PHOENIX – Utah Valley University baseball dropped the opening game of the weekend series to the defending WAC Tournament champion Grand Canyon University Lopes, 11-1, on Friday night at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark. 
 
The Wolverines (6-11, 2-5 WAC) tallied three hits on the night off a tough GCU (11-8, 4-0 WAC) pitching staff. Trey Cutchen, Paul Vossen, and Mick Madsen had hits in the contest to lead UVU.
 
Cutchen reached first base with a base hit up the middle in the first before GCU starter Nick Hull got out of the inning threat with back-to-back groundouts. GCU scored five runs in the first and four more in the second to take a 9-0 lead.
 
Hull held UVU without a baserunner until the sixth when Madsen reached on a base hit through the left side. Madsen later advanced to third after back-to-back groundouts and scored on a passed ball to score the lone Wolverine run.
 
In the seventh, Vossen added a liner that dropped into centerfield for a one-out base hit. Utah Valley had two flyouts to end the threat, however. The Lopes then put the game away with a run in sixth and another in the seventh to win via the run rule. 
 
Hull (1-1) picked up the win for Grand Canyon going six innings allowing two hits, one run, and 10 strikeouts. Alex Karns (0-1) took the loss for UVU in his first collegiate start. Tyler Frieders made his Wolverine debut going 1.1 innings, giving up just two hits and a run.
 
Preseason all-conference selections Jacob Wilson and Tayler Aguliar led GCU at the plate in the game by driving in three runs and collecting two hits apiece. 
 
Utah Valley and Grand Canyon will play game two of the weekend series Saturday, March 19, with a 7:00 p.m. MT/6:00 p.m. PT start from Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark. Coop Rust is scheduled to make the start for UVU and will face Daniel Avitia. The series will then conclude on Sunday at 1 p.m. MT/noon PT.