Despite losing the final game of its three-game set at Grand Canyon, 10-4, at Brazell Field on Sunday, the Utah Valley baseball team still left Phoenix with another series win.

That’s because the Wolverines routed the Lopes in the first two games of the series, notching an 11-1 win on Friday and an 18-2 victory in seven innings on Saturday. UVU’s series win snaps GCU’s (25-13, 8-3) 18-series WAC winning streak that dates back to Apr of 2023 when they dropped two of three to Seattle U.

Saturday’s game was an offensive explosion for the Wolverines, led by Landon Frei who finished 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs to lead a 17-hit charge by the UVU (24-11, 9-2) offense.

Seven of the nine starters recorded hits in the contest for Utah Valley with Dominic Longo II finishing 4-for-5, CJ Colyer 3-for-5, and Jimmy De Anda, Mason Strong, and Nate Bach all having two hits on Saturday night.

The Wolverines took their first lead of the contest in the third after threatening in both the first and second innings. Longo II hustled to beat out a single to third base, which was one of two infield singles he had in the game. Frei launched his first of two homers two hitters later to put UVU in front 2-0. After a pitch hit Bach, it was Colyer’s turn, and he quickly swung and drove a ball over the batter’s eye in center field to make it 4-0.

On the mound, UVU starter Colton Kennedy (3-0) pitched six innings, allowing five hits, two runs, and striking out four to pick up the win. He navigated early trouble in the first inning, allowing the first two hitters to reach. He then recorded a strikeout to Preseason All-WAC outfielder Eddy Pelc before getting the final two outs to keep the Lopes off the board.

Leading 5-1, the Wolverines extended their lead to 9-1 on four consecutive hitters, with singles by Frei, Brody Block, and Colyer, and Bach working a five-pitch walk. They still were not done as DJ Massey joined in the action with a ground out on the infield to plate a run and make it 10-1.

Utah Valley put eight runs across in the sixth inning to pull away from the Lopes as the first three hitters of the inning reached base, starting with a single from Bach, a walk to Block, and an RBI single from Colyer to put UVU up 11-2, following an error and a walk to Massey. Iverson drove in a run on a fielder’s choice to push the lead to 12-2 before he and Colyer pulled off a double steal to make it 13-2.

The Wolverines tallied three consecutive extra-base hits to take an 18-2 lead, starting with a Longo II double to left field to bring in two runs, and Strong doubled on the first pitch he saw to bring the tally up to 16-2. Frei then launched his second homer of the game to left field to make it 18-2. It’s his second three-hit and five RBI game of the week after he did so on Monday night at UNLV. He continues to be on a hot stretch for the Wolverines, going 11-for-24 with three homers, five doubles, and 12 RBIs in his last five games.

Utah Valley ended up outscoring GCU in the series 33-13, and on Saturday they scored their most runs ever against the Lopes.

Utah Valley will now return home to Utah for a midweek contest against BYU at Larry H. Miller Park in Provo on Tuesday, Apr. 15.

UVU track’s Gabe Remy shines at Utah Spring Classic

Utah Valley sprinter Gabe Remy took first place in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes on Saturday at the Utah Spring Classic in Salt Lake City, with personal records and top 10 marks in both races for the sophomore.

The Wolverines also had first-place finishes in the women’s 800, women’s heptathlon, men’s triple jump, and men’s pole vault.

Jennaveve Bingham won the women’s 800-meter race in 2:12.73. Her altitude-adjusted time of 2:12.03 puts her at No. 5 in the UVU record book. On the men’s side in the 800, Isaiah Archer also set a PR and top-10 time, with his converted time of 1:51.82 landing at eighth in the top 10 and second in the race.

Krista Farley took first place in the women’s heptathlon, which got underway on Friday before finishing up on Saturday. Farley was first in the long jump and second in the 200. Talia Conrad took third in the heptathlon and was second place in both the long jump and the javelin.

Porter Westerlind won the men’s pole vault, hitting 4.95 meters on the first attempt to take first after three others also hit the mark but not on their first attempts. In the women’s pole vault, Emily Conlin and Grace Williams both hit 3.65 meters. Conlin’s mark was a PR that improves on the No. 7 mark and landed her in third at the meet. Williams took fourth place.

Benati Louvouezo took first place in the men’s triple jump, hitting 14.10 meters. On the women’s side, Taygin DeHart took second in the triple jump at 10.94 meters, just off her PR of 10.99 meters.

Next week, Utah Valley will send competitors at the Bryan Clay Invitational at Azusa Pacific, and the Pacific Coast and Beach Invitationals at Long Beach State.

Wolverine softball loses pitcher’s duel at Tarleton State

Payge Armendariz and Avery Sapp combined to hold Tarleton State to two runs and Peyton Hall had a 3-for-3 day with an RBI triple as Utah Valley fell on the wrong end of a pitcher’s duel, 2-1 on Saturday afternoon in Stephenville, Texas.

The Texans held the Wolverines to just three runs in the series, and made a pair of big plays to gun down potential tying runs at the plate in the late innings. Emma Haygood and Kendyl Purdy each had a pair of hits in the defeat.

Utah Valley jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first after Britney Moreno reached to lead off the game, then was tripled home by Peyton Hall on a ball off the wall that kicked away from all the outfielders.

For the third time in the series, Tarleton got all of its scoring in one inning, this time in the bottom of the second, and much like game one yesterday, the Texans did it without an extra-base hit. Three singles and a walk plated the first run, then a fielder’s choice to second brought home the second run.

The visitors had multiple chances to tie or take the lead in the later innings, but couldn’t find a way to plate another run.

The Wolverines will close out the non-conference portion of the schedule on Tuesday evening at home against the Idaho State Bengals. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. MDT, and the game will be streamed live on ESPN+.