OREM, UTAH – Abilene Christian put forth a strong effort in a tightly contested battle against Utah Valley to open the series, but ultimately fell short in a 9-7 loss at UCCU Ballpark.
The Wildcats struck first, putting up two runs in the opening inning thanks to an RBI double from Grant Watkins and a sacrifice fly by Maddox Miesse. ACU held the lead until the fifth inning when Utah Valley rallied with a four-run frame to take control.
ACU responded in the seventh with a four-run surge of their own, highlighted by a two-run double from Sam Hardcastle and an RBI triple from Benjamin Greer, briefly reclaiming the lead at 6-4. However, Utah Valley answered in the bottom of the seventh with a five-run outburst, fueled by home runs from Luke Iverson and CJ Colyer, putting the Wolverines ahead for good.
Despite a late push from ACU, including a ninth-inning run, Utah Valley's bullpen secured the win, with Cooper Littledike earning the save. Blaine Palmer, Caden Greanead, and Brady Coe combined in relief, with Coe finishing strong with a scoreless 1.1 innings.
With the loss, ACU drops to 16-11 on the season and 1-3 in WAC play.
The Wildcats continue the series on Saturday, with the first pitch at 4:05 p.m. (CT). Streaming will be available on ESPN+ as well as live stats.
