ST. GEORGE, Utah — Bailey Marvin went 3-for-4 with two doubles and four RBIs and Emma Haygood and Megan Sterzer each drove in a pair to lead Utah Valley to its fourth-straight victory and the seventh in its last eight as the Wolverines took down Utah State, 13-7.
With the win, Utah Valley matches its best start through 18 games in the WAC era (since 2014) at 12-6, which was last achieved during the 2020 COVID-shortened season. The four-game win streak is also the team's longest since rattling off seven straight down the home stretch of the 2024 season.
The Wolverines scored first for the eighth game running to take a 2-0 lead through the first half inning. Utah Valley used some two-out thunder, as Marvin doubled home Haygood and later came around to score on a single by Rodriguez.
The Aggies bounced back in the home half, taking advantage of an error to post three unearned runs and take a 3-2 lead after one.
Utah Valley bounced right back to take a lead it would never relinquish, scoring three to take a 5-3 lead. Haygood hit a sacrifice fly deep into the right field corner to score Ry Binne, then Marvin laced another double to left center that scored Britney Moreno and Angelique Mann.
Three more Wolverines came across in the third as Binne, Moreno, and Mann each picked up RBI singles, making it 8-3.
Utah State whittled the lead down to one in the bottom of the third, scoring four to make it 8-7.
After the two teams traded zeroes until the sixth, Utah Valley put up a five-spot to pull away, sending 10 batters to the plate in the frame. Moreno set the table with a double off the wall in left and looked to have scored via obstruction after Angelique Mann reached on a throwing error that sailed down the line, but the umpires sent her back to third.
Haygood and Marvin picked up RBIs on a sac fly and single respectively, then a double steal play with Kendyl Purdy and Mackenzie Wright on the corners plated another. Rodriguez picked up her second RBI of the day after legging out a bunt for a hit and Purdy sliding in safely on the play. Tatum Hall picked up the last RBI knock of the inning to score Rodriguez with a single through the left side.
Following the big USU rally in the fourth, Ella Miller and Lily Riley righted the ship with 4.1 combined scoreless innings, with Miller earning the win and Riley picking up the save.
Utah Valley will wrap up the weekend with the marquee matchup of the Beehive Classic, pitting the Wolverines up against the 16-5 Utah Utes in a showdown of the teams with the two best records in the state. First pitch is scheduled for 10 a.m. MT, with the game airing on WAC International and live stats available at GoUVU.com/stats.
