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MESA, Ariz. — Riverton alum Greyson Bogden went 4-for-4 with an RBI, and American Fork grad Zac Willis added two runs and an RBI to help Utah Valley to a 4-0 win over Seattle in the Western Athletic Conference tournament championship to clinch an automatic bid in the NCAA Tournament.
Utah Valley (37-21) won four straight games to clinch the tournament title, including two wins over the Redhawks (36-21) on consecutive nights. Utah Valley senior Craig Brinkerhoff was named WAC tournament most valuable player.
Mark Krueger drove in Willis with one of the Wolverines' 11 hits for the opening run on a two-out single in the top of the first inning, and pitcher Kaden Schmitt earned the shutout victory for the Wolverines.
The Wolverines added three runs on four hits in the top of the fifth inning, as well. Trevor Howell drove in Justin Erlandson after his single to center was fielded on an error, and Willis drove in Howell with a triple to left center field.
Willis came in on Bogden’s opposite field single to end the inning up 4-0.
Utah Valley’s defense also turned two inning-ending double plays to preserve the shutout.
WAC CHAMPIONS!
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) May 29, 2016
Utah Valley punches its ticket with a 4-0 victory over Seattle U! #RoadToOmahapic.twitter.com/IcCG2kExwz
Schmitt went seven innings with four strikeouts and two walks while allowing six hits and no runs before giving away to Logan Hold.
“Kaden Schmitt is guts and grit; he was awesome,” Utah Valley coach Eric Madsen told the WAC broadcast after the game. “He’s had a tough year, so to see him step up when he needed to was awesome.”
The junior from Las Vegas tossed one inning to get the hold, but he walked and gave up a single in his first two batters faced as the Redhawks loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth inning. Hold then casually struck out Seattle’s top home-run hitter, Brock Carpenter, to get out of the jam and take a four-run lead into the ninth.
Former Provo High pitcher Kyle Valgardson finished off the game by inducing the final three outs.
The Wolverines defeated Seattle on Friday night, erasing a five-run deficit with 12 unanswered to take a 13-8 win that moved them into the championship game and dropped the Redhawks to a one-loss bracket game with New Mexico State.
Krueger hit a home run in Friday night’s game, going 2 for 5 with two RBIs and two runs scored.
Saturday marked the second time in three seasons that Utah Valley has advanced to the WAC tournament championship.
The Wolverines will learn their NCAA Regional fate during the 2016 NCAA baseball selection show Monday at 10 a.m. MT on ESPNU.
