OREM, Utah – Despite a two-run home run from senior Kade Poulsen on the day, Utah Valley baseball found itself on the wrong end of a 7-2 contest to Grand Canyon in the series finale on Saturday afternoon at UCCU Ballpark. 
 
With the setback, GCU takes three of the four games on the weekend to claim the weekend WAC series. The preseason favorite Lopes improve to 14-13-1 overall and 9-3 in the WAC standings with Saturday's win, while UVU drops to 5-19 overall and 3-9 in league play with the loss.
 
Deadlocked in a scoreless pitcher's duel early, GCU was the first to get something going in the fourth by putting a five-spot on the board to take a 5-0 advantage. The Preseason WAC Player of the Year Juan Colato and Cade Verdusco both homered in the big inning for the Lopes while Brock Burton and Tayler Aguilar each chipped in doubles. 
 
GCU then loaded the bases in the fifth and added a pair of insurance runs to extend its lead to 7-0. UVU reliever Carson Brown came on in relief with the bases full during the frame and did a nice job of limiting the damage, however, as he struck out a pair of hitters to help the Wolverines get out of the jam. 
 
With GCU having gone to the bullpen in the sixth, UVU got a lead-off double from Alexander Marco but Grand Canyon reliever Keaton Glover managed to escape the jam unscathed to preserve the seven-run lead for the Lopes at the time. 
 
With a runner aboard and one away in the eighth, the senior Poulsen got UVU on the board with second home run of the weekend with a two-run shot to left center to make it a 7-2 contest. The round-tripper not only marked Poulsen's second of the series but also his third of the season. The Wolverines later got a two-out double from Jeff Arens, but Preseason All-WAC honoree Frankie Scalzo came on and managed to get a strikeout to end the inning. 
 
UVU then got a runner on base in the ninth via a walk from Trey Newman, but Scalzo went on to retire the next three batters he faced to end the ballgame.
 
Utah Valley starter Mason Gray was solid for the Wolverines early, as he allowed just one hit and two total baserunners into the fourth. Despite striking out five in four-plus innings of work, Gray was tagged with the loss to fall to 1-4 on the year. GCU starter Carter Young pitched five innings of shutout action in which he allowed just two hits on his way to improving to 4-0 on the year. 
 
Poulsen finished 1-for-3 on the afternoon with the two-run home run and a run scored, while Arens went 1-for-1 with a double and a trio of walks. Mitch Moralez, Newman and Kyle Coburn also collected hits in the contest for the Wolverines. Colato led GCU by going 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. Aguilar, Tyler Wilson and Jonny Weaver also added two-hit performances for GCU. 
 
The Wolverines will cap their five-game homestand by welcoming Washington State of the Pac-12 Conference to town for a midweek non-conference contest on Wednesday, April 7 at 6 p.m. at dōTERRA Field at UCCU Ballpark. Following Wednesday's contest, UVU will return to the road for a four-game league series at UT Rio Grande Valley April 9-11 in Edinburg, Texas.