Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Utah Valley split a doubleheader Friday with Sacramento State at John Smith Field. The Wolverines (15-18, 1-1) dropped the opener 7-2 but rallied to defeat the Hornets (14-22, 2-3) 11-1 in the nightcap. Jacob Heppner had a career day, recording nine strikeouts to set a new career high and taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning.
 
GAME 1
Chipper Beck finished 3 for 4, while Mason Strong and Mason Hamlin each recorded multi-hit games for the Wolverines in the opener. Sacramento State's Ethan Lay challenged the UVU offense all afternoon and finished with 10 strikeouts in eight innings.
 
The Wolverines had a runner in scoring position in the first inning but could not bring him home. The Hornets scored once in the second on a groundout by Sam Peraazo before adding three runs in the fourth.
 
Utah Valley broke through against Lay in the fifth inning with a two-out rally that started with Kaden Carpenter's single to right field. Strong followed with a double to center to make it 4-1. Beck then added a single on a 1-0 pitch into left field to cut the lead to 4-2. Lay responded after a visit from former Wolverine pitching coach Grant Kukuk and ended the inning with a flyout by Brody Block.
 
Colton Kennedy tossed five innings for the Wolverines and recorded five strikeouts. He continues to climb the program's career strikeout list and now has 164, passing Jackson Cofer (2015-18) for fifth place all-time. Cofer had 161 in his career in Orem.
 
Bradley Gilbert added three innings in relief, allowing just one hit.
 
GAME 2
The Wolverines' offense erupted in the nightcap, scoring 11 runs on 13 hits to back Heppner's career-high nine strikeouts. Heppner pitched 5 2/3 innings and did not allow a baserunner until Jakob Paturnak's double in the fifth.
 
Heppner benefited from early offense as Utah Valley took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Hunter Katschke was hit by a pitch before Carpenter doubled him home to left-center.
 
The Wolverines sent 11 hitters to the plate in the second inning. Derek Houston and Hamlin moved into scoring position on Jimmy De Anda's sacrifice bunt, and DJ Massey walked to load the bases with one out. The first run scored on a grounder to short that was mishandled at third base, giving UVU a 2-0 lead. After Carpenter was hit by a pitch, Sacramento State went to the bullpen. Strong delivered a single to left to make it 4-0, and Block later singled home two runs to extend the lead to 6-0. Houston followed with a single through the left side to score Strong and make it 7-0.
 
Utah Valley added three more runs in the fourth. Houston drove in his second run of the day, scoring Strong, while Hamlin and De Anda also recorded RBIs. De Anda singled to give UVU a 10-0 advantage.
 
Carpenter homered in the fifth inning on a 408-foot shot to right field. Heppner ended the third, fourth, and fifth innings with strikeouts. The Hornets scored their lone run in the fifth after Paturnak doubled and later scored on a single by Brett Ott.
 
Heppner exited in the sixth inning, giving way to Aaron Rice, who stranded the bases loaded when Paturnak flew out to right field. Rice then retired the Hornets in order in the seventh.
 
UP NEXT
The Wolverines and Hornets are scheduled to wrap up the series Saturday, April 11, at 11 a.m. MT (10 a.m. PT). Stay tuned to UVU baseball social media for any schedule changes due to weather.