Utah Wins Rubber Game at BYU

Saturday, May 2

Provo, Utah

1 p.m.

University of Utah

23-19, 11-13

BYU

23-23, 12-12

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Utah	1	0	5	1	0	0	0	1	0	8	14	0
BYU	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	3	8	0

Photo by: Sophia Kuder/Utah Athletics

5/2/2026 5:38 PM | Baseball

Box Score Highlights

Timely hitting and defense keys series victory

PROVO, Utah – The Utah baseball team came away with a rivalry series victory on the road after winning the rubber game at BYU by an 8-3 score on Saturday at Miller Park.

It marks the third straight conference weekend series win for Utah over the Cougars (2011, '25, '26) and first on the road as Power Conference opponents.

Every hitter in the Utah starting lineup reached base safely, led by Cameron Gurney's 4-for-5 day with three RBIs, including a single that knocked in a run during a five-run third inning. Matt Flaharty capped off that five-spot with a two-out, three-run homer—his third of the year.

Jake Long had two doubles as the Utes combined for five as a team. Luke Jacobs, Long, and Jet Gilliam joined Gurney with multi-hit efforts, helping Utah put up 14 total in the rubber game win. Cal Miller extended his on-base streak to 19 straight games, the longest active streak on the team.

Timely hitting was key in the series win, with the Utes (23-19, 11-13 Big 12) boasting a .314 batting average on the weekend with runners in scoring position. Two-out hitting was a carbon copy and saw Utah rack up nine RBIs in two-out situations. And defensively, seven double plays turned by Utah in the series were crucial in keeping momentum in the Utes' dugout. In line with that theme, the Utes had just one error in the field all weekend.

Gurney and Gilliam both hit .538 in the series, combining for three extra-base hits and eight RBIs.

Seth Graham-Pippin made the start on the mound, striking out five Cougars while allowing two runs in 4.2 innings of work. Kaden Soder (3-0) received the win with three innings of one-run relief and punched out three batters as well.

Arambula laced a double down the left field line into the corner that brought the speedy Jake Long to third base. Then Gurney beat the shift with a single up the middle to score Long and give the Utes a 1-0 lead. Utah scored first in all three games in the series.

Though BYU evened the score, the Utes answered quickly with a five-spot in the third inning. Long hit a towering fly ball to deep center field that popped out of the glove of the leaping BYU center fielder, allowing Jacobs to score from first base on Long's double. Two batters later Gurney beat the shift yet again for an RBI single.

Jet Gilliam kept the inning alive with a two-out single, setting up a three-run homer from Flaharty out by the videoboard in right field to give Utah a 6-1 advantage.

The timely hitting continued in the fourth for the Utes when Gurney put a two-out single into left field, bringing in Derek Smith with the Utes' seventh run of the ballgame.

Graham-Pippin struck out the side in the fourth and induced a line drive double play in the fifth before being lifted for Ryan Kittredge. Kittredge inherited a runner at first after a BYU homer, but sent the game to the sixth inning with Utah still ahead 7-2.

BYU threatened in the sixth, getting runners on first and second with just one out. Kaden Soder entered the game and struck out back-to-back pinch hitters to get Utah out of the jam and keep its five-run lead.

The Utah defense came through once again in the seventh inning, pulling a reverse-force 3-6 double play for its seventh twin-killing of the series.

An insurance run came home for the Utes in the eighth to bring the game to its final score. Jacobs worked a two-out walk before Long ripped a pitch down the right field line for an RBI double.

Soder remained in the game into the ninth inning before Justin Abercrombie came on from the bullpen with one out. Abercrombie struck out his first batter before a fly ball to Gilliam in center field locked up the series victory.

Next Up
Utah returns home on Tuesday for a non-conference matchup against Utah Valley. First pitch will be at 6 p.m. MT on Charlie Monfort Field at America First Ballpark.

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