OREM, Utah – Utah Valley University baseball fell 8-6 in ten innings to the University of Portland in the series finale. UVU (3-8) got off to a fast start, scoring five runs in the first two frames, but Portland (6-3) rallied late and won the game in extra innings.
Utah Valley scored three in the opening frame after loading the bases with singles by
Daniel Dickinson,
Burke Camper, and
Calyn Halvorson. They broke through on a pair of run-scoring singles by
Matthew Schwarz and
Isaac Lovings, putting the Wolverines in front 3-0. UVU's infield came to the aid of Mueller in the top of the second by turning a 5-4-3 double play to end the Pilot threat.
The defensive play turned into offense and added to their lead with a two-out double from Camper before a single from Halvorson put runners on the corners for
Luke Iverson. The UVU sophomore cleared the bases with a double in the gap to put UVU up 5-0. Mueller finished the day with three innings and did not factor in the decision.
The two teams traded zeroes until the top of the sixth when Portland plated four runs in the visitors' half inning to make it 5-4 after a two-run double by Spencer Scott and a two-run homer to left by Jonah Salk. They tied the game in the seventh on an RBI double and took their first lead in the ninth at 6-5.
Utah Valley forced extra innings after Camper hit his third long ball of the year to tie the game at 6-6. The Pilots bats came through clutch with a pair of two-out runs to get the 8-6 final score.
Camper, Dickinson, and Lovings each finished the weekend with two homers, and
Garrett Broussard moved into 12
th place all-time in at-bats with 611. UVU reliever Sims has moved into a tie with Marcus Moore and
Devin Smith for most appearances with 55. He will move into 12
th with his next appearance.
The Wolverines are back home on Monday, Mar. 4 against Gonzaga at 2:05 p.m. MT. They will embark on a five-game road trip to Northern California, with a three-game WAC series at Sacramento State and non-conference matchups with UC Davis and Pacific.
