RIVERSIDE, Calif. — Avery Sapp went 2-for-3 with two RBIs while tossing 4.1 shutout innings and Peyton Hall hit a three-run homer to lead Utah Valley to a WAC Tournament-opening 8-0 win over the Abilene Christian Wildcats in six innings.
The win punches the Wolverines' ticket to the double elimination portion of the tournament bracket, where they will face the No. 4 seed Seattle U Redhawks later tonight at 8 p.m. MDT/7 p.m. PDT.
Payge Armendariz pitched the final 1.2 innings and allowed just one baserunner to close out the game. Armendariz also pitched in on the offensive side, going 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI single. Megan Gibbs went 1-for-3 with an RBI triple.
Sapp worked out of a jam in the first thanks to some stellar defensive work that carried on throughout the game. With one out and runners on the corners, Victoria Vasquez snagged a liner at her shoetops, then fired to first to double off the runner, the first of three double plays for the Wolverines in the game.
Gibbs turned the second double play of the day to end the third, using all of her vertical to snag a liner that was destined for trouble down the right field line, then stepped on the bag to double off another Wildcat runner.
Utah Valley used a two-out, three-run rally in the fourth to take the lead for good, sparked by the two pitchers of the game in Armendariz and Sapp. Armendariz roped a double to left center, then advanced to third on a single by Mya Higareda. Higareda swiped second looking to get into a rundown, but the throw never came. Sapp then lined a single to right center to plate both runners.
After Sapp swiped second and advanced to third on an error, Megan Gibbs ripped a triple to right center for the third run of the inning.
Singles by Amber Rodriguez and Angelique Mann set the table for the fourth Wolverine run in the fifth inning. Armendariz dunked a single to left to drive in Rodriguez.
Armendariz came on in relief in the fifth, and quickly got an inning-ending double play to get the Wolverine bats back up to bat.
Utah Valley rallied for four in the sixth to put the game in run rule territory. Sapp doubled down the line, then advanced to third as Gibbs reached on an error by the second baseman. Bailey Marvin pinch hit and hit a smash to short, but Sapp was able to beat the throw home. ACU made a pitching change and retired the next two batters, but Peyton Hall left the yard for a three-run shot, the first of this year's WAC Tournament and her fourth of the season.
Utah Valley advances out of the single-elimination play-in round and will now face No. 4 Seattle U with a trip to the WAC Tournament quarterfinals on the line. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. MDT/7 p.m. PDT, and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
