University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Friday, March 7
Greeley, Colo.
2 p.m.
University of Northern Colorado
5-8
2
vs
5
Utah Valley
5-8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Utah Valley
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
0
5
9
1
UNC
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
2
6
4
Photo by: Sophia Valencia, UNC Athletics
14K on Opening Day
3/7/2025 7:55:00 PM | Baseball
Murphy Gienger Strikes Out 14 Wolverines in Home Opener
GREELEY, Colo. – Murphy Gienger equaled a school record for strikeouts for Northern Colorado (5-8) in the home opener against Utah Valley at Jackson Field Friday.
Gienger, a grad student from Castle Rock, Colo., tossed 6.1 scoreless innings, earning his first quality start of the season. Of the 26 batters he faced, Gienger fanned 14, including eight looking and allowed just three hits and two base-on-balls.
He retired at least one Wolverine in each frame via strikeout, including three in the first. Gienger added two in the second, one in the third and tied his previous career-high with two in the fourth. He punched out eight at Nevada Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. Gienger continued his charge towards the school mark with two in the fifth, three in the sixth and one in the seventh.
UNC put Gienger in line for the win with solo tallies in the fifth and sixth stanzas.
The Bears manufactured their first run with an infield single and stolen base by Brett Barber. He scampered home when Kai Wagner flipped a 0-2 pitch on the outer half of the plate over the third baseman's head and down the line.
James Wright notched his second hit of the game in the seventh, lacing an RBI single to right, plating Jake Bullard.
Wilbur Berrios relieved Gienger on the mound and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh with a groundball double play. He surrendered one run on one hit and struck out one in 1.0 innings of work.
Utah Valley plated five runs on six hits and one error by the Bears in the top of the eighth. UNC threatened with a single and a walk in the eighth, but a strikeout and fly out thwarted the threat.
Wright registered two hits in four at-bats. Wagner, Craig Kenny, Brandon Sanchez and Barber tallied a knock each.
Jack Tuttle faced the minimum over 1.1 innings, allowing one batter to reach on a hit before being erased on a stolen-base attempt.
UNC and Utah Valley resume the series with two games Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m.
Gienger, a grad student from Castle Rock, Colo., tossed 6.1 scoreless innings, earning his first quality start of the season. Of the 26 batters he faced, Gienger fanned 14, including eight looking and allowed just three hits and two base-on-balls.
He retired at least one Wolverine in each frame via strikeout, including three in the first. Gienger added two in the second, one in the third and tied his previous career-high with two in the fourth. He punched out eight at Nevada Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. Gienger continued his charge towards the school mark with two in the fifth, three in the sixth and one in the seventh.
UNC put Gienger in line for the win with solo tallies in the fifth and sixth stanzas.
The Bears manufactured their first run with an infield single and stolen base by Brett Barber. He scampered home when Kai Wagner flipped a 0-2 pitch on the outer half of the plate over the third baseman's head and down the line.
James Wright notched his second hit of the game in the seventh, lacing an RBI single to right, plating Jake Bullard.
Wilbur Berrios relieved Gienger on the mound and got out of a bases-loaded jam in the seventh with a groundball double play. He surrendered one run on one hit and struck out one in 1.0 innings of work.
Utah Valley plated five runs on six hits and one error by the Bears in the top of the eighth. UNC threatened with a single and a walk in the eighth, but a strikeout and fly out thwarted the threat.
Wright registered two hits in four at-bats. Wagner, Craig Kenny, Brandon Sanchez and Barber tallied a knock each.
Jack Tuttle faced the minimum over 1.1 innings, allowing one batter to reach on a hit before being erased on a stolen-base attempt.
UNC and Utah Valley resume the series with two games Saturday, beginning at 11 a.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Huerta, Alan (2-0)
L: Guest, Luke (1-2)
S: Littledike, Cooper (2)
Batting:
2B: Bach, Nate 1
HR: Frei, Landon 1
RBI: Frei, Landon 2 ; Bach, Nate 1 ; Longo II, Dominic 1 ; Barnhardt, Joseph 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Iverson, Luke 1 ; Frei, Landon 1 ; Block, Brody 1 ; Bach, Nate 1 ; Longo II, Dominic 1
SB: Bach, Nate 1
CS: Cooke, Cougar 1
Batting:
2B: Wright, James 1
RBI: Wagner, Kai 1 ; Wright, James 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bullard, Jake 1 ; Barber, Brett 1
SB: Barber, Brett 1
HBP: Bullard, Jake 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
4
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballC
/ BaseballINF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballC
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