LAS VEGAS – The Utah Valley University baseball team scored early and often en route to defeating UNLV, 12-9, on Tuesday afternoon at Earl E. Wilson Stadium to sweep a two-game midweek set from the Rebels.
 
The Wolverines (5-8) have now won three in a row after banging out 13 hits on Tuesday afternoon, as all nine starters recorded at least a hit apiece in the ballgame. UNLV, who was picked to finish second in the Mountain West Conference this season, falls to 6-7 with the loss. With the three straight wins, UVU also capped the five-game road trip in five consecutive days with a 3-2 record. 

"It was a great stretch for our team. We play hard. We played tough. We played together. Some players are really stepping up and earning more opportunities as we continue conference play," head UVU coach Eddie Smith said.

The Wolverines got off to a strong start by hanging a crooked number in the top of the first to jump out to an early 6-0 lead. UVU loaded the bases with nobody out thanks to back-to-back-to-back singles from Mitch Moralez, Trey Cutchen and Connor Hall. Paul Vossen then started the scoring with two-run single up the middle to make it 2-0. Brody Ponti followed with an RBI double to left to make it 3-0 and Cole Jordan later added an RBI single to left-center. Copper Hansen capped the big first frame with a two-run double to right to give the Wolverines the early six-run cushion.
 
The Rebels responded with a trio of runs in the last of the first to cut the lead in half at 6-3. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Diego Alarcon drove home a pair of runs with a two-run single. Edarian Williams later made it 6-3 with an RBI double. 
 
UVU added to its lead in the fourth with four more runs to extend its lead to 10-3. Following a one-out single from Moralez, Cutchen belted a ball off the rightfield wall for an RBI triple. Vossen then drove home Cutchen with a sacrifice fly and Ponti followed with an RBI single through the left side to make it 9-3. Ponti then later came home in the frame on a double steal attempt by the Wolverines to extend their lead to 10-3. 
 
UNLV got a run back in the last of the fourth and looked for more, but Ponti made a nice leaping grab to save a couple of runs on a hard-hit ball down the line to keep it a 10-4 contest. 
 
Following a leadoff walk from Hansen in the fifth, Kyle Coburn belted out a two-run big fly to left for his first home run of the season to extend UVU's lead to 12-4.
 
The Rebels tacked on a handful of late runs and tried to make things interesting in the ninth but cutting the score to 12-9, but UVU's Bobby Voortmeyer did a nice job of limiting the damage to shut the door on UNLV and help Utah Valley pull out the victory.
 
Cal Beardsley started on the mound for the Wolverines and allowed just three runs on five hits while striking out four over 3.0 innings of work. Coop Rust (1-1) then came on in relief and was awarded the win after going 1.2 innings and surrendering just one run on one hit. Alex Karns, Blake Zeleny and Voortmeyer combined to finish things off over the final 4.1 innings. UNLV starter Brian Uribe was tagged with the loss to drop to 0-1.  
 
Moralez led UVU at the plate in the game by going 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a stolen base, while both Cutchen and Ponti finished with two hits apiece. Vossen also had a nice game by driving in a game-high three runs and Ponti, Hansen and Coburn each recorded two RBIs apiece. Henry Zeisler led UNLV by going 3-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. 
 
UVU will now return to Orem to host its home-opening series against defending WAC champion California Baptist this weekend at UCCU Ballpark. The series is scheduled to open on Friday at 6:05 p.m. The two teams are also scheduled to play Saturday afternoon at 2:05 and Sunday at 12:05.