This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Craig Brinkerhof went 5-for-5 and the Utah Valley baseball team advanced to the championship game of the Western Athletic Conference tournament, rallying from an early deficit to pound Seattle University 13-8 Friday night in Mesa, Ariz.
The Wolverines (36-21) finished with 17 hits. Other players with multiple hits were Trevor Howell (3-for-5, two runs, two RBIs), Zac Willis (2-for-5), Mark Krueger (2-for-5, with a home run, two runs and two RBIs) and Jordan Schlehuber (2-for-3, two runs, two RBIs).
Seattle (36-20) scored four runs in the first and two more in the third for a 6-1 lead. But Jake Mayer (8-2) replaced Patrick Wolfe on the mound for Utah Valley and shut down the Redhawks until the top of the ninth. Mayer pitched 52/3 innings and allowed two runs on two hits. He struck out four and did not walk a batter. Logan Hold got the final two outs for UVU.
On Saturday at 8 p.m. MDT, Utah Valley will play for the championship against the winner of a 4 p.m. game between New Mexico State and Seattle. Should the Wolverines lose that game, the teams will play again Sunday at 1 p.m. for the title.