OREM, Utah (May 1, 2012)--A record crowd of 5,456 fans witnessed Utah Valley University extend its 24-game win streak Tuesday night with a 14-11 victory over BYU baseball.
BYU (18-18 overall) grabbed the lead a couple of times midway through the game, partially due to doubling its home run output for the season and out-hitting UVU, 16-13.
The Cougars got a first pitch solo homer over the short porch to left field from catcher Alex Wolfe in the second inning which closed the gap to 2-1, favoring the Wolverines.
Outfielder Kelton Caldwell knocked a two-run homer to left field in the third, giving BYU a 6-2 advantage. Those homers were the first of the year for Wolfe and Caldwell as BYU's total is four dingers on the season.
The Cougars narrowly missed extending that lead to 8-3 when designated hitter Wes Guenther was robbed of a homer as Billy Burgess leaped at the right field fence for the catch to end the fourth inning.
“That could have been a huge play, a two-run homer,” BYU assistant coach Ryan Roberts said. “This was a big emotional game and a great crowd. I love how we competed. We got big hits early that got our momentum going. We were very good with two strikes and two outs.”
Seven of BYU's 11 runs were generated with two outs.
UVU (31-11) got a three-run, two-fence homer in the fourth inning from Goose Kallunki, his 13th of the season, which put the Wolverines back on top at 8-6.
BYU regained the lead in the four-run fifth at 10-8, but lost it in the bottom of that frame when UVU countered with four runs of its own.
“Our inability to get the lead-off runners out was the difference in the game,” said Roberts. The Wolverines scored lead-off runners in the third, fourth and fifth innings.”
The Cougars return to West Coast Conference action when a three-game series starts on Thursday night with league-leading No. 19 San Diego in Provo.