Utah Baseball Picks Up Third Consecutive Win

Saturday, February 26

Los Angeles, Calif.

1:00 PM

University of Utah

3-6

Loyola Marymount

2-5

Utah Utes

Loyola Marymount

2/26/2005 12:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Feb. 26, 2005

Final Stats

LOS ANGELES, Calif. -- The University of Utah baseball team picked up its third consecutive victory Saturday afternoon, defeating Loyola Marymount 8-4 at Page Stadium. The eight-run output was Utah's highest run total of the young season.

The Utes took an early 2-0 lead, scoring single runs in the second and third innings. Doug Beck scored on a wild pitch in the second, after reaching on a single. Ryder Olsen singled in the third and later scored on a John Welsh double to left field.

LMU took the lead 3-2 in the top of the fourth. The Lions knocked Utah starter Chad Cullers out of the game with a three-run inning. The big blow was a two-run double from Josh Bradbury. Utah tied the contest at 3-3 in the bottom of the inning, when Ryan Khoury reached on an error and later scored.

LMU quickly regained the advantage in the bottom of the fifth. A.J. LaMonda led off with a solo home run off Utah reliever Bryce Freed. That homer gave Loyola Marymount a 4-3 edge. But that was the only run Freed would allow. Freed and Brian Lane held the Lions at bay for the remainder of the contest, allowing the Utes an opportunity to come back.

"We really pieced together a good pitching performance again today," Utah head coach Bill Kinneberg said. "Lane came on in the seventh and did a tremendous job of keeping us in the game and then holding the lead."

Utah seized that opportunity in the seventh, tying the game at 4-4. Khoury doubled to left field and later scored on a wild pitch. The Utes took the lead for good in the eighth with a three-run outburst. Joe Mozeleski singled and later scored on a Welsh single. Tyler Kmetko came around on Khoury's second double of the day to make it 6-4. Welsh added the Utes' seventh run on an error later in the eighth.

Utah added an insurance run in the ninth. Olsen singled and was lifted for pinch-runner Seth Tartler. Kmetko later doubled to plate Tartler with the eighth run of the contest for the Utes.

"We did a nice job of scoring when we had the oppotunities," Kinneberg said. "We beat a very good pitcher today. We've definitely gotten better in the last two weeks."

Mozeleski was 3-for-5 at the plate with a run scored, while Khoury was 2-for-6 with two doubles, two runs scored and one RBI. Welsh was 2-for-5 with two RBIs and a run scored. Brian Lane (2-1) picked up the victory for Utah going 2 1/3 innings, striking out five and walking just one. He did not allow a run. LMU reliever Blake Feaser (1-2) took the loss. Lions' starter Stephen Kahn allowed four runs in 6 2/3 innings of work.

The third and final game of the series is slated for Sunday at 1 p.m. PST.

-UU-