of the series, as the Wolverines previously took Friday's season-opener by a score of 2-1. 
 
UVU will look to clinch the series later this afternoon, as the day continues with game two of the doubleheader at 3 p.m. MT/2 p.m. PT. The series will then conclude on Sunday 2 p.m. MT/1 p.m. PT. Both contests will be streamed live on the WCC Network.