Box Score

OREM, Utah – Top-seeded Utah Valley escaped with a 9-8 victory over fifth-seeded Houston Baptist, scoring the winning run on a Husky error with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, in the Great West Conference Tournament Wednesday night at Brent Brown Ballpark.
 
Freshman third baseman Curtis Jones went 3-for-4 with a triple and three RBIs for the Huskies (25-32). Junior centerfielder Jake Gonzalez went 2-for-3 with a double, his 17^th of the season and 45^th of his career to move him into a tie for fourth on HBU's all-time list, two runs and an RBI. Senior rightfielder Kolby Arnst went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run, while senior shortstop Collin Hetzler and junior second baseman Josh Foust each went 2-for-5 with two runs.
 
Billy Burgess homered and drove in three runs for Utah Valley (45-12). Alex Exon went 2-for-4, drove in a run and scored one, while Jake Rickenbach singled, walked twice, score twice and drove in a run. Cole Butcher doubled, drove in two runs and scored twice, while Austin Heaps walked three times and scored twice. Conference player of the year Goose Kallunki went 0-for-4.
 
HBU sophomore starter Ryan Lower took a no decision, allowing seven runs on five hits, striking out three and walking five and throwing 123 pitches in seven innings. Senior Michael Schulle gave up a run in one inning of work, and Gonzalez (2-2) took the loss, allowing one run, which was unearned in 2/3 of an inning. Conference pitcher of the year Adam Gunn surrendered six runs on 10 hits, struck out six and walked three in 5.1 innings for Utah Valley, while Taylor Mangum allowed two runs on four hits and walked three in two innings. Josh Swenson (2-0) picked up the victory, allowing a hit and striking out two in one inning of work.
 
Gonzalez led off the top of the second for HBU with a double to rightcenter and went to third on a single by Jones. Wiggins followed with an RBI single to left, and senior catcher Adame blooped a single to right to load the bases. However, Gunn struck out sophomore first baseman Bradley Brown and senior leftfielder David Pfuntner, then got Foust to pop out to short to end the inning and hold the Huskies to a 1-0 lead.
 
Utah Valley answered with three runs in the bottom of the inning, as Exon and Willie Pratt had back-to-back one-out singles, then Butcher followed with a two-run triple to rightcenter. Butcher came home on a groundout by Rickenbach to put the Wolverines ahead, 3-1.
 
Arnst singled with one out in the third, and Gonzalez drove a ball deep to right, but Pratt made the catch with his back against the fence. Jones also singled, freshman designated hitter Samm Wiggins walked to load the bases, then Arnst scored on a wild pitch to cut the deficit to 3-2.
 
In the top of the fourth, Pfuntner smacked a one-out single to left, then Foust followed with an infield single. After Hetzler walked to load the bases, Arnst hit a chopper to second, but the ball took a high hop into centerfield for a two-run single to put HBU back on top, 4-3. Gonzalez then lifted a sacrifice fly to right to give the Huskies a two-run lead.
 
Rickenbach drew a leadoff walk for Utah Valley in the bottom of the sixth, and Heaps drew a two-out walk. Burgess then blasted a three-run home run to leftcenter to give the Wolverines a 6-5 lead.
 
The Huskies responded in the top of the sixth, as Foust drew a one-out walk, and Hetzler singled through the right side. After the runners moved up on a groundout by Arnst, Gonzalez was intentionally walked to load the bases. Jones then unloaded a bases-clearing triple to leftcenter as HBU retook the lead, 8-6.
 
Heaps drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the eighth, then Kai Hatch singled to put runners on the corners. Exon hit a chopper to second, but Hetzler dropped Foust's toss to second and allowed Heaps to score to cut the Huskies' lead to 8-7. Pratt then hit into a double play as Exon was called for runners interference.
 
In the bottom of the ninth, Butcher drew a leadoff walk from Schulle, then Gonzalez came in from centerfield to take the mound. Rickenbach blooped a single to rightcenter, then the runners moved up on a balk. Sean Moysh drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to right to tie the game, 8-8. Kallunki was intentionally walked, then Heaps struck out for the second out. Burgess then hit a chopper to third, but Jones' throw skipped past first, allowing Rickenbach to score the winning run.
 
HBU will face Chicago State in an elimination game Thursday at 3:30 p.m. CDT.