LAS VEGAS, Nevada — Utah Valley University dropped a pair of games at the Boyd Gaming Classic on Saturday, falling to Idaho State University and host UNLV. The Wolverines finish up the weekend against UNLV on Sunday at 11 a.m. PT/noon MT.
The Wolverines (5-7) fell short in the opening game of the day to Idaho State, 11-7. The game was 5-4 heading in the top of the seventh before the Bengals put up six insurance runs in the inning to take an 11-4 lead. In the night cap, the UVU offense was stymied in a 2-0 loss to the Rebels (10-4).
Against Idaho State, UVU got three back in the bottom of the seventh but the 11-4 deficit was too big to overcome.
After the Wolverines fell behind 3-0 in the top of the first,
Siena Sandoval quickly tied it with a three-run home run in the bottom of the inning.
Jade Miller and
Basia Query had back-to-back singles to start the first before Sandoval sent a 2-1 pitch over the wall in left-center.
Idaho State finished with 14 hits in the game with six different players collecting two hits apiece. Emma Bordenkecher was one of the players with two hits, and she also drove in three runs including two on a home run in the top of the second the put ISU back in front.
Rien Milliken had a sacrifice fly in the fourth that got Utah Valley back within a run, 5-4, and the Wolverines threatened in the sixth, putting two aboard with one out, but could not squeak out the tying run.
In the seventh, Idaho State took advantage of three walks and an error while also collecting five hits, including a pair of doubles.
In the bottom of the seventh,
Laynee Betancur had a pinch-hit RBI single that scored
Peyton Prigge.
Emery Nielson also scored on a wild pitch and Betancur later scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Query.
Against the Rebels, Utah Valley got a strong performance from starter
Katie Zuniga, but UNLV's two runs and stater Jenny Bressler struck out 13 to pick up the win. The Wolverines had five hits and the Rebels scored single runs in the third and sixth to pick up the win.
