OREM, Utah – Hunter Katschke finished 3-for-5 with a home run and a season-high four RBI as all nine starters for Utah Valley recorded hits in a 14-4 victory over Northern Colorado on Sunday. The Wolverines (7-6) scored in every inning on their way to 14 hits in the game. UNC (2-17) was led by Zeke Minic, who finished 2-for-4.
 
The Wolverines' Luke Iverson led off with a single to right field as they plated two runs in the first inning. After he stole second base, Kaden Carpenter knocked him home on a double to left field to put UVU up 1-0. Chipper Beck made it 2-0 with a sac fly down the right-field line to bring home Carpenter, who reached third on a stolen base.
 
Katschke finished with all three hits going for extra bases, including a double to left field to begin the second inning. He moved to third on a passed ball. Jayden Smith recorded his first RBI of the day with a fly ball deep enough to score the runner and make it 3-0.
 
The Wolverines continued to bring runners home from third base with less than two outs, including in the third inning with Mason Hamlin and Carpenter in scoring position. One run scored on a balk by the UNC starting pitcher, and Brody Block extended the lead to 5-0 on a sacrifice fly to right field that scored Carpenter, who finished with a career-high four runs scored while reaching base four times.
 
Utah Valley starting pitcher Garrett Miller (3-0) earned the win in his second career start and logged 5 2/3 innings of work, holding the Bears' offense hitless for the first 3 1/3 innings. Miller kept the no-hitter intact with a defensive play on a chopper in the fourth inning, recovering behind the mound and firing to first just in time to get the runner. Minic broke up the no-hitter with a single through the middle with one out in the fourth.
 
The bottom of the UVU order kept the offense going in the fourth inning after Northern Colorado went to Asher Clark. Smith reached on a leadoff single and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Massey then doubled the other way to right-center to increase the Wolverine advantage to 6-0.
 
Utah Valley scored seven runs combined in the fifth and sixth innings to push the game out of reach. The Wolverines got the first two hitters on base in the fifth with a single by Carpenter, and Beck became one of five batters hit by a pitch in the game. With one out in the inning, Katschke hit a no-doubter to left field that left his bat at 112 mph and traveled more than 430 feet to make it 9-0. It was his team-leading fifth home run of the season, with eight of his 12 hits this season going for extra bases.
 
Utah Valley answered in the bottom of the sixth after the Bears scored four runs in the top half of the inning. Hamlin and Carpenter reached base and quickly moved to the corners with no outs when the next three hitters delivered hard contact to bring home runs. Beck started the rally with an RBI single. He finished the day scoring a career-high three runs for UVU.  Block followed with a double to right field, and Katschke added an RBI double to give UVU a 13-4 advantage. The Wolverines finished the game with five doubles as a team.
 
Jacob Beltran relieved Miller and finished with 1 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen while holding UNC without a run on 21 pitches. The Wolverines continued to work deep counts against the Bears' staff. In the seventh inning, Beck and Block drew walks before Smith loaded the bases. The game-ending run came home on a base hit from Derek Houston.
 
UP NEXT
The Wolverines secured the series win on Sunday and will have a chance to win four out of five when the teams play the finale on Monday, March 9. First pitch is scheduled for 12:05 p.m. MT from UCCU Ballpark. UVU will then host Colorado Mesa on Wednesday afternoon before welcoming Cincinnati to Orem early next week.