Utes take game
Wolverines fell 15-3 last Tuesday to in-state rival Utah
Goose Kallunki had two of the Wolverines’ six hits against the in-state rival. Kira Terry/UVU Review
Spring Mobile Ballpark is the home of the Salt Lake Bees, but also hosts Ute baseball.
The meeting with the Utes was the first of three times the Wolverines will face the in-state rival this season, twice in Salt Lake City and once at Brent Brown Ballpark.
The loss brought Utah Valley to 6-14 on the season going into their three-game competition against Nevada last weekend.
The Utes put themselves on the board first in the bottom of the second with four runs on three hits by sending 10 batters to the plate.
The top of the third saw Utah Valley score their first and last points of the game off of four hits. The Wolverines only pounded two more hits the rest of the game with one each in the seventh and ninth innings.
Utah kept their scoring alive tallying runs in all but the third and fifth innings with an impressive five runs in the bottom of the eighth.
The Wolverines saw six pitchers go to the mound with junior Preston Olson pitching 2.1 innings and junior Craig Brimhall pitching two innings. Redshirt sophomores Willie Pratt, Cole McWhorter and junior Jason Zundel scored the Wolverines’ three runs.
“I think we had opportunities to eliminate some runs by getting outs and they are tough chances, but you have to be able to make them,” said Coach Eric Madsen. “I felt like they took over the game – decided to get energy and we didn’t. We didn’t answer the challenge.”
The Wolverines will be back in action tomorrow as they face BYU on their diamond at 6:00 p.m. Utah Valley will then begin Great West Conference action as they head to Newark, New Jersey to face NJIT Apr. 8-10.
Fans can see the Wolverines back on their home field Apr. 12 as the Utes come to town to face Utah Valley for the second out of three times this season.
After a quick road trip to face conference opponent North Dakota Apr. 15-17 the Wolverines will return to home field for 10 straight games. This will be the longest stretch this season the Wolverines will play on home field.