Utah Valley baseball lost to the Cincinnati Bearcats, 11-1, on March 16 at UCCU Ballpark. The Wolverines, now with a record of 10-8, struggled defensively and allowed Cincinnati (16-6) to take advantage of two errors in the first game of the series.
The outcome is significant as it marks a setback for Utah Valley early in their series against a strong opponent. Despite several opportunities with runners in scoring position, the Wolverines were unable to capitalize and mount a comeback.
Starting pitcher Colton Kennedy recorded a season-high eight strikeouts over four innings, moving him past Jed Jensen for seventh all-time on Utah Valley’s strikeout list. Kennedy also became just the seventh pitcher in the program’s Division I era to reach 150 career strikeouts and is now nine behind Jackson Cofer for fifth place. Cooper Littledike provided relief pitching, entering with runners on base and no outs. He struck out Jack Natili and induced two groundouts to escape the inning before ending his outing with another strikeout.
Offensively, Hunter Katschke extended his hitting streak to five games with an eighth-inning single, while Chipper Beck reached base for the 16th consecutive game after singling in the seventh inning. Jayden Smith and DJ Massey contributed by drawing walks during a third-inning rally attempt that ultimately resulted in Utah Valley’s only run from a sacrifice fly by Kaden Carpenter.
Looking ahead, Utah Valley will try to even the series against Cincinnati in Tuesday morning’s finale at UCCU Ballpark. First pitch is scheduled for 11:05 a.m., with coverage available on ESPN+, GoUVU.com radio stream, or local ESPN radio stations.
