Utes Drop Game Three To Falcons, 9-8

Saturday, May 18

Colorado Springs, Colo.

2:00 PM

University of Utah

32-24, 0

Air Force

27-26, 0

University of Utah

Air Force

5/18/2002 12:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

May 18, 2002

Box Score

U.S.A.F.A., Colo.--Utah dropped game three to Air Force on Saturday, 9-8 at Falcon Field. The loss drops the Utes to 32-24, 16-14 and improves the Falcons to 27-26, 14-15. Since BYU lost in extra innings to New Mexico also on Saturday, Utah will go in as the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament and will face No. 5 UNLV on Wednesday at 3:00 p.m.

The Utes used six pitchers in their final regular game of the season, but unfortunately committed two errors to account for three Falcon runs. Two of the unearned runs came in the bottom of the ninth when Air Force knocked a single with two out to win with a 9-8 score.

Trailing, 7-3, after seven innings of play, Utah rallied for five runs in the top of the eighth to take an 8-7 lead. The five runs came off a two-run double by Mike Westfall and a three-run home run by Jake Jordison. With the lead, Utah brought in reliever Jared Snyder to close out the game. Snyder hit the first batter he faced, but retired the next two. The next batter would reach on a Ute error and eventually steal second. With runners on second and third, Air Force knocked a single to score the tying and winning runs.

For the Utes, Snyder gets the loss, despite allowing no earned runs, to fall to 1-2 on the season. Westfall knocked in two runs off the double and added a single, while scoring twice himself. Nate Weese notched a double and a triple and Jordison had a team-high three RBI off the home run.