OREM, Utah – Utah Valley University baseball scored two runs in the sixth and two more in the eighth along with strong pitching down the stretch to split the home-opening doubleheader against two-time defending WAC champion California Baptist on Saturday afternoon at UCCU Ballpark.
 
After dropping the opener by a score of 6-0, the Wolverines (6-9, 2-3 WAC) responded to earn a 6-4 come-from-behind victory over CBU (9-4, 1-4 WAC) in game two of the Saturday afternoon twin bill. Nick Sims earned the win in relief to improve to 2-0 after allowing just one run on two hits while tossing the seventh and eighth, while Josh Brown came on to record his second save of the season after pitching a one-two-three ninth.
 
"From Bobby V (Bobby Voortmeyer) to Nick Sims to Josh Brown, those guys really held it down late in the game for us. And that's a sign of a team that can win ballgames when you can do that," head coach Eddie Smith said. "You got to tip your hat to CBU's CJ Culpepper, he did a really good job today, but this is something that we preached from day one is just keep grinding it out pitch-after-pitch-after-pitch and that's what the guys did in game two and I'm proud of them for executing and responding in this one." 
 
GAME TWO
California Baptist again got off to an early start in the nightcap by scoring a pair of first inning runs to jump out to a 2-0 lead. With two on and one away, Russell Stevenson doubled home a run and Connor Clift promptly followed with an RBI groundout.
 
The Wolverines then got a run back in the last of the third to make it 2-1. Cole Jordan led off the frame with a triple to left center and Mick Madsen followed with an RBI groundout to the right side to cut the deficit in half. 
 
With both sides pitching well and still 2-1 in the fifth, UVU managed to push a run across to tie the game. Ponti started the inning with a leadoff walk and later moved to third on a two-out single up the middle from Madsen. The on a double steal attempt, Ponti came in to steal home to tie the game while Madsen beat out a rundown to advance to second on a dropped throw by the Lancers and deadlock the score at 2-all. 
 
CBU then got a run back in the top of the sixth thanks to a two-out RBI double from Josh Paino to briefly regain a 3-2 advantage. But back responded UVU with two runs of its own in the last of the frame to take its first lead of the day at 4-3. After Mitch Moralez and Trey Cutchen both reached base, Connor Hall then grounded a ball to shortstop that the CBU SS elected to try to cut down Moralez heading to third, but the throw was wide which allowed Moralez to score and tie the game at 3-all. With Cutchen on third and Hall on second, a pitch then went to the backstop, allowing Cutchen to score on the wild pitch to give the Wolverines the lead.
 
With UVU holding to the 4-3 advantage in the eighth, the Lancers managed to tie things up on a two-out single to left from David Martin. The UVU defense would respond, however, by throwing out Martin trying to stretch the single into a double to keep the game tied.  
 
Then in the bottom of the eighth, the UVU offense wasn't done as Cutchen started the late-inning rally with a one-out double. With two outs and Cutchen and Paul Vossen on the base paths, Brody Ponti delivered what turned out to be the game-winning hit with a ground-rule double to left-center to score Cutchen and give the Wolverines a 5-4 lead. The very next batter Kayler Yates promptly followed with an RBI single to left to bring home Vossen and give the Wolverines a little breathing room.
 
Then in the ninth, Brown came on from the pen for UVU and sat the Lancers down in order to record the save and help preserve the win for Utah Valley.
 
Coop Rust started on the mound for UVU in game two and surrendered just two runs on three hits over 4.0 innings of work. Senior Bobby Voortmeyer then came on and did a nice job of middle relief, as he gave up just one run on three hits while striking out a batter over 2.0 innings. Sims then allowed just one run on two hits over 2.0 innings of work to earn the win, while Brown came on to pitch the scoreless ninth to earn the save. CBU reliever Spencer Bengard was tagged with the loss to drop to 0-1 on the season.
 
Offensively Ponti led UVU by going 2-for-3 with the game-winning RBI double while Moralez also had another two-hit game by going 2-for-4 with a run scored. Yates and Madsen both also drove in runs for UVU in the contest. CBU was led in the game by Jake Brown by going 2-for-4 with a run scored. 
 
The victory marked UVU's first-ever win over California Baptist. The Wolverines will now look to take the series in the finale on Sunday.
 
GAME ONE 
The Lancers got off to a quick start in the opener by scoring a run in the first and two more in the second to jump out to a 3-0 lead. Jake Skipworth drove in the first run with an RBI single through the left side and CBU followed in the second with a pair of opposite field solo homers from Mitchell Simon and Harrison Spohn. 
 
The Wolverines threatened in the last of the fourth thanks to back-to-back singles from Cutchen and Hall. UVU later loaded the bases via a one-out walk from Ponti, but CBU starter Brandon Downer responded to retire the next two batters and leave the bases full.
 
CBU then tacked on two more runs in the fifth to extend its advantage to 5-0. Garrett Ostrander drove in the first run of the frame with an RBI infield single and Reeve Holley followed with a safety squeeze to give the Lancers the five-run cushion. 
 
The Lancers then later added an insurance run in the eighth to put the game away. 
 
CBU's Downer (1-0) went 6.0 shutout innings en route to earning his first victory on the year. Ryan Delgado then came on and pitched the final three innings to earn his first save of the season. UVU's Devin Smith (0-2) was tagged with the loss. 
 
Moralez and Yates led UVU at the plate in the first game of the day by recording two hits apiece. Yates' two hits were also for extra bases, as he doubled and tripled. Spohn paced CBU by going 2-for-5 with a home run. 
 
ON DECK FOR UVU
The Wolverines and Lancers will close the three-game WAC series on Sunday at 11:05 a.m. MT (the start time has been moved up an hour due to impending rain in the Orem on Sunday). Following Sunday's finale, UVU will return to the road for a three-game series at the defending WAC Tournament champion Grand Canyon Lopes in Phoenix next weekend.