Wolverines have a historic day, split Saturday thrillers against division-rival NMSU

The Utah Valley softball team went 1-1 on  Saturday, April 2, in doubleheader games against WAC West Division rival the New Mexico State Aggies. The Wolverines began the doubleheader defeating the Aggies 18-14 in a high scoring output (most runs against an NCAA Division I program in program history) and were defeated 12-7 by the Aggies in game two. The Wolverines went 1-2 overall on the weekend and are now 3-6 in conference play and 12-15 this season. 

Over the three games against NMSU, the Wolverines’ offense was blazing hot, combining for a hitting average of .356 and 30 runs off 32 hits, 26 runners batted in, 17 batters walked, and four home runs, all while only striking out just 14 times. Despite the offensive output, the Wolverines, defensively, surrendered 32 runs, 12 home runs, 34 hits, 29 RBIs, and an almost similar hitting average of .358 to the Aggies. The Wolverines also left 23 runners on base while the Aggies left 18 runners on. 

The first game of the doubleheader was also the most runs the program has scored against an NCAA Division I school in program history and the second-most runs scored in program history. Carr tied the school record for most hits in a game with five and Rebolledo went 3-4 in the game with Mikaela Thomson also accounting for three Wolverine RBIs and a home run.

Game one of the Saturday doubleheader got off to a quick start with Madison Carr and Linnah Rebolledo each singling to reach base with no outs. Two at-bats later, Megan Gibbs reached base after Aggies’ starting pitcher Laurali Patane hit her on a wild pitch, loading the bases with just one out. Unfortunately, the inning would come to a close for the Wolverines after back-to-back outs forced by Patane to strand the runners.

The Aggies responded quickly against Wolverines’ starting pitcher Joslyn Thieme in the bottom of the first with Ramsay Lopez and Jillian Taylor reaching base, respectively. Kayla Bowen then singled through the left side to bring home Lopez with no outs. After two at-bats of getting out for the Aggies, Paige Knight hit a line drive to center field that brought Taylor and Bowen home and gave NMSU an early 3-0 lead.

The Wolverines answered in the second with Laynee Betancur hitting a double to start off the inning. The Wolverines then loaded the bases, which forced Bowen to come in to relieve Patane for the Aggies. Bowen walked Jaeden Barajas which allowed Betancur to score, getting the Wolverines on the board 3-1. After, Patane came back into the game, but Gibbs sliced a double down the infield line, scoring Carr and Rebolledo and tying the game 3-3.

The Aggies again responded in the bottom of the second with a two-run home run by Taylor that also scored Lopez with just one out, allowing NMSU to recapture the lead 5-3. The game went scoreless in the third, but this didn’t stop the Wolverines from erupting in the fourth. 

Karleigh Olsen started the inning by reaching base on a one-out single. Carr followed by reaching base on a fielder’s choice that got Brynne Hilton (pinch-runner for Olsen) out. After Carr stole second, Rebolledo smashed the ball to right-center field to score Carr, putting UVU back within one. Patane then walked Barajas, giving the Wolverines two runners on base. 

After an Aggies’ pitching change, Rebolledo and Barajas both got into scoring position after a wild pitch. Gibbs was then walked to load the bases again for the Wolverines. Another wild pitch by Aggies’ reliever Felicia De La Torre against Rylee Thorpe brought home the game-tying run in Rebolledo and advanced Barajas and Gibbs to third and second, respectively. Thorpe followed with a double down the infield line, scoring Barajas and Gibbs and allowing the Wolverines to take their first lead of the game 7-5. Mikaela Thomson then hammered her sixth home run of the season to bring her and Thorpe home, giving UVU a 9-5 edge. The Wolverines again loaded the bases a few at-bats later and Carr singled to left field to bring home Betancur with two outs. The Wolverines then got their final run of the inning with a Rebolledo walk that brought home Victoria Vasquez and gave the Wolverines an 11-5 lead after the inning. 

In the bottom of the fourth, The Aggies were able to get two runners in scoring position. Taylor capitalized on the opportunity with a single to second which scored Jaelah Burrell. After getting the bases loaded, a Kristen Boyd walk allowed Lopez to come home and chip down the lead 11-7. 

Gibbs got on base after getting hit by a pitch in the top of the fifth, but three-straight outs ended the inning for the Wolverines. Aggies’ Hannah Linsay narrowed the Wolverines’ lead down 11-8 after hitting a moonshot home run to right field in the bottom of the fifth. 

The Wolverines began scoring again in the sixth with Olsen doubling to bring home Vasquez. After a Carr single that also advanced Olsen to third, Rebolledo crushed a double to center field, scoring Olsen and Carr home and extending the UVU lead 14-8. After Barajas popped out and an erroneous throw by the Aggies’ outfield, Rebolledo was able to come home and give the Wolverines their 15th run. After Gibbs and Thorpe were walked, Thomson hit an RBI double to score Gibbs and a sacrifice popout by Betancur would score Thorpe, giving the Wolverines a commanding 17-8 rout. 

