OREM, Utah – Mason Gray tossed 6.2-strong innings and both Nick Sims and Josh Brown pitched well down the stretch to help Utah Valley hang on to defeat Dixie State, 5-4, in WAC baseball as part of the Old Hammer Rivalry on Thursday afternoon at UCCU Ballpark. 
 
UVU (13-21, 6-10 WAC) got home runs from Trey Cutchen, Copper Hansen, and Cole Jordan early in the contest to jump out to a quick 5-1 advantage, and the combo of Gray, Sims, and Brown did a nice job on the mound to help the Wolverines pull out the first game of the three-game weekend series over the in-state foe Trailblazers (14-19, 8-8 WAC). 
 
"It was all-around good baseball. To put up five runs in the first game of the series is always tough, and when you can do that, you are going to find yourself in a lot of games in the opening game of a series," head UVU coach Eddie Smith said. "It was also great to see Mason Gray looking strong on the mound for us. I would argue that was his best outing of the year. That is the Mason Gray that we need. He's worked really hard as of late, and it was really cool to see that outing from him today."  
 
With Dixie State up 1-0 after the top of the first, UVU quickly answered with a leadoff single from Mitch Moralez followed by a two-run homer to right from Cutchen to take a 2-1 lead. Cutchen's big fly marked his fourth home run over UVU's last four games. 
 
Following a leadoff walk from Kyle Coburn in the second, Utah Valley then hit out back-to-back jacks with a two-run homer from Hansen followed by a solo shot from Jordan to extend UVU's early advantage to 5-1. 
 
With Utah Valley starter Gray pitching well into the seventh, the Trailblazers then threatened by getting two runners aboard with only one away. Gray then drew a fielder's choice to third, before DSU's Ethan He responded by taking one for the team to load the bases with two outs in the frame. With reliever Nick Sims now on for the Wolverines, Dixie's Shane Taylor then worked a bases loaded walk to drive in a run and Tyson Fisher followed with a two-run double to left center to make it a one-run game at 5-4. With the tying runner on third and the go-ahead runner on second, Sims then got a chopper to third off the bat of Kaden Hollow that UVU third baseman Jordan made a nice play and throw across the diamond to Brandon Luna to just get him at first and preserve the lead for the Wolverines.
 
With Dixie State's Jimmy Borzone pitching well in relief and having given up just one hit and no runs while striking out 10 over 5.1 innings of work, Borzone was then ejected in the seventh for arguing balls and strikes with a 3-1 count on UVU's Luna. Luna then walked on the very next pitch to reach base for the Wolverines, but DSU reliever Ben Hart answered by striking out Moralez to keep it a one-run game. 
 
The Blazers then got a two-out double in the eighth from Matthew Ivancich, but Sims again pitched out of it by striking out Jagun Leavitt to strand the runner on second base.  
 
The UVU closer Brown then came on to pitch the ninth and finished things off by retiring the side in order to record his fourth save of the season. 
 
Gray earned the win to improve to 1-2 on the year while Dixie State's Blake Milne was tagged with the loss to drop to 1-3. Both Sims and Brown didn't surrender a run over the final 2.1 innings for the Wolverines.
 
Cutchen led UVU offensively by going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored, while Jordan went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. DSU was led offensively by Tyler Hollow and his 2-for-4 outing.  
 
The series continues with game two on Friday afternoon at 4:05 p.m. from dōTERRA Field at UCCU Ballpark. The in-state foes will then conclude the weekend series on Saturday at 12:05 p.m.