OREM, Utah – Utah Valley University dropped its home and WAC-opener, 8-4, to Northern Colorado on Friday night at UCCU Ballpark.
Trevor Peterson had three hits to lead the Wolverines (7-12, 0-1) while Austin Miller went 3-for-5 with three RBIs for the Bears (15-8, 1-0). Both teams finished with 10 hits on the day, but Utah Valley stranded 11 runners overall.
The Wolverines scored first, getting a lead-off walk to
Trevor Howell in the first followed by consecutive base hits from
David Modler and Peterson. Peterson's hit scored Howell to make it 1-0, and Modler moved to third before scoring when
Jackson Overlund's grounder gave UVU a 2-0 lead.
The Bears answered with three runs in the top of the second with Brett Minnick driving in two on a base hit into left.
Single runs in the second and third put Utah Valley back in front. Howell drove in Beltran with a base hit in the second and a
Drew Sims groundball plated Overlund, who doubled to lead off the inning.
Northern Colorado pushed four runs across the plate in a pivotal sixth inning to take a 7-4 lead. After tying the game on a sac bunt, the Bears took the lead on a wild pitch, allowing Alex Kiel to score. Miller added two more with a two-out single to right, scoring Dean Lawson and Minnick.
The Wolverines threatened in the sixth and seventh, but left the bases loaded in the sixth and stranded a pair in the seventh.
Jake Mayer (1-2) took the loss for Utah Valley while Justin Mulvaney (1-0) got his first win of the season after tossing four scoreless innings in relief.
Fabian Palacios was solid in relief for the Wolverines, pitching 3.2 innings and surrendering just one run on one hit, a solo home run from Matt Burkart in the top of the ninth.
The series will conclude with a doubleheader on Saturday beginning at 2 p.m. MT. The schedule was adjusted with Sunday's forecast calling for rain and snow, forcing the teams to play two games to close out the series. The Wolverines are slated to start right-handers
Walker Ramsey and
Kaden Schmitt on the mound.
