BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Four pitchers combined to allow just one run and the Utah Valley offense banged out 12 hits en route to leading UVU to a 12-1 victory in game one, before CSU Bakersfield responded to claim the nightcap by a score of 4-0 to split a Saturday doubleheader at Hardt Field in Bakersfield, California.
 
Carson Brown and Nick Sims combined to surrender just one run on four hits while striking out seven over the first seven innings of work as the duo looked strong for UVU (7-16) in game one, while Luke McCollough and Andrew Hauck each pitched a scoreless frame late in the game to complete the strong pitching performance for the Wolverines. Ten Utah Valley hitters also recorded hits in the first game of the day and Mick Madsen and Paul Vossen led the way by going 2-for-5 apiece, while Mitch Moralez and Cole Jordan combined to drive in five runs in the ballgame. 
 
"Our first game was our most complete game we have played all season. Pitchers and hitters both owned the strike zone and that is the key to baseball. We will work to continue to build off that standard we set in game one," head UVU coach Eddie Smith said.
 
GAME ONE
Scoreless in the third, Utah Valley got things going by scoring four runs in the top of the frame to jump out to a 4-0 lead. Trey Cutchen started things off with a leadoff double to right and came around to score the first run of the game on a sac fly from Garrett Broussard. Following a single off the bat of Vossen and a double from Madsen, Kyle Coburn delivered a sac fly to center that was dropped by CSUB's (10-12) centerfielder which allowed both runners to come in and score. With Coburn later on third and Copper Hansen on first following a walk, Coburn managed to score on a double steal attempt to give the Wolverines the early four-run advantage. 
 
The Wolverines threatened again in both the fifth and sixth innings by getting a pair of runners aboard each frame, but CSUB reliever Kevin Altamirano managed to escape each jam by leaving the runners stranded.
 
The Utah Valley staff continued to do a nice job on the mound in the contest as the starter Brown, in his first collegiate start, and reliever Sims continued to put zeros on the board into the sixth. Having combined to allow just two hits and no runs while striking out six with two outs in the last of the sixth, the 'Runners finally managed to get on the scoreboard with a solo homer to right off the bat of Andrew Allanson to make it a 4-1 contest. Sims responded two batters later by drawing an inning-ending fly ball off the bat of Jashia Morrissey to keep it a three-run game.
 
UVU then added a trio of insurance runs in the top of the seventh to extend its lead to 7-1. With Madsen aboard for the third time in the game, he came in to score on a fielding error on the second baseman off the bat of Hansen for the first run of the frame. Cole Jordan then immediately followed with a two-run home run to left for the big hit in the inning.
 
The Wolverines loaded the bases in the eighth and pinch-hitter Moralez worked an RBI base on balls to bring in Broussard and extend UVU's lead to 8-1. Utah Valley then added four more runs in the ninth thanks to an RBI double from Vossen and a two-run double from Moralez. Madsen also drove in a run in the frame for UVU by reaching on an error.
 
Brown tossed three scoreless innings for the Wolverines in which he struck out four and allowed just one hit. Sims followed with four strong innings of relief to earn the win and improve to 3-0 on the season. Sims fanned three and allowed just one run on three hits in 4.0 innings of work. McCollough and Hauck finished things off with a scoreless inning each in the late innings. CSUB's Jaykob Acosta was tagged with the loss after allowing two runs in 4.1 innings to fall to 2-2.
 
Madsen scored three runs, had two doubles, and drove in a run for UVU in game one, while Vossen scored twice, recorded a double, and drove in a run. Moralez added a three-RBI outing off the bench and Jordan added a two-run home run. The win snapped a six-game skid for the Wolverines.
 
GAME TWO
The 'Runners struck first in the nightcap with a two-out RBI single in the first from Allanson to take an early 1-0 lead. CSUB later added a run in the second when UVU traded a run for a double-play ball to extend its advantage to 2-0.
 
Allanson continued his big offensive day for the 'Runners by adding a two-run homer in the fourth to make it 4-0.
 
UVU got a leadoff single from Moralez in the fourth, a two-out hit from Kayler Yates in the fifth, and a single from Vossen in the seventh but that's all the offense the Wolverines could muster in the outing, as CSUB Kellen O'Connor went the distance on the mound in the game for the Roadrunners in the shortened seven-inning contest. O'Connor struck out seven and gave up just three hits on his way to tossing the complete-game shutout to improve to 2-2 on the year.
 
Coop Rust was tagged with the loss for UVU to drop to 1-3 after giving up three earned runs in 3.0 innings of work. Bobby Voortmeyer then came on for the Wolverines and pitched well in relief, as he allowed just one and no runs while striking out one over the final three innings of the nightcap.
 
ON DECK FOR UVU
The Wolverines and 'Runners will close the weekend series on Sunday at 1 p.m. MT/noon PT. UVU will be looking to secure the series split while CSUB will be looking for the series victory. Following Sunday's finale, UVU will return to the state of Utah and will face the Utah Utes in a midweek contest on Tuesday night at Smith's Ballpark in Salt Lake City.