Utah Valley University lost a close game to Stanford University on March 21, with the Cardinal scoring late in the ninth inning to secure a 4-3 victory. The Wolverines, now at an even 10-10 record, led for most of the game before Stanford (8-12) mounted a comeback in the final frame.
The matchup was marked by strong pitching from Jacob Heppner, who tied his career high by throwing seven innings. Derek Houston hit his first career home run for Utah Valley, while Hunter Katschke added his eighth homer of the season.
Heppner worked out of early trouble in the first inning and kept Stanford scoreless until the fourth. Utah Valley took advantage of defensive errors by Stanford in the second inning to score their first run. Mason Strong singled and later scored after two errors allowed him to advance around the bases.
Houston extended UVU’s lead with a solo home run in the seventh inning, but Stanford responded with a sacrifice fly from Ethan Hott. Katschke then hit a long home run in the eighth to make it 3-1 for Utah Valley. However, Rintaro Sasaki homered for Stanford in their half of the eighth, narrowing UVU’s lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, Eric Jeon and Luke Lavin hit back-to-back doubles for Stanford to tie the game. Sasaki then singled home Lavin for a walk-off win.
Utah Valley and Stanford are scheduled to play a doubleheader on Sunday, March 22, followed by another game on Monday afternoon.
