The Utah Valley University baseball team triumphed 10-2 in the first match of a three-game series against WAC rivals California Baptist University on Friday, April 22 at Totman Stadium in Riverside, California.
Leading the way for UVU defensively, pitcher Deven Smith allowed just two hits and had six shutout innings, while Cole Jordan led the offense with a first inning grand slam and two hits overall.
The Wolverines started strong in the first as Mitch Moralez got on base with a hit to center field, then Trey Cutchen and Garrett Broussard both walked to load the bases, which set up Jordan for his second grand slam of the season that would bring the score to 4-0.
Early in the second inning, Connor Hall and Kyle Coburn walked, which put runners on first and second, then Cutchen brought them both home with a ground ball that slipped through the legs of a CBU baseman, extending UVU’s lead to 6-0.
Piling on the pressure, Hall hit an RBI double to left field in the third that brought Broussard home, and in the fourth, Copper Hansen drew a bases-loaded walk that scored Mick Madsen and brought the score to 8-0. Then the Wolverines extended their lead to 9-0 in the fifth when Cutchen hit an RBI single to left field that scored Moralez.
The Lancers managed to score a run in the seventh that cut the Wolverines’ lead to 9-1. But in the ninth, Cole Yocum responded with an RBI single to left field, his first collegiate run, that brought home Coburn and increased UVU’s lead to 10-1. The Lancers scored a second run in the ninth, which brought the score to 10-2, but the Wolverines’ eight-point lead proved to be too much for the Lancers to overcome.
The Wolverines improve to 15-23 on the season and 8-11 in WAC play. They will be back in action Saturday, April 23 for game two of their three game series against California Baptist. The match begins at 6 p.m. MDT and can be streamed live on ESPN+.
To view the full box score for both teams, click here.
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