OREM, Utah – Utah Valley dropped the opening game of the three-game series to Grand Canyon on Friday night. GCU (16-9, 7-3) used a six-run eighth inning to pull away from UVU (14-11, 2-3). Trey Cutchen was 3-for-5 in the game to lead the Wolverines.
 
Trailing 1-0 in the bottom of the first inning, Patrick Mills launched a no-doubter for his sixth home run of the season and tied the game at 1-1.
 
GCU took a 2-1 lead after a double by Jacob Wilson in the third inning. It was not until the fourth inning that UVU tied the game at 2-2. Utah Valley used three hits in the inning that started with a single from Cutchen. He moved to second on a passed ball and later went to third on a single from Cole Jordan. Luke Iverson singled through the middle for his second straight game with an RBI.
 
The Lopes regained the lead at 4-2 with a two-run inning in the fifth. The Wolverines attempted a comeback in the bottom half after a pair of two-out hits from Burke Camper, and Cutchen put runners on the corners before UVU stranded the runners.
 
GCU pulled away with a six-run eighth to go up 10-2. UVU again had a pair of two-out hits, with an Iverson single and a double by Garrett Broussard. GCU reliever Connor Markl escaped the Wolverine threat for the second time in the game.
 
The Wolverines were held scoreless in the ninth after Grand Canyon added one in the top of the ninth for the 11-2 win. Iverson and Daniel Dickinson each had two hits in the game for UVU.
 
UVU and GCU will play game two of the series tomorrow at UCCU Ballpark. The first pitch is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. MT. The game will be streamed on ESPN+, with an audio-only broadcast on gouvu.com. Tickets for the game are still available.