Sara Marcotte

Baseball 4/23/2017 1:05:00 AM Corey Miggins, Sports Information Director

Baseball Splits Doubleheader at Utah Valley to Close WAC Series

Junior Matt Sullivan hit 6-for-9 in Saturday's doubleheader at Utah Valley that included hitting a solo home run for the game-winning run in the second game

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

OREM, Utah – Chicago State baseball closed out its weekend Western Athletic Conference series on Saturday by splitting a doubleheader with host Utah Valley here at Brent Brown Ballpark in a pair of close ball games.

The Wolverines captured the first game by an 11-10 margin before the Cougars claimed a 4-3 victory in the nightcap.

Game 1 – Utah Valley 11, Chicago State 10

CSU broke a scoreless tie in the top of the third with a six-run rally that included a grand slam from junior Jacob Vanitvelt (Grand Blanc, Mich./Grand Blanc) for a 6-0 advantage before UVU responded with six runs in the bottom half of the inning to even the score at 6-6.

Jackson Overlund hit a two-run double down the left field line in the fourth inning which gave the Wolverines an 8-6 lead.

Junior Jacob Northrup (Phoenix, Ariz./Sahuaro) lined an RBI double of his own in the top of the fifth which scored fellow classmate Cody Freund (McHenry, Ill./McHenry) to pull the visitors within a run at 8-7, but Jake Atkinson hit a solo home run to bring Utah Valley's leading margin to 9-7 in the bottom of the fifth.

Overlund struck again in the sixth when he blasted a two-run homer as the home team saw its lead grow to 11-7.

The Cougars then scored three runs in the eighth inning to pull within 11-10 which included solo home runs from redshirt senior Julian Russell (Chicago, Ill./Gordon Tech) and Vanitvelt, but unfortunately could not get the tying run in the ninth inning.

CSU were led by junior Matt Sullivan (Lake in the Hills, Ill./Huntley) and Freund as each player went 3-for-5, while Vanitvelt finished the game hitting 2-for-5 with five RBIs and scored twice. Redshirt junior Brad Moore (Mount Prospect, Ill./Hersey) took the loss after allowing eight runs (three earned) on nine hits through four innings of work and junior Zach Thomas (Joliet, Ill./Joliet West ) threw a scoreless inning of relief in the ninth.

Jake Berry hit 3-for-4 at the plate to lead Utah Valley offensively, and Marco Briones (2-0) posted six strikeouts to record the victory despite giving up three runs (two earned) on six hits in 4.2 innings thrown in relief.

Game 2 – Chicago State 4, Utah Valley 3

UVU started the scoring in the first inning with an early 2-0 lead highlighted by an RBI double from Trevor Peterson.

The Cougars came back in the fifth to even the score at 2-2 that began with Russell hitting an RBI single which brought home junior Brandon Eyring (Mesa, Ariz./Mesa) before scoring three plays later on Freund's RBI single.

In the sixth inning, senior Rick Salazar (Bloomingdale, Ill./Plainfield South) led off with a single, moved to second on a Sullivan single and got to third base on a fielder's choice before stealing home to help the visitors reclaim a 3-2 lead.

David Modler opened the home team's half of seventh with a double to center field before crossing home plate two plays later as the tying run which knotted the score at 3-3.

David Modler opened the home team's half of seventh with a double to center field before crossing home plate two plays later as the tying run which knotted the score at 3-3.

Sullivan scored the game-winning run for CSU in the eighth inning as he blasted his first home run of the season with a solo shot to left field to go ahead 4-3 and the Cougars held off UVU defensively in the final two innings to seal the victory.

CSU was paced by Sullivan's 3-for-4 effort with a double and a homer in addition to junior Matt Paciello (Wellington, Fla./Park Vista) hitting 2-for-4. Sophomore Joe Baier (Suamico, Wis./Bay Port) threw 2.1 scoreless innings of relief and scattered three hits to improve his pitching record to 3-2. Junior starting pitcher Grant Trower (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Cardinal Gibbons) recorded three strikeouts and walked two batters over 6.2 innings thrown while giving up three runs on 11 hits.

Modler went 3-for-4 and scored twice for UVU, and Paxton Schultz (2-2) allowed four runs on 12 hits in eight innings of work in taking the loss.

The Cougars finish off their road swing on Tuesday evening at UIC in a live broadcast on ESPN3 with a start time of 6 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

#2 Joe Baier: IF/OF/P; 6' 0"; Sophomore; R-R

#9 Cody Freund: C; 5' 11"; Junior; L-R

#33 Brad Moore: P; 5' 10"; Redshirt Junior; L-L

#1 Julian Russell: IF; 5' 11"; Redshirt Senior; R-R

#22 Rick Salazar: IF; 6' 0"; Senior; R-R

#26 Matt Sullivan: IF; 5' 10"; Junior; R-R

#44 Zach Thomas: P/OF; 5' 11"; Junior; L-L

#15 Jacob Northrup: C/IF; 5' 10"; Junior; R-R

#23 Jacob Vanitvelt: OF; 5' 10"; Junior; L-L

#24 Grant Trower: P; 6' 0"; Junior; L-L

#34 Matt Paciello: OF; 5' 11"; Junior; R-R

#10 Brandon Eyring: OF; 6' 0"; Junior; R-R

Players Mentioned

#2 Joe Baier
: 6' 0"; Sophomore; R-R
: IF/OF/P

#9 Cody Freund
: 5' 11"; Junior; L-R
: C

#33 Brad Moore
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Junior; L-L
: P

#1 Julian Russell
: 5' 11"; Redshirt Senior; R-R
: IF

#22 Rick Salazar
: 6' 0"; Senior; R-R
: IF

#26 Matt Sullivan
: 5' 10"; Junior; R-R
: IF

#44 Zach Thomas
: 5' 11"; Junior; L-L
: P/OF

#15 Jacob Northrup
: 5' 10"; Junior; R-R
: C/IF

#23 Jacob Vanitvelt
: 5' 10"; Junior; L-L
: OF

#24 Grant Trower
: 6' 0"; Junior; L-L
: P

#34 Matt Paciello
: 5' 11"; Junior; R-R
: OF

#10 Brandon Eyring
: 6' 0"; Junior; R-R
: OF

Scoreboard

Players Mentioned

Players Mentioned