RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Utah Valley baseball dropped the series opener 12-7 to California Baptist University on Friday night at Totman Stadium. CBU (28-14) held UVU (20-22, 11-8) scoreless through the first five innings. Daniel Dickinson finished 3-for-5 with his 16^th home run of the season. He now has tallied 19 multi-hit games and six three-hit games on the year.
 
CBU took an early 1-0 lead on a leadoff home run by the WAC Preseason Co-Player of the Year Mitchel Simon before adding three more runs to take an early 4-0 lead.
 
The Wolverines got their first hit on a single from Luke Iverson that was hit so hard the CBU outfield was able to get the ball in to hold him to a single. CBU starter Lukas Pirko recorded the last out via strikeout. UVU quickly threatened in the third inning after Dickinson singled with two outs, and Camper reached after being hit by a pitch to put two runners on base with two outs, but the runners were stranded.
 
Utah Valley got on the board with a solo homer from Dickinson in the sixth inning. The home run was his 16^th of the season, and he's now tied with Camper for the team lead. UVU added a run later in the inning after Camper walked to reach base in his 19^th consecutive game. Jordan knocked him home with a long single into the gap.
 
Jayden Smith was the first hitter to face the CBU bullpen to start the seventh inning and quickly made an impact by taking Ryan Delgado deep for this third homer of the season.
 
The Wolverines kept chipping away and broke through in the eighth inning after Jordan was walked and Nate Bach singled, putting a pair of runners on base for Iverson, who doubled to bring home two runs and make it 11-5. UVU kept the pressure on when Smith brought home his second run on a groundout to make it 11-6. A pair of walks to Broussard and Matthew Schwarz loaded the bases for Dickinson, who singled to bring the deficit to 11-7.
 
CBU added a run in the eighth before clinching the win in the ninth, only allowing a single to Bach.
 
The Wolverines and Lancers will play the second game of the weekend series tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. MT from Totman Stadium in Riverside before the series wraps up on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. MT. Both games will air on ESPN+.