OREM, Utah – Utah Valley University baseball reeled off 11 unanswered runs in the middle innings en route to securing its second straight WAC series with a 12-8 victory over in-state rival Dixie State as part of the Old Hammer Rivalry on Friday at UCCU Ballpark. UVU will go for the series sweep on Saturday at 11 a.m.
 
Kyle Coburn led the way for the Wolverines (14-21, 7-10 WAC) in the contest by going a perfect 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two runs scored while Trey Cutchen also drove in three runs on the day by going 2-for-5 with a double. A total of 10 Wolverines recorded hits in the contest, as Utah Valley banged out 16 total hits en route to earning the come-from-behind victory. With the victory, UVU has now won five of its last seven ballgames. 
 
"It was kind of a tale of two games. We came out a little bit slow and Dixie State did a nice job of coming out hot, but we were able to stabilize and turn things around in the second half of the game," head UVU coach Eddie Smith said. "It was great to see some guys rise up in this one. Kyle Coburn did a really great job and had some big hits for us, and I'm proud of the guys for finding a way to win."
 
The Wolverines took advantage of three DSU errors in the first to score an unearned run and take an early 1-0 lead. With Mick Madsen on first after reaching on an error, Paul Vossen then singled to left and Madsen came around to score on a pair of Dixie State defensive miscues on the play. 
 
The Trailblazers then answered with a run in the second and another in the third to take a 2-1 advantage. DSU then tacked on two more runs in the fourth via a two-out two-run double to left from Will Chambers to make it 4-1 Dixie State.
 
Trailing 4-1, UVU then got things going in the fifth when senior catcher Drew Sims belted out a leadoff home run down the leftfield line to make it 4-2. After back-to-back singles from Coburn and Mitch Moralez put runners on the corners, the Wolverines then pulled off a first-and-third double steal to perfection to bring in Coburn and make it a one-run game at 4-3. With Moralez later on third and two away, DSU starter Brett Porthan managed to draw a comebacker off the bat of Vossen to strand the runner.
 
With DSU starter Porthan still on the mound in the sixth, Utah Valley loaded the bases with one away and Coburn delivered a sac fly to right to score Garrett Broussard from third and tie the game at 4-4. With Sims on first and Cole Jordan on third, UVU then executed another first-and-third double steal to take a 5-4 lead. Moralez then followed with an RBI double down the leftfield line to make it 6-4 and Trey Cutchen capped the scoring in the four-run frame with an RBI single through the right side to extend UVU's advantage to 7-4.
 
The Wolverines again loaded the bases in the seventh and Jordan started the scoring in the inning with an RBI single up the middle to make it 8-4. Coburn then followed with a two-run double to right center and Cutchen made it 12-4 by driving home two more runs with a two-out two-run double to left center. 
 
The Blazers got a two-run homer from Hank Dodson in the top of the eighth and added two more in the ninth, but it wasn't enough as UVU held on to the victory.
 
Carson Brown (1-1) earned his first win on the season in relief for UVU after allowing just two runs on one hit while striking out two over 3.0 innings of work. Josh Brown also pitched well for Utah Valley in relief in the contest by tossing a scoreless seventh inning. DSU starter Porthan was tagged with the loss to drop to 5-3 on the year. 
 
Moralez and Jordan also both had multiple-hit days for the Wolverines by each going 2-for-5, while Madsen, Vossen, Broussard, Sims, and Cole Yocum also all recorded hits for UVU. A sharp pinch-hit single from Yocum in the eighth marked the junior pitcher's first collegiate hit. Tyler Hollow paced DSU offensively by going 2-for-5 while Chambers and Dodson each drove in a pair of runs.
 
Saturday's series finale has been moved up to an 11:05 a.m. MT start with impending rain expected later in the afternoon. Following Saturday's the contest, UVU will next head to Southern California for a midweek game at UC Riverside on Wednesday, April 20 before taking on conference foe California Baptist April 22-24 in a three-game WAC series.