April 30, 2012

UVU Game Notes

OREM, Utah -- Having clinched a tie for second place in the Mountain Division of the Pacific Coast Softball Conference with a Sunday sweep of Idaho State, the Utah Valley softball team shifts its attention to a pair of games with cross-town rival BYU. Game one is set for a 6 p.m. start at BYU's Gail Miller Field on Tuesday, while UVU will host game two on Wednesday, the very next day, at 5 p.m. at Wolverine Field. Wednesday's game will be the final home contest for the Wolverines in 2012.

Both games can be heard over the air on BYU Radio while Tuesday's matchup in Provo will also be televised nationally on BYUtv.

The Wolverines (29-22-1, 10-10 PCSC) concluded PCSC play on a high note last weekend when, after dropping a pair of games Saturday to the Bengals, it swept both Sunday contests at Idaho State, clinching a tie for second place in the PCSC Mountain Division. The wins also broke the school record for wins in a season, upping the Wolverine tally to 29 in the wins column.

In game one on Sunday, a 3-2 Wolverine victory, pitcher Tiffany Mills pitched a gem, allowing just two runs on four hits while striking out seven. The win was her 15th of the year, a new single-season record at UVU.

Game two featured similar heroics, with senior Amanda Perez belting two home runs, including the game-winner in the eighth inning, as the Wolverines walked off with a 4-2 result.

About BYU
The Cougars (35-13, 12-4 WAC) enter this week's games having won 11 of their last 12 games, including a three-game sweep of Western Athletic Conerence foe San Jose State last weekend. BYU currently sits one game back of first place in the WAC standings.

Sophomore Tori Almond and Junior Hannah Howell have split the pitching duties for the Cougars, with Almond holding a team-leading 2.34 earned run average and 14-3 record while Howell comes in with a 2.55 ERA and a 16-7 mark.

Delaney Willard, a senior outfielder, stands as BYU's top threat at the plate as she leads the team in all major offensive statistical categories. In 2012 she has compiled a .451 batting average to go along with 15 home runs, 76 RBIs, and a .901 slugging percentage.

This week's games conclude a three-game, in-season series between the Wolverines and Cougars, as UVU fell at BYU, 3-1, on April 11.

In that game, the Wolverines took a 1-0 lead behind Krystin Jachim's second-inning home run, but the Cougars scored three runs in the third to grab the lead just before the rain washed out the game after just 4.5 innings of play.

Wednesday is also the final time UVU and BYU will play as non-conference opponents, as the Cougars are set to join the PCSC next season. The Wolverines have held membership in the PCSC since 2010.

Up Next for the Wolverines
UVU will close out the 2012 regular season with another in-state matchup when it travels to Salt Lake City to face Utah. That game will take place at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, May 8. The Wolverines will then head to the Great West Conference Championships May 13-14 in Farmers Branch, Texas.

PROMOTIONS
Admission will be free of charge to Wednesday's softball game between UVU and BYU at Wolverine Field. Wednesday's game will also be the Pink Game where Pink t-shirts will be handed out to the first 150 fans in attendance courtesy of the Utah Army National Guard. All proceeds raised on Wednesday will go towards the American Cancer Society.