Utah Valley baseball secured a 5–1 victory against Northern Colorado on March 9, taking the fourth game of its five-game series. The Wolverines improved to a 9-7 record with their second series win of the season, highlighted by key sixth-inning hits from Kaden Carpenter and Mason Strong.
The outcome matters for Utah Valley as it builds momentum early in the season and demonstrates resilience in close games. Both teams’ pitchers started strong, with Ray Hernandez throwing three shutout innings for Utah Valley and Lucas Stone allowing only two hits over four innings for Northern Colorado.
Northern Colorado scored first in the fourth inning after a ground ball play led to an errant throw home, giving them a 1-0 lead. Utah Valley’s offense was quiet until the third inning when DJ Massey singled but was caught stealing. The Bears threatened again in the fifth by loading the bases, but Trey Jacobsen managed to escape without allowing any runs.
In the sixth inning, Cooper Littledike entered with two runners on base and struck out Ethan Fillinger before ending the inning with a flyout, keeping Northern Colorado from extending its lead. In the bottom half of that inning, Hunter Katschke doubled to start a rally. With two outs and bases loaded, Carpenter delivered a single that brought home two runs, putting Utah Valley ahead. Massey later scored on a wild pitch, and Strong added another two-run single to cap off a five-run frame.
Chance Wallace and Aaron Rice combined to finish the ninth inning with two strikeouts, securing the win for Utah Valley. The team will next host Colorado Mesa on Wednesday at UCCU Ballpark before facing Cincinnati in a two-game series starting March 16.
Looking ahead, these results position Utah Valley well as they prepare for upcoming non-conference matchups.
