OREM, Utah – Mason Gray went the distance and Utah Valley belted out three home runs en route to defeating New Mexico State, 4-2, in game one of a Saturday doubleheader at UCCU Ballpark. 
 
Mitch Moralez, Jake Plecas and the senior Alexander Marco all homered for UVU (8-37, 6-24 WAC) on the day. Saturday's doubleheader marked Senior Day for Utah Valley, as UVU seniors Marco, Kade Poulsen, Jesse Schmit and Spenser Triplett were all honored in between games of Saturday's twin bill. The Wolverines and Aggies (18-26, 15-15 WAC) will close the Saturday doubleheader this afternoon at 3:30 p.m.

"Mason threw the ball outstanding for us in that first game and the complete game definitely helps us. I think he saw the finish line in that one and boom—went for it," interim head coach David Carter said. "I thought the guys battled back from yesterday and played a clean game in the first game of the doubleheader and I was proud of their efforts."

After stranding the bases full of Aggies in second, NM State then got on the board in the third with a solo homer from Ethan Mann to give New Mexico State an early 1-0. The Aggies later threatened for more in the inning but UVU starter Gray and the Wolverine defense did a nice job of getting out of it, as Moralez managed to cut down a run at the plate and Gray followed with an inning-ending strikeout to keep it a 1-0 contest. 
 
UVU then managed to piece together a two-out rally in the last of the third to take a 2-1 advantage. Tavyn Lords started the rally with a two-out single to center and Moralez immediately followed with a no-doubt two-run homer to left to give the Wolverines their first lead of the game. The home run marked Moralez' second of the year. 
 
The Wolverines then added to their lead in the fourth thanks to a solo home run from Marco to make it 3-1. Marco smacked out his team-leading eighth home run of the season with a opposite field shot down the rightfield line. 
 
The Aggies then struck back with a run in the fifth on an RBI single from Brandon Dieter to make it 3-2. NM State later had runners on the corners with two away and attempted a delayed double steal, but the Wolverine defense managed to cut down Cal Villareal at the plate to keep it a 3-2 contest. 
 
Jake Plecas then blasted out UVU's third home run of the game with a bomb to left center to extend Utah Valley's lead to 4-2. The round tripper marked Plecas' first home run of the season and the second of his career.
 
Gray continued to shine on the mound as he retired the Aggies in order in both the sixth and seventh innings—including a pair of strikeouts in the seventh of the scheduled seven-inning game—to record his first complete-game outing on the season and in his career.
 
Gray struck out six and allowed just two runs on seven hits over 7.0 innings of work to improve to 3-5 on the year. NM State starter Chris Jefferson was tagged with the loss to fall to 5-6 on the season. 
 
Moralez led UVU offensively in the contest by going 1-for-3 with a two-run homer, a run scored and a pair of RBIs, while Marco and Plecas each went 1-for-2 with solo home runs. Dieter paced NM State by going 3-for-3 with an RBI. 
 
The contest marked interim head coach David Carter's first career victory and snapped an 11-game losing streak for the Wolverines.
 
The Wolverines will close their 2021 home season with the series final against New Mexico State on Sunday at 12 p.m. at UCCU Ballpark. Following Sunday's contest, UVU will head to Salt Lake City to take on the Utah Utes at Smith's Ballpark on Wednesday, May 12.