OREM, Utah – Despite a two-home run game from Alexander Marco and eight combined total hits from he and Brandon Luna on the day, Utah Valley baseball dropped both games of WAC doubleheader to Tarleton on Saturday afternoon at UCCU Ballpark by scores of 9-7 and 8-1. 
 
The Tarleton Texans improve 15-23 overall and 8-11 in league play with the wins and UVU falls to 6-26 and 4-15 in WAC play with the setbacks. UVU will look to salvage a game on the weekend in the series finale on Sunday.
 
GAME ONE
With the Wolverines holding to a 5-3 lead entering the final frame and Devin Smith on in a save situation for UVU, the Texans rallied to put up six runs on the scoreboard in the inning and take their first lead of the game at 9-5. Tarleton quickly loaded the bases following a walk and back-to-back singles, and Tyler Fowler delivered a clutch hit with a two-run single to center to tie the game at 5-5. After a walk loaded the bases once again with nobody out, Logan Petet then came on for the Wolverines and did a nice job by striking out the first hitter he faced for the first out. Petet then drew a flyball off the bat of Logan Green but Tavyn Lords lost it in the sun as it dropped in left and the go-ahead run came home to give Tarleton a 6-5 lead. Following an out, Colby Seltzer then delivered the big blow with a two-out bases clearing double to extend Tarleton's lead to 9-5.
 
Down to their last at-bat in the last of the seventh, the Wolverines didn't go away easily as they struck back with a couple of runs to make things interesting. With two runners aboard following a fielder's choice from Mitch Moralez and a double from Marco, Kade Poulsen then drove in Moralez on an infield hit to short and Marco also came around to score on the play on a Tarleton throwing error to make it a 9-7 contest. Tarleton closer AJ Wood then came on and managed to shut the door on the UVU rally by retiring two of the next three batters he faced to earn the save and help secure the come-from-behind victory for the Texans. 
 
Early in the game, Marco got the Wolverines off to a strong start by blasting out a solo home run to left in the bottom of the first inning to give UVU a 1-0 lead. Marco's round tripper not only left the field but also the ballpark as he hammered it to deep left. 
 
With the game tied at 1-1 in the third and Garrett Broussard leading from second with one away in the bottom of third, Marco belted out his second home run of the ballgame with a moon shot to left for a two-run homer to give the Wolverines a 3-1 advantage. 
 
Utah Valley then extended its lead to 4-1 in the fourth by manufacturing a run to give the Wolverines a three-run cushion. After a double from Brandon Luna and a single from Jake Plecas put runners on the corners with one away, Lords then plated Luna with an RBI groundout. 
 
Tarleton then got a run back in the top of fifth on a lead-off homer from Dean Frew to make it a 4-2 score and another in the sixth to pull within a run at 4-3. But UVU responded with a run of its own in the last of the sixth to extend its advantage to 5-3 in the scheduled seven-inning contest. Following singles from Drew Sims and Luna as well as a a walk from Mick Madsen loaded the bases with nobody out in the inning, Plecas then grounded into a double play but Sims came in to score to give the Wolverines the two-run lead heading into the final inning.
 
The Texans would then go on to rally in the seventh to earn the come-from-behind victory.
 
Despite suffering the setback, Marco had an impressive outing at the plate by going 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double, three runs scored and three run batted in to lead the way for the Wolverines. Luna also had three hits for UVU in the game by going 3-for-4 with a double and run scored. Seltzer paced Tarleton by going 2-for-4 with a double and four RBIs. 
 
Despite a strong outing from Nick Sims on the mound from UVU in which he allowed just three runs while scattering eight hits and striking out five over 6.0 inning of work, he took a no-decision as the reliever Smith was tagged with the loss to drop to 0-1 on the year. Tarleton reliever Ty Jones was credited with the win to improve to 2-1 on the year while Wood recorded his seventh save of the season.
 
GAME TWO
Tarleton's momentum carried over into the nightcap as they scored a run in the first, another in the third and three more in the fourth to jump out to a 5-0 lead. Blake Burns drove in the first run with an RBI hit in the first and Colby Feris followed with a solo homer in the third. Then in the fourth, Dean Frew drove home two runs with a two-run single and Ian Groves later drove home a run of his own with an RBI single to center. 
 
The Texans later tacked on an insurance run in the sixth and another in the seventh to extend their lead to 7-0. Seltzer then belted out a solo homer in the eighth to extend their lead to 8-0. 
 
After seven shutout innings from Tarleton starter Bryce Hackett, the Texans then went to the bullpen in the eighth and UVU's Broussard led off the bottom of the frame with a double to center, Moralez followed by working a walk and Marco then dropped in a single in right to load the bases with nobody out. Poulsen then hit a hard groundball to second to bring in UVU's first run of the day, but the Tarleton defense managed to turn a double play on the play en route to limiting the Wolverines to just one run in the frame.
 
UVU then got a leadoff walk from Madsen in the ninth, but Tarleton reliever Zach Poe pitched around it to seal the 8-1 win for the Texans.
 
Hackett shined on the mound in the nightcap for Tarleton by tossing seven innings of shutout baseball. Hackett allowed just three hits while striking out six en route to improving to 2-3 on the year. Bobby Voortmeyer was tagged with the loss for the Wolverines to drop  to 2-4. 
 
Moralez led UVU offensively in game two of the twin bill by going 1-for-2 with a pair of walks. Broussard, Marco, Luna and Trey Newman also collected hits in the contest for the Wolverines. Seltzer led Tarleton by going 3-for-4 with and RBI and two runs scored, while Burns, Frew and Groves also added multiple-hit outings.
 
ON DECK FOR UVU
The Wolverines and Texans will close the four-game weekend set on Sunday at 11 a.m. at UCCU Ballpark. Following the contest, UVU will step out of conference play to welcome in-state foe Utah to town on Tuesday for a 6 p.m. contest. For tickets to both games, visit GoUVU.com/Tickets.