SAN JOSE, CALIF. – Utah Valley baseball dropped the opening game of their four-game series, 8-7 to San José State at Excite Ballpark. UVU (2-3) was led by Luke Iverson, Brody Block, and Dominic Longo II, who all recorded three hits in the loss. SJSU (3-1) surrendered a four-run inning in the top of the seventh before Jeriah Lewis hit a solo home run, becoming the game-winner.
 
"Two good baseball teams that traded blows with each other. I'm proud of how we competed from start to finish tonight," said UVU head coach Nate Rasmussen.
 
Landon Zaborowski made his first career start on the hill in the series opener and finished with 4 1/3 innings and had six strikeouts. The Wolverine bats gave him some run support in the third inning when Longo II doubled to lead off before he scored when Iverson had an infield single to go up 1-0. The UVU freshman was almost untouchable until the bottom of the fourth inning when the reigning Mountain West Player of the Week tripled to left field to make it 2-1.
 
Utah Valley responded in the fifth inning when Longo II recorded a lead-off hit for the second time in the ballgame, this time a single to center before he stole second base. Iverson drove him home with a single through the right side. The Wolverines put the game in motion again with Iverson, who swiped second before scoring on a single from Brody Block to give Utah Valley a narrow 3-2 lead.
 
The Spartan bats came alive with a run in the fifth inning before they added four in the sixth to go in front 7-3 heading into the seventh inning. UVU kept the pressure on SJSU and forced them to use seven pitchers in the contest. Iverson and Block both reached to start the seventh before Landon Frei singled home one to make it 7-3. Nate Bach worked a walk to load the bases and bring the leading run to the plate.
 
Mason Strong made it a two-run game with a single to center to set up Longo II for the game-tying double to left field and make it 7-7. Jacob Beltran, in his season debut, finished with 1 1/3 innings, including retiring the side in order in the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
Utah Valley had runners on base in the eighth after Block doubled to start the eighth inning, but they would not score the run. In the ninth, they put two men on base with a single from Jayden Smith, and Iverson reached when he was hit. The Spartan pitching staff came up with the outs needed to secure the win in the series opener.
 
UP NEXT
Utah Valley and San José State will play the second game of the four-game series on Friday, Feb. 21, at 4:05 p.m. MT on the Mountain West Network. LHP Corbin Kirk will get the ball for the Wolverines, who will look to even the series.