PORTLAND, Ore. – Utah Valley scored two runs in the eighth, but it wasn't enough as Portland held on to defeat UVU 6-5 in the nightcap of a Saturday afternoon doubleheader at Joe Etzel Field in Portland.
The Pilots also took a pitcher's duel by a score of 3-0 in the first game of the twin bill to sweep both ends of the doubleheader and clinch the four-game non-conference series. Portland improves to 6-7 on the year with the doubleheader sweep while UVU drops to 2-8.
GAME TWO
Second-year freshman
Trey Newman helped give UVU an early 3-0 lead in the nightcap by blasting out his first collegiate home run with three-run homer to center in the top of the second inning.
Jeff Arens singled to start the second-inning rally for the Wolverines.
Jake Plecas then followed by reaching on a fielder's choice, and
Kade Poulsen was hit by a pitch prior to Newman's three-run bomb.
The Pilots then quickly countered back with three-run homer of their own in the bottom of the second off the bat of Briley Knight to tie the contest at 3-3.
UVU managed to get a runner into scoring position in both the third and fourth innings, but Portland's Knight delivered another big hit in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI double to right to give the Pilots their first lead of the game at 4-3.
Both teams pitched well from there as it remained 4-3 into the seventh. After UVU threatened in the top of the frame, Portland then drove home a pair of insurance runs in the bottom of the inning to extend its lead to 6-3. Jake Holcroft and Sam Brown each recorded RBI singles for UP in the frame.
UVU then struck back with two runs of its own in the eighth to make it a 6-5 game.
Alexander Marco doubled to lead-off the eighth and
Dalton Hill singled to center to put runners on corners with nobody out. Arens then drove in Marco with a sacrifice fly to center to make it a 6-4 score. Following a strikeout, Poulsen delivered an RBI single up the middle to score pinch runner
Tavyn Lords and pull the Wolverines to within a run. UP closer Eli Morse then came on for his third straight appearance of the series and second of the day to draw an inning-ending strikeout.
Then in the ninth, the Wolverines got a one-out single from
Garrett Broussard to put what represented the tying run on the basepaths, but UP's Morse responded by drawing a double play off the bat of
Mitch Moralez to end the ballgame.
Portland reliever Nick Nygard was credited with the win to improve to 1-0 on the year after tossing three scoreless innings, while Morse earned his third save of the series by pitching the final inning and a third of scoreless action (fifth save of the season). UVU starter
Bobby Voortmeyer pitched well for the Wolverines by going 5.1 innings but was tagged with the loss after surrendering three earned runs (four total) to drop to 0-2 on the year.
Marco paced the Wolverine offense in the nightcap by going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored. Broussard and Poulsen followed by each adding two hits apiece, while Newman drove in three runs after recording UVU's first home run of the season—with the three-run shot in the second. Knight led UP by going 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and four RBIs.
GAME ONE
Deadlocked in a pitcher's duel, Portland managed to break a scoreless contest in the last of the fifth with a solo homer to center off the bat of Chad Stevens to give UP a 1-0 advantage.
With UP holding to the one-run advantage and with UVU starter still
Nick Sims looking strong in the seventh, the Pilots then managed to get something going by loading the bases with nobody out in the frame. Portland then found a way to work a pair of bases loaded walks off of the Utah Valley bullpen to extend its lead to 3-0.
Portland reliever Morse then came on and retired the Wolverines in order in both the eighth and ninth to record his second save of the series with a pair of scoreless innings.
UVU had its best chance to score in the first when Marco doubled,
Kase Ogata followed by taking one for the team and
Drew Sims walked to load the bases with two away. UP starter Christian Peters then responded by drawing an inning-ending strikeout to leave the bases loaded. The Wolverines later got a leadoff double from Poulsen in the fifth, but UP's Peters again managed to escape the jam by retiring the next three UVU hitters to strand Poulsen.
UP's Peters went 7.0 shutout innings and allowed just two hits while striking out 11 to improve to 2-2 on the year. Morse then came on and pitched the final two innings to earn his fourth save and preserve the two-hit shutout for the Pilots. The second-year freshman
Nick Sims pitched into the seventh inning and surrendered just two runs on five hits while striking out six but was the tough-luck loser to drop to 1-2 on the season.
Marco and Poulsen both doubled in the contest to lead the way for UVU offensively. Stevens paced the Pilots with a 2-for-3 outing with a solo home run and two runs scored.
ON DECK FOR UVU
The Wolverines and Pilots will close the weekend series on Sunday with a 1 p.m. MT/noon PT matinee. Following Sunday's finale, UVU will return home for its home-and-conference-opening series next weekend (March 19-21) against Sacramento State. The Wolverines and the defending WAC Tournament champion Hornets will play a four-game series beginning Friday at 6 p.m. MT at doTERRA Field at UCCU Ballpark.
