Summary
After two scoreless innings, Utah Valley got on the board first in the bottom of the third on a two-run double to left center by Chipper Beck to take a 2-0 lead.
After Ryker Schow singled to lead off the top of the fourth, Hansen tied the game at 2-2 with a 406-foot home run over the right-field wall, his first of the 2026 season.
The Wolverines retook the lead in the bottom half of the fifth on two walks, a hit batter and a timely two-out double by Mason Strong for a 3-2 advantage.
BYU jumped back on top in the sixth with three runs on two hits for a 5-3 lead. With Ezra McNaughton on third and Tu’alau Wolfgramm on second with just one out, Schow reached on an infield error that allowed both Cougar runners to score. Patrick Graham then walked and Schow later moved over to third on a wild pitch, where he scored on an RBI single up the middle by Hansen.
UVU got a run back in the bottom half of the sixth on a flyball that got lost in the lights and turned into a double, combined with a failed pickoff attempt that ended up in center field allowing the runner to score for a 5-4 score.
The Cougars extended their lead to 8-4 in the seventh with three more runs on two hits and an UVU error. Bryker Hurdsman reached on a fielder’s choice and eventually advanced to third on an error and a wild pitch. After Ryder Robinson and Easton Jones walked, Wolfgramm singled to score Hurdsman and Jones and advance Jones to second. Schow then singled through the left side of the infield for two RBIs and an 8-4 lead.
BYU tacked on two insurance runs in the top of the eighth on a Hurdsman sacrifice fly that scored Graham, who had walked to leadoff the inning, combined with Robinson's infield groundball that scored Hansen, who had walked.
UVU got a solo home run in the bottom half of the eighth for a final score of 10-5.
On a midweek staff day, eight BYU pitchers combined to hold UVU to four earned runs while striking out 12. Tyler Ball got the start and the win going two innings with two strikeouts, while surrendering just one hit. Justis Reiser came on in the ninth to close out the game and picked up his first save of the season.
Up Next
BYU heads back to Texas for a three-game Big 12 series against the Houston Cougars April 9-11 at Schroeder Park. Game one is scheduled for Thursday at 6:35 p.m. CT. All four games will be broadcast live on ESPN+. The games will also be available on the BYU Radio app, BYUradio.org, SiriusXM 143 and 107.9 FM in Utah County with Greg Wrubell providing play-by-play.
