May 5, 2008

Box Score

OREM, Utah - Spurred on by an emotional pre-game farewell to head coach Steve Gardner, Utah Valley jumped out a quick lead and ran away from BYU, 12-4, in front of a school record 3,730 fans in the coach's final home game after 18 seasons. Gardner, who announced his retirement last fall, was honored with a painting and engraved bat prior the game.

"This was a special night for me," said Gardner. "To have family, friends and former players and coaches here...this was a perfect ending."

Nine seniors were also honored prior the game, including starting pitcher Marcus Moore, who tossed his eighth career complete game and set a new school record with his eighth win this season.

Another senior, Adam Openshaw, went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Kevin Arendse and Ryan Jones also had three hits for the Wolverines (14-31-1), who took two out of three this season from the Cougars (19-29) to win the season series for the first time.

Utah Valley jumped out quickly following a Cole Anderson double and Jones single when Jace Brinkerhoff hit his seventh home run of the year over the wall in left. Openshaw followed that with a double and later scored on an Arendse double.

BYU scored a run in each of the second and third innings, with Sean McNaughton blasting his 13th home run of the year in the third to cut the lead to 4-2.

After Bryce Ayoso singled with one out in the fifth, Arendse gunned the Cougar DH out at second, one of two runners the UV catcher threw out on the night.

The Wolverines used five singles in the sixth the plate three more runs, two coming on a single to right-center by freshman Jake Rickenbach, who is third on the team with 27 runs batted in.

An Openshaw double in the seventh gave the Wolverines an 8-2 cushion before Arendse scored him with a single up the middle two batters later.

After BYU picked up a run in the eighth, Anderson put the game out of reach with his second home run of the year, a three-run shot to left that scored Rickenbach and Aaron Brady.

Utah Valley has eight games remaining on the season with a three-game series at Pac-10 Arizona scheduled for this weekend in Tucson. The Wolverines will then travel to two-time defending champion Oregon State for two games next Monday and Tuesday before closing out the year in Honolulu at Hawaii with three games.

Notes: The artist's painting of the head coach that was presented was hand painted by Utah Valley Senior Associate Athletic Director D.J. Smith and presented to Gardner by Smith and Director of Athletics Mike Jacobsen.