SURPRISE, Ariz. Despite being tied late, the Utah baseball team fell to Ohio State, 20-13, in a high-scoring contest in Surprise, Ariz., on Saturday evening.
With the game tied 12-12 going into the ninth inning, Ohio State put up eight runs in the top of the ninth to take the lead. Although Utah scored a run in the bottom of the ninth, there wasn’t enough for a late rally.
Utah (0-6) had 19 hits, led by four hits and two RBI from Wade Gulden, who hit both a double and a triple in the game. DaShawn Keirsey, Jr., and Davis Delorefice had three hits each. Rykker Tom led Utah with three RBI on the night.
The Utes used six pitchers. Tanner Thomas earned the start and allowed five runs on nine hits over 5 1/3 innings pitched with five strikeouts. Making appearances were Josh Lapiana, Austin Moore, Ian MacIver, Trenton Stoltz and Justin Kelly with MacIver officially earning the loss.
Although Utah quickly put up three runs in the top of the first inning, the Utes came back with two of their own in the bottom of the first. Keirsey led off the inning with a double and scored on a sacrifice fly and Gulden’s triple also led to a run on a ground out.
Each team added a run in the second to put Ohio State up 4-3 before Utah took a 6-4 lead with a three-run fourth inning. Delorefice, Christopher Rowan, Jr., and Keirsey all had hits in the inning while an error helped two runs score.
Ohio State came back to re-take the lead with seven runs in the sixth, but the Utes made a rally of their own in the seventh inning with six runs to pull back ahead, 12-11. Tom and Golden both hit two-RBI doubles in the six-run rally for Utah. The Buckeyes tied the game at 12-12 in the top of the eighth with a run scoring on a ground out after two one-out hits and setting up their ninth-inning run.
Oliver Dunn drove in a run in the ninth on a single after two hit batters reached base before a strikeout ended the late threat.
Both teams left 11 runners on base throughout the game.
Utah closes out its series in Arizona with Nebraska on Sunday, Feb. 25, at 1:00 p.m. MT.
