PORTLAND, Ore. – Utah Valley got a strong start from Mason Gray and multiple-hit performances from Mitch Moralez and Jeff Arens, but it wasn't enough as Portland scored the final five runs of the contest on its way to taking the finale, 5-1, on Sunday afternoon at Joe Etzel Field to sweep the four-game non-conference series.
 
UVU drops to 2-9 with the setback while Portland improves to 7-7 with the win.
 
Scoreless in the third, Moralez collected his second double of the day to drive home Mick Madsen and give UVU an early 1-0 lead. Madsen previously singled to lead-off the frame and later with two outs, Moralez delivered the RBI double to right center to give the Wolverines the early lead.
 
Both starting pitchers continued to pitch well from there as UVU held to the 1-0 lead into the fifth. With UVU starter Gray yet to allow a hit or a baserunner into the bottom of the fifth, the Pilots then managed to piece something together first time with a trio of hits and a trio of runs to take 3-1 advantage. Chad Stevens started the UP rally with a leadoff double and two batters later Sean Mulcare doubled him home to tie the score at 1-1. Following a UVU defensive miscue and a hit batter, Jake Tsukada then drove in two more runs with a two-run single to left to give Portland the 3-1 advantage. 
 
Still 3-1 late in the game, the Pilots then tacked on an insurance run in the seventh and another in the eighth to extend their lead to 5-1. Spencer Shipman had an RBI double for UP in the seventh and the Pilots managed to score another run on a wild pitch in the eighth. 
 
Utah Valley got a runner aboard in the ninth on a one-out hit from Arens, but UP's Jacob Dobmeier responded by retiring the next two batters to end the ballgame.
 
Moralez led UVU offensively on the day by going 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI, while Arens also finished with a 2-for-4 showing, and Madsen went 1-for-3 with a run scored. Stevens led UP by going 2-for-4 with a run scored, while Tsukada drove in two runs. 
 
The sophomore right-hander Gray was the tough-luck loser to drop to 0-3 on the year after allowing just two earned runs on five hits while striking out a career-high nine batters in 6.2 innings. Portland's Bradley McVay (2-0) was credited with the win after allowing one run on four hits and striking out 11 over 6.0 innings of work. 
 
The contest marked the final game of 11 consecutive away from home to start the 2021 season.
 
The Wolverines will now return to Orem for their home-and-conference-opening series against Sacrament State next weekend, March 19-21, at dōTERRA Field at UCCU Ballpark. The series will consist of a Friday 6 p.m. contest, a Saturday afternoon doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m., and the series finale on Sunday at noon. Friday's opener will mark UVU's first official game on the new state-of-the art turf dōTERRA Field that was installed at UCCU Ballpark last March.