OREM, Utah – Mason Gray pitched 7.0 solid innings and Spencer Olsen belted out a grand slam and six total RBIs to lead Utah Valley University to a doubleheader split against the first-place Grand Canyon Lopes on Saturday at UCCU Ballpark.
 
After dropping the first game of the day 16-4, UVU (16-28, 9-15 WAC) responded by claiming the nightcap by a score of 10-6 to salvage the series and split Saturday's twin bill against No. 25 GCU (30-15, 17-4 WAC). The victory marks UVU's first win over a top-25 team since March 9, 2018 when it defeated No. 21 Mississippi State.
 
"I think anytime you can win a big game after some disappointing losses, and you can respond they way we did tonight, it can go a long way with your confidence and answer any questions or doubts you might have," said head UVU coach Eddie Smith. "To see our guys get off the mat for game two and come out swinging, I think it says a lot about them. We talk about being relentless and resilient, and the guys did that today and it was great to see."
 
GAME TWO
Gray got off to a strong start on the mound for UVU in the nightcap, as he struck out four straight batters which included striking out the side in the second as the game was scoreless in the early stages. 
 
The UVU offense followed suit with back-to-back hits from Paul Vossen and Cole Jordan in the last of the second to take an early 1-0 lead. Vossen started things off with a one-out bunt single and then took second on the wild pitch. Jordan drove him home with an RBI single through the right side.
 
GCU then answered with a run of its own in the top of the third to tie the game at 1-1. Dustin Crenshaw had the big hit in the frame for the Lopes with an RBI double. The Lopes then took a 2-1 advantage in the fifth thanks to the speed from Homer Bush Jr. After a hustle double put Bush Jr. on second, the speedster then came around to score on a grounder down the line that bounced off the third base bag to just beat the throw from Kyle Coburn to the plate. 
 
UVU answered in the home half of the fifth in a big way with five runs to take a 6-2 lead. Following a leadoff single from Drew Sims, Mitch Moralez tripled to left center to drive in Sims to tie the game. The Wolverines then loaded the bases with still nobody out in the frame and Olsen blasted out a grand slam to the opposite field to deep right to help UVU put the crooked number on the board in the frame. 
 
GCU got a run back in the sixth with solo homer from Maxwell Andeel, but UVU countered with three runs of its own in the bottom of the sixth to make it 9-3. With runners on the corners with one away, Trey Cutchen plated Coburn from third with an RBI single to center for the first run of the inning. Olsen later followed with a two-run double to drive home both Moralez and Cutchen and help give the Wolverines a six-run cushion. 
 
The Wolverines then added a run in the seventh as Coburn doubled and came in to score following back-to-back wild pitches to extend UVU's lead to 10-3. 
 
The Lopes added a trio of late runs, but it wasn't enough as UVU held on to the victory.  
 
Gray gave UVU a quality start in the nightcap by tossing 7.0 solid innings to improve to 2-3 on the year. Gray struck out six and surrendered just three runs on the evening. GCU's Connor Markl (5-3) took the loss after giving up six runs in four-plus innings.   
 
Offensively both Cutchen and Sims both had three-hit performances for UVU, while Olsen tied the Utah Valley single-game school record with six RBIs. Olsen finished by going 2-for-4 with a grand slam and a two-run double. Andeel paced GCU by going 2-for-4 with two RBIs. 
 
"Mason Gray has really responded for us on the mound as of late with three great outings. That's what we need. We need someone that we can give the ball to that will give us a lot of confidence, and right now we feel that way with Mason," Smith added. "Offensively, Spencer Olsen came up in some big situations and he just delivered. You can't say enough about him and how our bats got warm when Spencer got warm, so it's been great to see." 
 
GAME ONE
The Lopes struck first in game one thanks to a two-out three-run first-inning home run from Elijah Buries to give GCU an early 3-0 cushion. Grand Canyon then added an unearned run in the second to make it 4-0. 
 
UVU threatened in the second by getting a runner to third base and managed to break through in the third thanks to a one-out solo home run from Brandon Luna to make it 4-1. The big fly from Luna marked his first of the season and went out to deep right to get the Wolverines on the scoreboard. 
 
With both starting pitchers settling down from there, GCU then got a leadoff solo homer from Tayler Aguilar in the sixth to extend their lead to 5-1. The Lopes then added three more runs in the frame thanks to a two-run shot from Homer Bush Jr. and another on a sac fly to make it 8-1. 
 
In his first at-bat of the game with two outs in the seventh, Connor Hall then belted out a two-run homer to left to pull the Wolverines within five at 8-3. The long ball scored Spencer Olsen who had doubled earlier in the frame. 
 
Grand Canyon loaded the bases in the eighth and got a two-out grand slam from Aguilar to right for his second home run of the game to make it 12-3. GCU added a pair of two-run homers in the ninth from Cade Verdusco and Nick Hansen to seal the victory. 
 
UVU got a late run in the ninth via a pinch-hit RBI groundout from Drew Sims to drive home pinch-runner Alex Karns to make it 16-4.
 
Utah Valley starter Coop Rust was tagged with the loss after going 5.2 innings to fall to 2-6, while GCU's Daniel Avitia picked up the win after allowing three runs while striking out six over 7.0 frames to improve to 5-4. Entering in a tough situation in the ninth, senior Bobby Voortmeyer came on in relief and induced a quick double play ball to help the momentum shift in UVU's favor for the second game of the twin bill.
 
Hall led UVU offensively off the bench by going 1-for-2 with a two-run homer while Luna went 1-for-3 with a solo homer and a walk. Aguilar paced the Lopes by going 2-for-5 two home runs and five RBIs.
 
ON DECK FOR UVU
The Wolverines will step out of conference play to open a nine-game road trip at Washington State of the Pac-12 Conference for three games next weekend, May 6-8, in Pullman. UVU will continue the trip with a contest at Lower Columbia College on Monday, May 9 followed by a midweek game at Portland on Wednesday, May 11. Utah Valley will then return to WAC play with a big three-game set at Sacramento State May 13-15 and will cap the trip with a Monday tilt at Pacific on May 16.