SAN FRANCISCO –  Utah Valley baseball lost a 3-1 pitcher's duel on Thursday afternoon to San Francisco. UVU (28-26) only allowed eight hits in the game, with the combination of Cooper Littledike and Carston Herman allowing two hits after the fifth inning to USF (25-29). Jayden Smith and Dominic Longo II each recorded two hits.
 
The Wolverines looked to take their first lead after singles by Jimmy De Anda, Luke Iverson, and Jayden Smith loaded the bases with no outs for the middle part of the UVU lineup. Mason Strong lifted a fly ball to center that allowed a run to score from first to put Utah Valley up 1-0. They loaded bases for the second time in the inning when Brody Block worked a walk, but the inning ended on a strikeout.
 
Utah Valley looked to extend their lead in the fourth inning, getting two base runners on base with less than two outs, but USF Gabriel Berrett held them scoreless in the inning. The Dons answered in the home half and plated a pair of runs to go up 2-1.
 
Corbin Kirk made the start for the Wolverines and finished with 3 2/3 innings on six hits and two strikeouts. He gave way to Littledike, who tossed 3 1/3 innings to set a new career-high with his longest outing of the season, with two hits and one run while recording four strikeouts.
 
Herman pitched the eighth inning and recorded two strikeouts. The combination of Littledike and Herman limited USF to just two hits after the fifth inning.
 
Utah Valley had the tying runs on base in both the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth, Nate Bach was hit by a pitch before CJ Colyer was walked before the first of two inning-ending double plays. In the seventh, Jayden Smith singled, and Landon Frei worked a walk before the misfortune ended the inning.
 
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The regular season concludes on Friday, May 16, with a 2:00 p.m. MT / 1:00 p.m. PT start from Benedetti Diamond for the third game between the Wolverines and Dons. The game can be seen on ESPN+.