OREM, Utah – Utah Valley defeated Colorado Mesa, 6-4, on Wednesday afternoon at UCCU Ballpark. Six different Wolverines (10-7) drove in a run in the victory, with the UVU pitching staff limiting the No. 4-ranked Division II team, Colorado Mesa (18-3), to just four runs on the day.
The Mavericks looked to break through in the second inning after a baserunner reached on an error, but Heppner quickly bounced back and forced a double play to end the inning. Colorado Mesa did break through in the top of the third inning with an RBI double from Coby Felix to take a 1-0 lead.
The Wolverines put runners on base in the first and third innings against the CMU pitching staff but left
Mason Hamlin on base in the first.
Luke Iverson was hit by a pitch in the third, but the inning ended after a popup.
Utah Valley tied it up in the fourth inning at 1-1 without recording a hit after
Kaden Carpenter and
Brody Block were hit by pitches, and
Hunter Katschke worked a walk to load the bases. Wil Applegate then worked a bases-loaded walk to even the score. Utah native Bridger Klontz got Massey to fly out to end the inning with the game tied.
UVU's
Maddax Peck came in to relieve starting pitcher
Jacob Heppner, who finished with four innings, allowing two hits with four strikeouts in his first appearance since Nevada. Peck tossed two scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts looking to keep the game tied at one.
Katschke put the Wolverines in front, 2-1, with a solo homer to the deepest part of the ballpark for his sixth homer of the season.
Aaron Rice worked the seventh inning, and with two men on the basepaths, he induced a 4-3 double play to end the inning and the CMU threat.
UVU added insurance runs in the seventh inning, starting with an RBI single from the ninth-place hitter,
DJ Massey, to extend the lead to 3-1. Utah Valley created more pressure on the basepaths after a single from
Luke Iverson that forced the first of four pitching changes in the inning by CMU. Carpenter delivered an RBI single to make it 4-1 UVU before
Mason Strong and Block each brought home runners to extend the lead to 6-1.
The Mavericks pushed across a pair of runs in the eighth to cut the lead to 6-3 and had the tying runs on base in the top of the ninth when
Jacob Beltran recorded back-to-back strikeouts to lift UVU to its fourth consecutive win.
UP NEXT
Utah Valley will host Cincinnati in a two-game series that begins Monday evening at UCCU Ballpark. The first pitch is scheduled for 5:35 p.m. MT, followed by a matinee game Tuesday, March 17, at 11:05 p.m. MT.
