PROVO, Utah – The Utah baseball team broke a tie in the 13
th inning to beat BYU, 7-6, in an in-state midweek game on Tuesday evening.
Utah broke a 6-6 tie in the top of the 13
th inning.
Alex Isola beat out a one-out infield single and
Dominic Foscalina doubled to put runners in scoring position with two outs.
Chandler Anderson was intentionally walked to load the bases and
Josh Rose drove in the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly to right field.
Although BYU hit a two-out infield single in the bottom of the 13th, the next batter ended it with a ground ball to first base, which
Hunter Simmons handled easily for the final out of the game.
Utah was led at the plate by Simmons and Anderson, who had three hits each. Anderson drove in three runs (which included a two-run home run) while Rose had two RBI.
On the mound,
Tanner Thomas pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings in relief in the victory, allowing three hits and two walks with three strikeouts.
Riley Ottesen – usually a weekend starter – entered in the 13
th for the final three outs of the game and the save.
Chase Bauerle pitched three innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on five hits with two strikeouts.
Jacob Rebar threw 1 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on one hit with three walks and three strikeouts.
Trenton Stoltz threw 2 1/3 innings, allowing just two hits.
Utah got on the board in the second inning with Simmons leading off the inning with a double and Anderson hit his first home run of the year to give the Utes a 2-0 lead.
A pair of hits and an error put BYU on the board for a run in the bottom of the second, and the Cougars took a 3-2 lead on a solo home run in the bottom of the third.
The Utes pulled back ahead in the fourth inning with three runs on five hits. Simmons singled to lead off the inning and
Zack Moeller followed with a double to center. Simmons scored on
Wade Gulden's ground out, and Anderson beat out an infield single to put runners at the corners. Rose followed with an RBI single and
DaShawn Keirsey, Jr., also hit an RBI single in the inning to put the Utes up 5-3.
BYU had a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth to cut Utah's lead to a run and took advantage of three walks and a pair of hits for two runs to take a 6-5 lead in the fifth.
Utah tied the game in the seventh inning at 6-6.
Kyle Hoffman led off the inning with a single and three hit batters –
Dallas Carroll, Foscalina and Anderson – brought home a run for the Utes.
Utah put runners on in the eighth, ninth, 10th, 11
th and 12th innings but couldn't rally to take the lead. BYU stranded two on in the 11
th and left the bases loaded in the 12
th after rallying with two outs. Utah left 17 runners on base throughout the game while BYU stranded 11.
Utah returns to Pac-12 play on Saturday, May 13, at 11:30 a.m. MT, beginning a three-game series hosting USC.