However, the Aggies began the bottom of the sixth with a Bowen home run to center field. Boyd continued to get things rolling for the Aggies with a one-out double. After Wolverines’ pitcher Brooke Carter came in for Katie Zuniga, Knight lodged a double to right field to score Boyd. Immediately after, Gabby Aragon hit another Aggie double to score Boyd. Lindsay capped off the scoring for the Aggies by hitting the second home run of the inning and bringing Aragon home, allowing NMSU to creep 17-13 on the Wolverines.

The Wolverines again began the seventh with the bases loaded with just one out. Gibbs then batted in Olsen with a sacrifice fly out to cap the Wolverines’ scoring for the game with an 18-13 edge. The Aggies tried to get things going in the bottom of the seventh but were only able to respond with a two-out solo home run by Riley Carley to end the game with a final of 18-14.

The Wolverines ended the game with an explosive hitting average of .471 off of 16 hits, 16 RBIs, 11 batters walked, and only struck out four times. The Aggies were also hot with a .400 hitting average off 14 hits, 14 RBIs, and five home runs. 

The Wolverines continued their offensive momentum heading into game two with Carr hitting a leadoff single. Rebolledo replicated, and Barajas would advance both of them into scoring position. The Wolverines once again started the game with the bases loaded after Gibbs took a hit from Aggies’ starting pitcher Jordin King. Thomson then doubled with a one-out fly ball to center field to send Carr and Rebolledo home and give the Wolverines an early 2-0 lead. The inning would end with two straight strikeouts. 

The Aggies began the bottom of the first with Taylor in scoring position after a walk and steal. Following a groundout single up the middle by Bowen, Taylor ran for home and beat the throw to put the Aggies on the board 2-1. The Aggies would also have back-to-back singles but Wolverines’ starting pitcher Thieme got out of the jam with an Aragon groundout. 

Vasquez got things started for the Wolverines in the top of the second with a double to center field. After a few at-bats, Vasquez and Carr got into scoring position. Rebolledo then drove a double down the infield line to bring home Vasquez and Carr, allowing UVU to go up 4-1. However, Rebolledo was left stranded after consecutive outs to end the inning. 

The game would go uneventful to the bottom of the third inning when the Aggies began to catch fire again. Lopez got things started with a leadoff home run to right field. Taylor reached third after a walk, error by the catcher, and wild pitch which led to another Aggies’ home run by Bowen to tie the game 4-4. After the fact, Wolverines’ pitcher Zuniga relieved Thieme and got a pair of outs. However, Aragon blasted the third home run of the inning to help the Aggies retake the lead 5-4 before Zuniga retired the final Aggies batter. 

The game again went scoreless until the top of the fifth where Gibbs hammered a leadoff homer to left field to level the score 5-5 before the Wolverines had three consecutive batters retired. The Aggies quickly answered in the bottom of the fifth by loading the bases with just one out. Carley then bunted on a fielder’s choice to score Taylor for NMSU to again retake the lead 6-5. 

The Wolverines again responded by getting runners on the corners with two outs. After a wild pitch by King, Brynne Hilton (pinch-runner for Olsen) was able to come home and score to once again tie the game 6-6. 

Aggies’ hitter Lindsay then answered with the fourth home run of the game to give the Aggies another lead change 7-6. After a no-out double by Boyd, Madison Muxen would bat in Boyd with another double. Lopez followed with another home run to score her and Muxen, extending the Aggies’ lead to 10-6. Runners got on corners for the Aggies a few batters later and Taylor would score after an attempt from the UVU infield to gun down a steal by Bowen. Bowen eventually reached the third and the same event happened to score her as Savannah Bejarano stole second, giving the Aggies a 12-6 edge. UVU reliever Marae Decker eventually got out of the jam, leaving two Aggies on base.

Gibbs immediately answered in the top of the seventh with her second home run of the game to cut the deficit to 12-7. Thomson was also able to reach base after a single through the left side. However, the game came to a close after three straight outs, including Thomson getting forced out, to end the game. 

Despite a .310 hitting average off of nine hits, six RBIs, and two home runs from Megan Gibbs, the Wolverines came up just shy of the win after an explosive six-run sixth inning allowed the Aggies to pull away. The Aggies had five home runs, 13 hits, 10 runners batted in, and a hitting average of .419 to score their 12 runs.

After the brief road trip, the Wolverines return home to Wolverine Softball Field in Orem, Utah to face in-state rival Weber State on Tuesday, April 5, in a one-game homestand. The game will begin at 4 p.m. MT and can be streamed through the WAC Digital Network.