OREM, Utah – Utah Valley University's offense managed to belt out three home runs but the defense committed a season-high six errors, as it dropped game two to Grand Canyon University, 11-4, on Saturday afternoon at UCCU Ballpark. 
 
The Wolverines drop to 5-21 on the season and 2-3 in WAC play with the setback, while GCU improves to 14-12 overall and 3-2 in WAC play after clinching the series on Saturday. 
 
"I didn't  like our effort in the from the start," said UVU head coach Eric Madsen. "I didn't have them prepared as we gave up those runs on errors in the first inning. It wasn't good for our pitching to have that happen right away."
 
The Lopes scored three runs in the first to jump out to a 3-0 lead. A pair of UVU errors aided the early GCU rally, as two of the three runs in the frame were unearned. 
 
Utah Valley starter Paxton Schultz then managed to respond from there, however, as he and GCU starter Pierson Ohl both put up zeros until the fifth. 
 
Still 3-0 in the fifth, Grand Canyon then tacked on three more runs to extend its advantage to 6-0. Following back-to-back hits, GCU then added its first run of the frame on a sacrifice fly from Kona Quiggle. The Lopes then added another run on a two-out RBI double from Cuba Bess and capped the scoring when another unearned run came home on a dropped fly ball. 
 
UVU then got a run back in the bottom of the fifth on a leadoff solo home run from Pacen Hayes to make it a 6-1 game. Hayes' big fly to deep left marked his first round tripper of the season.
 
GCU then added four more runs in the sixth to put the game away. Quinn Cotton, Quiggle and Tyler Wyatt all had RBI hits in the inning for the Lopes. Austin Bull also added a solo homer in the seventh to give Grand Canyon an 11-1 advantage. 
 
In the last of the seventh, Hayes then followed a Mick Madsen single with his second homer of the ballgame to make it 11-3. Hayes cleared the wall in left-center this time for a two-run shot to give him three RBIs in the contest. 
 
The Wolverines then got another home run in the last of the ninth with a solo homer to left off the bat of Alexander Marco. The round tripper marked Marco's team-leading fifth of the season. 
 
The reigning WAC Pitcher of the Week Schultz (1-3) took the loss for UVU on the day after his defense managed to commit six errors behind him. GCU's Ohl gave up just three runs on six hits while striking out five in 7.0 innings of work to improve to 3-3 on the year. Both Blake Zeleny and Spenser Triplett pitched well in relief for the Wolverines by combining to allow just one hit and one run in the final three innings of work. 
 
Hayes led UVU offensively in the ballgame by going 2-for-4 with a pair of home runs, while Marco followed with a 2-for-4 outing with a solo homer of his own. Four Lopes had multiple-hit days for GCU and the Preseason WAC Player of the Year Cotton led the way by going 3-for-5 with three runs scored and two batted in while Quiggle added two hits and three RBIs.   
 
The Wolverines and two-time defending WAC champion Lopes will close the three-game league series on Sunday at noon at UCCU Ballpark. Following Sunday's contest, UVU will next head to Colorado to open a five-game road swing with a WAC series at Northern Colorado on Friday, April 5.