OREM, Utah — Utah Valley pulled away with a six-run fifth inning to take the series opener against Tarleton, 8-1, on Friday at Wolverine Field.
Devyn Cretz tossed the 40th complete game of her collegiate career — 38 of which have come at UVU — and also earned her 30th career win in a Wolverine uniform. It was also win No. 14 on the season, which is tied for third in the single-season record books. She allowed just one run on four scattered hits and struck out five.
"When Devyn has her best stuff, nobody touches her and when she doesn't have her best stuff she just makes it really hard to score. You're going to have to earn it off of her," said UVU head coach
Stacy May-Johnson.
Linnah Rebolledo went 2-for-3 and scored three runs and got things going in the first with a two-out, hustle triple. She then came in on a wild pitch to give the Wolverines (21-26, 6-10) a 1-0 lead.
The Texans (17-34, 5-10) tied it in the third with a blooper into shallow center by Georgia Capell that scored Bailee Riggs, who was hit by a pitch and stole second before the base hit.
Rebolledo worked a lead-off walk in the fourth and then scored when
Rien Milliken drove her home with a double over the head of the centerfielder.
In the fifth, UVU sent 10 hitters to the plate and had six different players with hits in the inning.
Emery Nielson singled with one out and then went first to third when
Jade Miller bunted her way on and moved to second on the throw trying to nab the speedy Nielson.
Rebolledo singled home Nielson, and Milliken drove in Miller on a fielder's choice to make it 4-1 Utah Valley.
Basia Query followed with an RBI base hit, the 198th hit of her career, before
Siena Sandoval and
Kyla Hardy hit back-to-back RBI doubles. Sandoval's double to left scored Milliken, and Hardy's double to center plated both Query and Sandoval to give the Wolverines the 8-1 advantage.
Sandoval was 2-for-3 while both Milliken and Hardy had two RBIs each. The teams will wrap up the series on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. MT with a doubleheader.
