SEATTLE — Utah Valley scored four runs in the top of the ninth inning en route to earning a doubleheader split at Seattle University on Friday in WAC play. The Wolverines (20-21, 10-10) won the night cap in nine innings, 7-4, after the Redhawks (25-22, 11-9) took game one in five innings, 8-0.
Mikaela Thomson hit a game-tying, three-run home run in the fifth inning and
Kalena Shepherd's three-run shot in the ninth proved to be the difference in the game.
Brooke Carter pitched all nine innings, striking out 10 while earning her 10th win of the season. Carter is the first Utah Valley pitcher to toss nine innings or more since the 2013 season.
The series concludes on Saturday at 1 p.m. PT/2 p.m. MT. The two teams are battling for the No. 2 seed in the WAC's West division, with Saturday's finale likely a major factor in which team will earn a first-round bye in the conference tournament.
"I'm so proud of the way we battled back in that win. After the way the first game went and the second game started, we could have easily put our heads down," said UVU head coach
Cody Thomson. "Brooke was so solid the rest of the way and came up with big pitches when we needed it. And then we were able to set the table and give the middle of the lineup the opportunity to do damage. That was a really good win."
Game 1
Carley Nance pitched a two-hit shutout in the first game and also drove in a run and scored twice as the Redhawks took game one in five innings. Seattle U scored four runs in the first, three coming on a Lily Garcia home run to take control of the game.
Tai Wilson was 3-for-3 and Kalyn Hill went 2-for-3 with two batted in for Seattle U. Nance struck out eight and earned her fourth win of the year. After
Madison Carr led off the game with a base hit, Nance retired 14 of the final 15 hitters and faced just one above the minimum in the game.
Game 2
Seattle U struck in the first, again with a three-run home run. With two outs and the bases empty, a hit batter and a walk set the table for Hill, whose home run gave the Redhawks a quick 3-0 lead.
The scored remained 3-0 until the fifth when the Wolverines rallied after there were two outs and the bases were empty. Rebolledo walked and Shepherd singled before Thomson worked the count full and hit her 10th home run of the season to tie the contest.
Seattle threatened to score in the both the sixth and seventh innings, but Carter struck out two straight batters with runners at second and third to end the sixth and then stranded the bases loaded with a strikeout to end the seventh. Utah Valley had runners at second and third with two down in the eighth when Olivia Viggiano robbed Danyé Albritton of a go-ahead single with a diving catch in center to end the inning.
In the ninth,
Laynee Betancur singled to being the inning and moved to second on a wild pitch before Carr singled into left to put runners at the corners. Rebolledo put the Wolverines ahead with a base hit and Shepherd followed two pitches later with her seventh home run of the season.
The Redhaws loaded the bases with one out when Nance drew a walk to force in a run, but Carter got the next two hitters to pop out to end the game. Shepherd was 3-for-5 while Thomson had a pair of hits in the win.
