SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah baseball team swept a doubleheader against Sacramento State on Saturday, winning game one, 13-7 and game two, 7-6.
Oliver Dunn provided most of the highlights on the day at the plate, going 4-for-6 with a triple in game one and 3-for-4 with four RBI, a home run and a triple in game two to lead the Utes in both games. Utah had a season-high 20 hits in the first game and 12 in the second.
In game one, Utah scored runs in each of the first five innings, including a five-run fourth inning in the victory. Austin Moore earned the win on the mound after allowing one run and two hits over the final five innings pitched.
Utah rallied from an early 2-0 deficit in game two with five runs in the third inning. The Utes led by as many as four runs (7-3) before Sacramento State rallied for three runs in the late innings to cut Utah’s lead to just a run. Jacob Rebar, who earned the save after pitching the final 1 2/3 innings, forced the Hornets into leaving four runners on base in the final two frames. Justin Kelly picked up the win after pitching 4 1/3 innings.
Utah continues at home on Tuesday, March 27, against UNLV at 2:00 p.m. MT, for a non-conference game before facing national leader Oregon State for a three-game series beginning on Thursday, March 29.
Game 1
Utah took a quick 2-0 lead in the game after Dunn led off the bottom of the first with a triple and beat out a rundown on an infield ground ball from Matt Richardson to score. DaShawn Keirsey, Jr. and Rykker Tom both singled to send in another run. Utah added a run in the second after hits from Chris Rowen and Dunn and a sacrifice fly from Richardson.
Sacramento State got on the board in the top of the third off two, two-out hits, and Utah rallied back for three runs on four hits in the bottom of the third. Shea Kramer had an RBI double in the inning and Rowan hit an RBI single, giving Utah a 6-1 lead.
Utah broke the game open with a five-run fourth for an 11-1 lead. Six players had hits in the inning for the Utes. Sacramento State rallied back with a five-run inning of its own on six hits, including a two-run home run. Moore entered with no outs and two runners on base, getting a round out, caught stealing and strikeout to get the Utes out of the inning with an 11-6 lead.
The Utes increased their lead in the bottom of the fifth after a two-RBI triple from Braden DeBenedictis for a 13-6 lead.
Moore was solid on the mound the remainder of the way, allowing just one run in the top of the ninth and only two total hits over his five innings.
In addition to Dunn’s four hits, Tom and DeBenedictis each had three hits. Richardson and Debenedictis had three RBI and Kramer drove in two runs.
Game 2
Sacramento State scored an unearned run in the first inning after three errors by Utah, and took a 2-0 lead in the third after a hit batter and back-to-back hits, before Utah roared back with a five-run third inning for a 5-2 lead. After two hit batters, Dunn drove both in with a triple to left center. He would score on a ground out. Keirsey doubled and scored on Tom’s single to center field with another run scoring on an RBI single from Erick Migueles.
The Hornets put up a run in the top of the fourth with a leadoff walk scoring on a double. Utah increased its lead to 7-3 after Dunn hit a two-run home run in the fifth.
Sacramento State battled at the plate in the late innings, with a two-run home run in the seventh and three-straight one-out singles in the top of the eighth adding a run to cut Utah’s lead to 7-6. Rebar entered and got a strikeout and ground out, forcing the Hornets into leaving two on base. Sacramento State led off the ninth with a double and had two on after a hit batter with two outs before a ground out back to the pitcher ended the game.
