SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah baseball team couldn't hold an early lead as the Utes fell to No. 12 Arizona State, 8-5, in game two of the series on Friday evening.
Utah had 10 hits on the night with
Oliver Dunn,
Erick Migueles,
Rykker Tom and
Shea Kramer each recording two hits. Dunn drove in two runs for the Utes.
Jacob Rebar pitched six innings in his first start of the season, his longest outing of the year. He surrendered six runs (four earned) on 10 hits with four strikeouts and two walks.
Nick Caviglia made his first career appearance, throwing the final three innings and allowing two runs (one earned) and two hits with two strikeouts and two walks.
The Utes took a quick 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Dunn led off the inning with a single to right field and
Zack Moeller walked leading to Migueles driving in the first run of the game with a single to right field. Kramer also doubled in the inning to score Moeller and put the Utes on top.
Both teams scored a run in the second as a leadoff triple for ASU led to a run in the top of the inning while hits from
Dominic Foscalina and Dunn led to a run for the Utes in the bottom of the frame for a 3-1 lead. Utah increased its lead to 4-1 in the bottom of the third with Migueles leading off the inning reaching third after an error and Tom hitting a sacrifice fly.
Arizona State rallied back in the top of the fourth for three runs on five hits to tie the game at 4-4. The Sun Devils took the lead in the sixth with two unearned runs after two hits, a hit batter and an error and added a pair of insurance runs in the eighth inning for an 8-4 lead.
The Utes had runners on base in all but one inning. Moeller was thrown out at home in the fifth inning trying to score on a double from Tom. ASU turned four double plays on the night. Utah added a run in the ninth to put the final score at 8-5.
Briley Knight walked to lead off the inning and
Chandler Anderson was hit by a pitch which would eventually lead to a sacrifice fly from Dunn.
Utah and Arizona State play game three of the series on Saturday, April 20, at 1:00 p.m.