Utes Swept by BYU, 12-7 and 3-2

Saturday, April 18

Salt Lake City (Spring Mobile Ballpark-formerly Franklin Covey)

5:00 PM

University of Utah

13-21, 3-12

BYU

23-15, 10-5

BYU

Utah

4/18/2009 12:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

SALT LAKE CITY - The Utah baseball team continued its struggles on Saturday afternoon, dropping the first game of a doubleheader to Brigham Young, 12-7, before falling in heartbreaking fashion in game two, 3-2.

With BYU holding a 5-0 lead after three innings, the Utes tied the game with a five run fifth inning. Tyler Yagi scored Utah's first runs of the game with a two RBI double to left field, scoring Corey Shimada and Zach Jones. Nick Kuroczko and C.J. Cron hit back-to-back home runs to add three more to the totals, tying the game at 5-5.

The Cougars added a run in the bottom of the fifth to take the lead before Utah re-tied the game in the top of the seventh off Cron's second home run of the game, a solo shot over the left field fence.

BYU pulled ahead in the seventh and eighth innings, scoring two in the seventh and four in the eighth to take a 12-6 lead.

Austin Jones and pinch hitter Devin Walker looked to create a rally in the ninth inning. Jones doubled to left center and scored on Walker's double to right center before BYU forced Michael Beltran into a ground out to end the game.

Cron went 4-for-5 with two runs scored and two RBI. Kuroczko was 3-for-5 with a pair of RBI, while Shimada and Austin Jones each had a pair of hits.

Utah starter Andrew Wilding went 4.1 innings, allowing five runs. Joe Pond earned his first loss of the season, pitching 2.2 innings.

In game two, Utah held a 2-1 lead going into the ninth before BYU rallied to plate two runs. Andrew Law singled through the right side to score pinch runner Andrew Law to tie the game Sean McNaughton continued the rally with two outs, driving a single through the left side to send Andrew Law in for the winning run.

Although Kuroczko got on base with a hit in the ninth, Jordan Muir retired the Utes to pick up his second save of the series for BYU.

After struggling in the first inning, Jordan Whatcott had a season-high 10 strikeouts over seven innings, allowing just six hits. Greg Krause entered in the eighth and pitched into the ninth and earned the loss for Utah.

Down 1-0 after BYU scored in the first inning, Utah tied the game 1-1 off four straight singles. Austin Jones started the surge with one out, singling to right field. Walker and Gavin Green each hit balls up the middle to load the bases before Beltran singled through the right side to send in Austin Jones.

The Utes took the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning. Shimada led off the inning with a single up the middle. He advanced to second on Yagi's sacrifice bunt and moved to third on a wild pitch when Kuroczko walked. Cron singled up the middle to send in Shimada.

Utah held BYU with a play at the plate in the eighth inning, as Steve Parker was thrown out attempting to score on Michael Bowen's double to the gap in center field. In the bottom of the inning, Green was thrown out at the plate on a ground out after leading off the inning with a triple and the Utes left a pair of runners on base.

Green was 4-for-4 in the contest while Cron and Beltran also had a pair of hits.

The Utes out-hit the Cougars, 27-25, over the two games, but left more runners on base, 22-20.

Both games were worth 1.5 points of the Deseret First Duel rivalry series.

The Utes play at home for five games this week, beginning with a pair of contests against Washington State on Tuesday, April 21 and Wednesday, April 22, before taking on UC Irvine at the end of the week, which is ranked as high as No. 3 in the Baseball America poll.