OREM, Utah — Hannah Ortega tossed 3.1 shutout innings of relief and Payge Armendariz drove in three including a two-run homer to lead Utah Valley to a 10-4 come-from-behind over the Utah State Aggies on Tuesday night.
After trailing 4-2 entering the bottom of the fourth, the Wolverines rattled off eight unanswered runs to secure the team's first-ever season series sweep of the Aggies in a campaign where the teams played more than once.
"Hannah's been working her butt off, and these last couple of weeks she's really starting to come into her own," said head coach Cody Thomson. "Payge always gets hot this time of year. I told her it's time to get hot, and she came through today."
Ortega has been the Wolverines' top arm over the last two weeks dating back to the Abilene Christian series. In six appearances and 14 IP, Ortega has allowed just three ER, good for a 1.50 ERA in that time.
Armendariz got the Wolverines on the board in the second with a laser of a double to right center that scored Megan Sterzer from first. Brooklyn Ricci followed that up with a double of her own that on another day likely would've gone out, with the strong wind coming in from center keeping the ball narrowly in the park as it hit high off the wall.
Utah State rallied for three in the third by keeping the line moving, registering five singles and one walk. Amber Rodriguez got UVU back in the dugout as the fifth of those singles scored a runner from third but the Wolverine left fielder threw a strike to home for the third out of the inning.
The Aggies got their fourth and final run in the fourth after Faith Kroening hit a one-out triple and scored on a sacrifice fly.
Emma Haygood recorded a one-out single in the home half of the inning to set up Armendariz for the game-tying homer, her fourth of the year.
Utah Valley benefited from an Aggie throwing error in the fifth as the Wolverines tacked on three more. Following two singles and a wild pitch, Sterzer hit a sharp grounder to USU's Alex Bunton at third. Bunton tried to tag Angelique Mann at third before firing to first, with her throw sailing high and wide into the Wolverine dugout, allowing Mann and Rodriguez to score on the play.
The erraticness continued for the Aggies as Denay Smith threw three walks following the error — including two on four pitches — to turn in the third Wolverine run of the frame. Bailey Marvin pinch hit for Ry Binne and drew a bases-loaded four-pitch walk.
Utah Valley's slappers shined in the sixth, helping the Wolverines rally for three more runs. After Rodriguez walked and Tatum Hall singled, Kendyl Purdy put a perfectly-placed slap bunt past Bunton at third and into the outfield as Aggie shortstop Jazmin Ramirez had gone over to cover third, allowing Rodriguez to score.
Brooklyn Ricci wore a bases-loaded hit-by-pitch to bring in the second run of the inning, then Binne poked a single through the left side to cap the rally.
Ortega worked around a walk and a single to cap the game off with a strikeout and a double play.
Utah Valley will have a week off before playing its final non-conference game of the regular season on Tuesday, April 28 up on the hilltop against the Utah Utes. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. MT and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
