After blasting out to a 12-3 win on Friday, the Wolverines had to rely on their pitching in the closest contest of the series on Saturday.

UVU’s (11-8) pitching combination of Colton Kennedy, Carston Herman, and Alan Huerta combined for 17 strikeouts against ERAU (6-17). Jayden Smith and Dominic Longo II continued to swing hot bats, recording two hits each.

The Wolverines battled through a three-hour weather delay before Kennedy fired home the first pitch and struck out the side in the first two innings to set a new career-high in strikeouts. After not delivering a ball until the second inning, he continued in the third inning recording two more strikeouts and getting a hitter to pop up a bunt to end the inning.

Utah Valley broke through in the bottom of the third inning when DJ Massey singled to start the inning and with one out he raced home from first base on a double by Smith to put UVU up 1-0. The lead doubled for the Wolverines when Longo II lined his third home run of the week out of the park.

Leading 3-0 in the fourth, the Eagles got two runs back to make it 3-2. Herman came in and picked right up after Kennedy’s hot start, striking out the first two hitters while on his way to a 1-2-3 inning. In the home half of the inning, Luke Iverson hit his fifth home run of the season over the left field wall to put UVU in front 4-2.

The Wolverines continued to add on after Longo II singled and stole second base and came around to score on a single from Nate Bach to give UVU a 5-2 edge. Joseph Barnhardt singled to centerfield to plate Bach, who scored from second after swiping second base. The Eagles once again fought back, scoring a pair of runs to make it 6-4.

Embry-Riddle brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh inning against Herman, but the UVU lefty got Garza-Nunez to fly out to end the threat before sending them down in order in the eighth.

The Wolverines looked to add some insurance with a two-out rally in the eighth inning. Jimmy De Anda walked, and Kevin Parker, Jr. hit a hard grounder to the hole at short and reached. They were not able to get a runner home.

Alan Huerta came in the ninth inning and retired the Eagles in order, securing his first save of the season.

On Sunday in Game 3, UVU routed Embry-Riddle, 19-1.

The series concludes on Monday, Mar. 17 at 12:05 p.m. MT.

Wolverine softball swept by Grand Canyon

The UVU softball team lost both games of a doubleheader to Grand Canyon on Friday, then had Saturday’s final game of the series cancelled due to weather.

On Friday, Angelique Mann had a five-hit day at the plate and Amber Rodriguez had a pair of two-hit games as the Utah Valley Wolverines dropped their first two games of the home season to the Grand Canyon Lopes, 16-2 and 9-5.

The long ball spelled trouble for the Wolverine pitching staff from the very first inning, as the Lopes sent seven homers over the fence to sweep the doubleheader.

UVU will next play Weber State at Wolverine Softball Field in Orem on Monday at 4 p.m.