OREM, Utah — The Utah Valley bats broke out for a 10-run third inning to help propel the Wolverines (15-19) to a 12-10 win over the BYU Cougars (21-17) in the Crosstown Clash on Tuesday night at Wolverine Softball Field.
The Cougars scored five in the first three frames, but the Wolverines were able to bounce back and rattle off 12-straight runs to take the lead for good.
"To put up 10 runs in that inning, that's a team effort, and that's how we're winning ball games," said head coach Cody Thomson. "We do it as a collective and as a whole."
Payge Armendariz continued her hot streak at the plate, going 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs. Armendariz has an extra-base hit in five straight games and in seven of her last eight.
Halle Morris provided the spark that got the UVU bats going in the third. Morris blasted a three-run home run in the third to make it a 5-4 ballgame, and went 2-for-4 with a double, three RBIs, and two runs scored. With the two hits, Morris extended her reached-base streak to 17 games.
Armendariz got the start in the circle and was roughed up for five runs in three innings pitched. Avery Sapp (3-8) relieved her and went the final four innings to get the win, striking out five in the process.
Following a leadoff lineout by Britney Moreno in the third, the next eight batters reached base and scored. Moreno had the tough luck of making the first two outs of the inning on a pair of difficult catches by the Cougars' left fielder, Maddie Bejarano.
Three straight singles by Amber Rodriguez, Ry Binne, and Armendariz plated the first run. Halle Morris then bounced back from a quick 0-2 deficit to blast her first home run as a Wolverine over the wall in left.
Megan Gibbs and Peyton Hall reached base to set up Mya Higareda, who singled both home. Angelique Mann then hit her fourth homer of the year to give the Wolverines an 8-5 lead.
Rodriguez and Binne each singled again to set the table for Armendariz, who sliced a double down the left field line to score them both and make it 10-5.
Sapp came on in the fourth and worked around a leadoff double to keep BYU off the board. Sapp tossed three scoreless innings before getting tagged for five in the seventh.
"I need [Sapp] to know she can do it. I need her to know that she's great, and that she has good stuff," said Thomson. "We've put her in some big moments as a freshman, and I'm so glad because she can go through some of those hiccups that you do when you're a freshman. She's going to do big things for us."
A pair of Cougar errors helped the Wolverines push another run across in their half of the fourth. UVU scored one in the fifth after Morris doubled and Gibbs singled her home, but were unable to find another run to secure a run-rule win.
BYU put up a valiant effort in the seventh, coming back from seven down to make it a 12-10 ballgame, but Sapp was able to hunker down and get the final three outs.
UP NEXT
Utah Valley heads to the Lone Star State for a three-game set against the UT Arlington Mavericks on Friday and Saturday. Friday's doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 3 p.m. MT, and Saturday's series finale is slated for 11 a.m. MT. All three games will be streamed on WAC International.
