May 7, 2012

UVU Game Notes

OREM, Utah -- The Utah Valley softball team will close out the regular season with its third consecutive in-state, non-conference game when it travels to Salt Lake City for a 4 p.m. meeting with Utah on Tuesday. The Wolverines completed Pacific Coast Softball Conference play in the final weekend of April, splitting a four game series at Idaho State.

In last week's action, UVU (29-24-1, 10-10 PCSC) played a two-day, home-and-home series with nearby BYU. The Wolverines fell 3-1 on Tuesday at BYU's Miller Field, then dropped a 7-4 decision in eight innings in the return leg at Wolverine Field the next day. In the second game, UVU trailed by one with two away and Megan Peay standing on second base. Jamie North came through in a pinch-hit situation, driving in Peay to push the game into extra innings. The Cougars would respond with three runs in the eighth, though, to take the game.

The weekend prior to the BYU series saw the Wolverines in Pocatello, Idaho, for a four-game tilt with PCSC opponent Idaho State. The home-standing Bengals took the first pair of games in the series, but the Wolverines responded with two wins of their own on the second day to clinch a tie for second place in the PCSC Mountain Division.

Freshman catcher North and outfielder Kylee Brinkerhoff top the Wolverines in batting average, with a .313 and .308 average respectively. Amanda Robinson, a junior roaming right field, has jacked 11 home runs to lead the team, while shortstop Krystin Jachim is second with nine.

Junior Tiffany Mills stands as UVU's go-to in the pitcher's circle, compiling a team-best 2.63 ERA and a 16-15 record on the season. She has also recorded eight saves this year, a number that ranks second in the NCAA.

About Utah
The Utes (26-26, 1-20 Pac-12) are returning after being swept by No. 2 Arizona State in three games last weekend in Tempe. Utah's best opportunity to take down the Sun Devils came in game two when freshman outfielder Kate Dickman delivered a two-out single that plated two runs to tie the game at 4-4 in the sixth inning. But ASU would respond with two runs in the bottom of the frame to take the lead for good.

Senior third baseman Whitney Holm leads the Utes with a .376 batting average to go along with eight home runs and a squad-leading 39 RBIs. Second baseman Jackie Sweet is second on the team in RBIs with 27, while left fielder Katelyn Elliot has smacked eight home runs to go along with a .350 average.

Generra Wilson, a senior, is Utah's top pitcher with a 3.35 ERA and a 19-16 record.

The Utes close out the season with a three-game, home series against No. 19 Stanford beginning on Thursday, May 10.

Up Next for UVU
Thanks to a 5-1 mark at the Great West Cluster Tournament in late March, UVU has clinched the No. 1 seed for the GWC Championships. The Wolverines failed to qualify for the PCSC championship series, but are eligible for the GWC Championships due to their dual-membership in both leagues. The GWC Tournament begins Sunday, May 13 in Farmers Branch, Texas with the Wolverines taking on the No. 4 seed North Dakota at 10 a.m. CT/9 a.m. MT.