Wolverine’s Late Inning Struggles Continue

UVU’s baseball team took on BYU March 13 in their first game back in Utah. After a hot start and a few early leads, the Wolverines could not hold on and lost 9-3.

Kaden Schmitt started on the mound for the Wolverines and gave them a strong five innings of work. He struck out three batters and only gave up two runs off three hits. The Wolverines could not keep the Cougars off the base path after turning the game over to the bullpen in the sixth.

Through three innings, the Wolverines bullpen consisting of Marco Briones, Paxton Schultz, Fabien Palacios and Travis Parker, allowed seven runs off of seven hits and walked three batters.

Jackson Overlund and Pacen Hayes led the Wolverine offense as they were the only batters to record a hit for the Wolverines during the game. Overlund had two hits including a double in the fifth where he scored off a double from Hayes.

The late inning struggles continued for the Wolverines in the game, even though the team had a 3-2 lead going into the bottom of the sixth inning.

In 15 games, the Wolverines have allowed 42 runs in innings six through nine. The ability to close out ball games and rely on the bullpen is crucial in the game, and that is just one thing the Wolverines have lacked this year.

The Wolverines will head to Irvine, Calif., this weekend to take on UC Irvine beginning March 16 before returning to Orem to start WAC play March 23 against Northern Colorado.