OREM, Utah — Utah Valley used an eight-run second inning to defeat UC Riverside, 13-2 in seven innings Sunday afternoon at UCCU Ballpark. Luke Iverson and Hunter Katschke each hit a home run while recording two hits, and four different players had multi-hit games for UVU (5-6). Ray Hernandez tossed four innings with a career-high five strikeouts to quiet the UCR (3-9) bats early.
 
Hernandez started quickly on the mound by striking out four of the first six hitters he faced to help set an early tone for the Wolverines. The offense picked right back up where it left off Saturday as it tagged UCR for an eight-run second inning that started when it loaded the bases for Jayden Smith, whose single knocked home two runs to put UVU up 2-0. Iverson singled home a run before Mason Hamlin's double to left field added one run to make it 4-0 and force a Highlander pitching change.
 
Kaden Carpenter was intentionally walked twice in the game, with the first coming against Joshua Torres, the first hitter the new UCR hurler faced. Mason Strong extended the lead to 5-0 with a sacrifice fly before Chipper Beck made it 7-0 with a two-run single to center field. During this stretch, the Wolverines took advantage of two fielding errors that allowed runners to advance, including one on Katschke's RBI single in the second to cap the scoring at 8-0.
 
Hernandez was sharp in his first start of the 2026 season and only got into trouble in the third when UCR scored its lone run on a double hit directly down the left-field line by Esteban Sepulveda. The UVU senior earned his first win of the season, going four innings and allowing three hits. His day ended with a three-up, three-down inning and a strikeout.
 
Iverson hit his third homer of the season on a solo shot in the sixth inning for the 26th of his career. He is now tied for sixth all time in UVU's Division I history with Nate Bach (2022–25). UVU's Division I record is 34, hit by Dan Bulow.
 
Katschke homered in the sixth inning for his third big fly of the season. It was his first hit at home and his first since his two-homer game at Pacific on opening night. Later in the inning, Smith was hit by a pitch and DJ Massey singled to put two runners on base before Hamlin delivered a single to left field that scored a run on a misplayed ball by the UCR left fielder. Leading 12-2, Carpenter doubled to left-center to make it 13-2.
 
The UVU bullpen pitched well, with Chance Wallace throwing one inning and allowing one hit while striking out two. Freshman Josh Mawhinney made his home debut, going one inning and allowing one hit but no runs, and Jacob Beltran pitched the seventh and held UCR scoreless.
 
UP NEXT
Utah Valley returns to UCCU Ballpark next weekend for a five-game series against Northern Colorado. UVU swept the Bears in a five-game matchup last season in Greeley, Colorado.