Utah Valley Sweeps Doubleheader From Chicago State 5-4 & 7-2

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Game One PDF Box Score / Game Two PDF Box Score

CHICAGO – Chicago State baseball dropped a Western Athletic Conference doubleheader to Utah Valley on Saturday (April 5) afternoon at Cougar Stadium by scores of 5-4 and 7-2.
 
Game One – Utah Valley 5, Chicago State 4
The Wolverines jumped out to a 5-0 advantage over the first five and half innings before the Cougars got on the board in the bottom of the sixth with a single run. Junior Robert Swenson (Mason City, Iowa/Mason City) recorded the RBI on a single to center which scored junior Chase Matheson (McHenry, Ill./McHenry).
 
Chicago State put their best inning together in the eighth. A walk and a single with two outs chased Utah Valley starter Andrew Freter. Kyle Valgerdson entered on the mound but walked the only two CSU batters he faced. His walk to Robert Swenson (Mason City, Iowa/Mason City) forced in a run. Chad Michaud came into pitch. Junior Nathan Poff (Sellersburg, Ind./New Albany) singled up the middle on Michaud's first pitch to make the score 5-3 with one out and the bases loaded. Freshman Stefan Panayiotou (Hillsboro, Ore./Hillsboro) followed with a first pitch sacrifice fly to score junior Mattingly Romanin (Burlington, ONT/Notre Dame). With runners on first and third and two outs the Cougars attempted to steal run to tie the game with the first and third double steal. However Poff was gunned out at second base to end the frame.
 
The Cougars' only base runner in the ninth inning came on a two-out single by sophomore Julian Russell (Chicago, Ill./Gordon Tech). The game ended one batter later, however, on a Matheson ground out.
 
Russell finished with two hits in the game. Matheson scored twice and had two walks and a hit.
 
Chicago State starting pitcher junior Eric Hall (Oakville, ONT/Oakville Trafalgar) allowed five runs on eight hits and one walk in 7.0 innings of work. His record is now 2-1 after taking the loss. Utah Valley starter Andrew Freter earned the win (2-4). He allowed three runs on five hits over 7.1 innings. Chad Michaud threw the final 1.2 innings to earn his third save of the season.
 
Game Two – Utah Valley 7, Chicago State 2
Chicago State's offensive effort in game two was hampered by a total of 11 runners left on base. The Cougars stranded a pair of runners in the first, sixth, seventh and eighth innings. 
 
The Cougars were the first on the scoreboard however thanks to a two spot in the third inning. Junior Jordan Stroschein (Marion, Iowa/Linn-Mar) came up with runners on second and third. He hit a slow bouncer to third base which scored junior Jared Patterson (Ventura, Calif./Buena) from third. On the play, Utah Valley's third baseman threw the ball away trying to throw out Stroschein at first. The throwing error allowed Stroschein to reach third and Russell to score from second base.
 
The Wolverines tied the game with a two spot in the top of the fifth. The second run scored on a two-out RBI single up the middle by Greyson Bogden. The big inning for Utah Valley came in the seventh. It started easy enough for Chicago State starting pitcher junior Dane Mehring (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Xavier). He retired the first two batters easily. Andrus then broke a streak of six straight retired by singling to left field. Andrus started a chain of six consecutive Wolverines reaching base. By the time the inning was finished, the Cougars trailed 6-2.
 
Utah Valley added a single run in the eighth to make the final 7-2.
 
"In game two it was a 2-2 game and we were playing like we were down 4-2," Chicago State head coach Steve Joslyn said. "We need to be fundamentally better and run the bases better. When you leave 11 on you're right there but the little things matter."
 
Strochein finished with three hits and an RBI for CSU. Mehring took the loss to move his record to 0-4. He allowed five runs in 6.2 innings with no walks and three strikeouts. Utah Valley starter Ryan Evans (2-2) also threw 6.2 innings and allowed seven hits. He allowed two unearned runs and two walks while sending five Cougars down on strikes.
 
Utah Valley improves to 12-18 (5-3 WAC). Chicago State falls to 9-16 (9-16, 0-5 WAC). The two clubs will closeout the WAC series on Sunday at Cougar Stadium. First pitch is set for noon.