PROVO, Utah – Utah Valley scored six unanswered runs in the middle innings, but it wasn't enough as the comeback bid fell short in an 11-7 UCCU Crosstown Clash setback to BYU on Tuesday afternoon at Larry H. Miller Field in Provo.
 
BYU jumped out to a 7-0 lead early in the contest, but back struck the Wolverines with six runs to pull within a run at 7-6. The Cougars then answered late, however, to put the game away with four insurance runs to claim the in-state non-conference contest.
 
BYU improves to 7-11 overall on the season with the win, while UVU drops to 2-14 with the loss.
 
"It was good to see the guys compete. I wish we would've started out that way and been a little more competitive early on, but it was nice to see the team respond," head UVU coach Eric Madsen said. "Again, I was proud of our team for not giving up and fighting there until the end. We've just got to do a better job of limiting their (BYU's) chances and taking advantage of opportunities when they present themselves."
 
BYU managed to push a run across in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead. Following a lead-off double from Andrew Pintar, Mitch McIntyre later drove him in with an RBI single up the middle. The Wolverine defense then responded with a 4-6-3 double play that was started by a nice stop and flip from Mitch Moralez to end the threat.
 
The Cougar offense then added five runs in the second and another in the third to extend their early lead to 7-0. Peyton Cole drove in the first run in the second with an RBI single. Pintar followed with a two-run triple, and Brock Watkins capped the big inning with a two-run homer to center to make it 6-0. BYU then tacked on a run in the third on a solo homer from Cole Gambill. With Brigham Young threatening for more with a pair of runners in scoring position and two away later in the third, UVU freshman Carson Brown came on and struck out Watkins looking to stand the baserunners help limit the damage.
 
Utah Valley then got a lead-off double from Drew Sims in the fourth and he later came in to score in the frame to make it 7-1. With Sims later leading from third following a groundout off the bat of Pacen Hayes, Sims then came home on a wild pitch that got away from BYU reliever Luke Sterner for UVU's first run of the ballgame.
 
The Wolverines then got another run back in the fifth following back-to-back one-out hits from Moralez and Alexander Marco to make it 7-2. Moralez started the stretch with a single to left and Marco drove him all the way around from first with an RBI double to left-center to make it a five-run deficit.
 
Hayes then led off the sixth with a no-doubt solo bomb to left-center for UVU to make it a 7-3 contest. The round-tripper marked Hayes' first of the season and started a sixth-inning rally for UVU. Jeff Arens, Andrew Hacker and Garrett Broussard all followed with doubles in the frame for the Wolverines, and Marco capped the stretch with an RBI single to make it a one-run game at 7-6. With Arens on second after a double to right-center, Hacker then drove him in with a double to deep center to make it 7-4. Broussard then doubled to left to put runners on second and third, and Moralez drove in Hacker with an RBI groundout cut the deficit to 7-5. Now with two away and Broussard leading from third, Marco drove him in with a clutch RBI single to center to pull the Wolverines within a run. BYU reliever Reid McLaughlin then managed to put a stop to the big inning with a strikeout.
 
Now a one-run game, BYU responded by getting a run back in the last of the sixth to extend its lead to 8-6. Following a lead-off walk from Pintar, Watkins then drove him home with a double to center. UVU reliever Dylan Cook then came on and retired the next three batters he faced to strand Watkins on the basepaths and keep it an 8-6 contest. 
 
The Cougars then struck back with three insurance runs in the last of the eighth to extend their advantage to 11-6. Pintar had an RBI double in the frame while Joshua Cowden added a two-run single. 
 
UVU wouldn't go away easily in the ninth, as Moralez led things off with a double. After Marco reached on an error, Kade Poulsen then drove in Moralez with an RBI single through the left side to make it 11-7. BYU reliever Bryce Robison then responded with a pair of flyouts followed by a strikeout to strand a pair of runners and end the ballgame.
 
Moralez led UVU offensively in the contest by going 3-for-5 with a double and a run batted in. Marco and Arens were next by each collecting two hits, while Hayes homered in the game for the Wolverines. Pintar led BYU by going 3-for-4 with three RBIs, four runs scored and a pair of walks, while Jacob Wilk also went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. 
 
In a predetermined staff day for both teams, BYU starter Boston Mabeus (2-2) was credited with the win after tossing a pair of scoreless innings while UVU starter Jaxson Otis was tagged with the defeat to drop to 0-2 on the year. In relief in the contest, Brown, Cook and Logan Petet all pitched well for the Wolverines by combining to allow just one run over 4.1 innings.
 
The Wolverines will return to conference play this weekend with a four-game WAC series at Northern Colorado. The series will run Friday to Sunday, March 26-28, in Greeley, Colorado. Friday's opener will take place at 2 p.m., while the two teams will play a Saturday afternoon doubleheader beginning at noon, followed by the series finale on Sunday at noon. UVU will then return home following the series for a four-game league series against Grand Canyon next weekend (April 1-3) at UCCU Ballpark.