PHOENIX – Utah Valley baseball won their first series against Grand Canyon University since 2016 on Saturday night with a dominant 18-2 victory at Brazell Field. The series win snaps GCU's (25-13, 8-3) 18-series WAC winning streak that dates back to Apr of 2023 when they dropped two of three to Seattle U. Landon Frei finished 3-for-5 with two home runs and five RBIs to lead a 17-hit charge by the UVU (24-11, 9-2) offense.
 
Seven of the nine starters recorded hits in the contest for Utah Valley with Dominic Longo II finishing 4-for-5, CJ Colyer 3-for-5, and Jimmy De Anda, Mason Strong, and Nate Bach all having two hits on Saturday night.
 
The Wolverines took their first lead of the contest in the third after threatening in both the first and second innings. Longo II hustled to beat out a single to third base, which was one of two infield singles he had in the game. Frei launched his first of two homers two hitters later to put UVU in front 2-0. After a pitch hit Bach, it was Colyer's turn, and he quickly swung and drove a ball over the batter's eye in center field to make it 4-0.
 
On the mound, UVU starter Colton Kennedy (3-0) pitched six innings, allowing five hits, two runs, and striking out four to pick up the win. He navigated early trouble in the first inning, allowing the first two hitters to reach. He then recorded a strikeout to Preseason All-WAC outfielder Eddy Pelc before getting the final two outs to keep the Lopes off the board.
 
In the bottom of the third, the Lopes looked to chip into the 4-0 deficit with the first two hitters reaching base. Still, Kennedy got Emilio Barreras to ground into a double play to limit the damage, allowing only one run.
 
The Wolverines did not waste time answering right back against GCU starter Garrett Ahern. Luke Iverson reached for the 33^rd consecutive game with a walk in the fourth inning, and UVU quickly put runners in scoring position after a single by De Anda and a wild pitch by the Lopes. Longo II loaded the bases on a pop-up that fell in front of the GCU shortstop.
 
Leading 5-1, the Wolverines extended their lead to 9-1 on four consecutive hitters, with singles by Frei, Brody Block, and Colyer, and Bach working a five-pitch walk. They still were not done as DJ Massey joined in the action with a ground out on the infield to plate a run and make it 10-1.
 
Utah Valley put eight runs across in the sixth inning to pull away from the Lopes as the first three hitters of the inning reached base, starting with a single from Bach, a walk to Block, and an RBI single from Colyer to put UVU up 11-2, following an error and a walk to Massey. Iverson drove in a run on a fielder's choice to push the lead to 12-2 before he and Colyer pulled off a double steal to make it 13-2.
 
The Wolverines tallied three consecutive extra-base hits to take an 18-2 lead, starting with a Longo II double to left field to bring in two runs, and Strong doubled on the first pitch he saw to bring the tally up to 16-2. Frei then launched his second homer of the game to left field to make it 18-2. It's his second three-hit and five RBI game of the week after he did so on Monday night at UNLV. He continues to be on a hot stretch for the Wolverines, going 11-for-24 with three homers, five doubles, and 12 RBIs in his last five games.
 
Utah Valley is outscoring GCU in the series 29-3, and tonight in Phoenix, they will score their most runs ever against the Lopes. Over their last five contests, UVU has scored 69 runs and has averaged almost 14 runs per game.
 
UP NEXT
Utah Valley will go for the series sweep on Sunday, Apr. 13 at 1:00 p.m. MT on ESPN+. They will return home to Utah for a midweek contest against BYU at Larry H. Miller Park in Provo on Tuesday, Apr. 15.