Utah Baseball Drops Season Opener

Friday, February 2

Santa Clara, Calif.

7:00 PM

University of Utah

0-1

Santa Clara

2-2

Utah Utes

Santa Clara Broncos

2/3/2007 12:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Feb. 3, 2007

Box Score

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - The University of Utah baseball team dropped its season opener Friday night. The Utes fell 8-0 to Santa Clara at Schott Stadium. Utah (0-1) was in the game for the first six innings, trailing just 3-0. But a four-run seventh inning put the game on ice for Santa Clara (2-2).

Utah threatened in the top of the first. Nick Lowery legged out an infield single and moved to third on a stolen base and a base hit from Bret Baldwin. But the Utes couldn't push the run across.

Santa Clara grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning. However, Utah starter Chad Cullers did get out of the inning with the bases loaded and only allowed one run.

Utah had scoring chances in the third and the fifth. In the third, Lowery was thrown out at the plate, trying to score on a Jay Brossman single. In the fifth, Nate Burnham led off with a double down the left-field line. But he was then picked off, taking a runner out of scoring position.

Santa Clara added a run in the fifth, scoring an unearned run off Ute reliever Kerr Foster. SCU took a 3-0 lead in the sixth on a hit, a wild pitch and an error. Then the flood gates opened in the seventh. Four runs came across on hour hits, a walk and an error. Foster was responsible for two of the runs, while reliever Andrew Wilding gave up the other two.

The Broncos added another unearned run in the eighth to account for the final score.

Cullers (0-1) suffered the loss. He allowed one run in four innings of work, while notching two strikeouts. Matt Wickswat (1-1) took the victory for Santa Clara. He struck out 10 in 6 1/3 innings.

Utah had seven hits and four errors. Santa Clara rapped out 13 hits and also committed four errors.

Game two of the series is set for Saturay afternoon. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. PST.

-UU-