PHOENIX – Utah Valley baseball won the opening game of their three-game WAC series at Grand Canyon, 11-1, on Friday night. UVU (23-11, 8-2) backed starting pitcher Corbin Kirk, who finished with 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run before the UVU bats broke the ballgame open against the GCU (21-12, 8-2) bullpen. Dominic Longo II finished 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBIs.
 
The Wolverines looked to take an early lead in the first inning after Luke Iverson singled and Jayden Smith was hit by a pitch, but Grand Canyon's Isaac Lyon pitched around the jam. The Lopes put a pair of runners on base, but Corbin Kirk was able to get the final out of the inning on a groundout.
 
The early pitcher's duel favored Utah Valley as they took a 1-0 lead with a one-out line drive home run that cleared the fence for Longo II's sixth homer of the year. GCU looked to get a run back after their first two runners reached in the third inning, but after they pushed runners up 90 feet, Kirk came up with one of his two strikeouts and a groundout to strand runners in scoring position.
 
Utah Valley benefited from some early defense plays to help quiet the Lopes offense. Longo II flashed the glove in the second inning on a diving play to rob Eli Paton of a base hit. In the third inning, GCU had looked to tie the game in the bottom of the third inning with runners on the corners and the shift on; Zach Yorke hit a hard grounder that Landon Frei stabbed in shallow right field and threw across his body for the out.
 
GCU's Lyon had a good outing for the Lopes, finishing with five innings, six hits, and ten strikeouts, but did walk a hitter and hit two.
 
Utah Valley broke through against Connor Mattison in the top of the sixth inning after Brody Block and Jimmy De Anda each worked a four-pitch walk. They pulled off a double steal to put a pair of runners in scoring position. After a pair of strikeouts, Smith was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game. Longo II gave UVU a 3-0 lead with a single to centerfield to make it 3-0. Smith came in to score to put the Wolverines up 4-0 when Mason Strong hit a chopper to third base that was misplayed by Eli Paton.
 
The 4-0 lead was extended in the seventh inning after Nate Bach worked a four-pitch walk, and De Anda singled to put two runners on base for DJ Massey. He delivered with a single just past the reach of shortstop Emilio Barreras to allow a run to score and make it 5-0. Smith recorded his first RBI of the game on a seventh-inning single to put UVU up 6-0.
 
Kirk (3-1) finished with 6 1/3 innings on six hits, one run and two strikeouts. It marks his third straight outing of at least six innings as he continues to be the Friday starter for the Wolverines. Carston Herman came on in the seventh and recorded the final two outs before sending the Lopes down in order in the eighth inning.
 
Following Herman's performance in the eighth, the Wolverines put up a five spot in the ninth inning after De Anda started the inning with a walk, and Massey singled to left field to put two runners on base. Utah Valley went up 7-1 on a single from Smith before Longo II was intentionally walked to load the bases for Strong, who delivered a triple just past the diving Eddy Pelc in centerfield to allow three runs to score.
 
The Lopes staff hit a pair of batters to load the bases for Block, who grounded out to plate a run and make it 11-1.
 
Herman finished with 2 2/3 innings without allowing a hit and added two strikeouts in the win.
 
UP NEXT
Utah Valley and Grand Canyon will play the second game of the weekend series on Saturday, Apr. 12, at 8:00 p.m. MDT / 7:00 p.m. MST on ESPN+. Colton Kennedy will get the ball for UVU, and Garrett Ahern will be on the hill for the Lopes.