Fourth-ranked Wildcats fall at Utah Valley

Published Apr. 5, 2012 7:50 a.m. ET

foxsports

OREM, Utah – Jeremy Gendlek pitched seven strong innings and Goose Kallunki went 2 for 4, including a homer, as Utah Valley earned its first-ever home victory over a ranked opponent with a 5-4 win against No. 4 Arizona on Wednesday evening at Brent Brown Ballpark.

Arizona (21-8) trailed 5-1 going into the eighth inning before finally forcing Gendlek out of the game when Joey Rickard led off with a single to center.

Reliever Taylor Mangum up a single to Johnny Field, and one out later, Robert Refsnyder hit a three-run homer – his second in as many games -- to put the Wildcats within a run.

That was all the closer the Wildcats would get. Pinch-hitter Joseph Maggi drew a leadoff walk in the ninth, but closer Josh Swenson retired the next three batters, including two by strikeout, to earn his third save,

Gendlek carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and allowed just two runs on four hits and a walk as he improved to 4-3 on the season. Arizona's first three hits were all bunt singles. In fact, the right-hander’s first three hits surrendered were all bunt base hits. The first two came after a leadoff walk in the sixth before Alex Mejia’s sacrifice fly tied the game at 1-1.

Kallunki homered in the second for Utah Valley off Arizona starter Tyler Crawford, making his first career start, and the Wildcats found themselves trailing for the 16th conseuctive game. Alex Mejia's sacrific fly tied it in the sixth, but Utah Valley went back ahead on Kallunski's run-scoring single in the bottom of the inning off reliever Lucas Long.

Utah Valley added three more runs with two out in the eighth.

Crawford (0-1) pitched 5.2 innings and gave up just two runs on three hits.

Arizona quickly turns around for a three-game Pac-12 conference series at Utah beginning Thursday night.