ST. GEORGE, Utah – Utah Valley won the second game of their weekend series 6-3 over Utah Tech on Saturday afternoon at Bruce Hurst Field. UVU (20-10, 6-2) was led on the mound by Colton Kennedy, who finished with six innings and tied a career-high with nine strikeouts. Former Trailblazer (15-15, 1-4) Carston Herman finished the game with three innings, allowing one hit for his second save of the season.
 
The Wolverines threatened in the first inning after Luke Iverson was hit by a pitch, and Dominic Longo II walked to put two runners on base. Utah Tech starter Ryan Martinez ended the threat with a double play.
 
Landon Frei led off the second with a double to left field for his first of two doubles. He extended his reached-base safely streak to 29 games with the hit. UVU took a 1-0 lead on a single from Brody Block with runners on the corners. The lead was extended to 3-0 when Jimmy De Anda doubled to left center and advanced to third base on a fielding error in left field.
 
The Trailblazers recorded eight hits against Kennedy but did not have much success getting runs across. Kase Naone cut the deficit to 3-2 with a two-run shot in the third inning. Kennedy answered right back and put up zeros, including getting out of a jam in the fourth inning with a flyout and a strikeout to keep Utah Valley in front and then added an inning-ending double play in the fifth.
 
Utah Valley pushed their lead out to 4-2 in the sixth inning, starting with a single by Strong before he moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Frei drove in his 35^th RBI of the season on a base hit. Utah Tech answered back to make it 4-3 in the bottom half of the inning when Petey Soto, Jr. stole home and slid under the tag by Strong.
 
The Wolverines looked to add in the seventh after De Anda doubled for the second time in the game. With one out, Iverson was intentionally walked to put two runners on base, but Utah Tech starter Ryan Martinez worked through the jam.
 
Herman entered the game in the seventh inning and retired the side to help the UVU offense add some more insurance when Strong and Frei hit back-to-back home runs. It is the second time a duo has gone back-to-back this season, with De Anda and Kevin Parker, Jr. doing so against Seattle U.
 
The only recorded hit against Herman came in the ninth inning from Kyle McDaniel with a single, but it didn't make a difference.
 
The Wolverines secured their third conference series win this season and will go for the sweep in the series finale on Sunday, Apr. 6, at 12:05 p.m. MT. Jacob Heppner gets the ball for UVU, and Orem native Dakota West is scheduled to go for the Trailblazers.