Utah Baseball Defeats Ohio State, 6-4

Saturday, February 25

Surprise, Ariz.

7:30 PM

University of Utah

5-1

Ohio State

3-4

Utah

Ohio State

Photo by: Abbie Lofgren

2/26/2017 12:02 AM | Baseball

Box Score

SURPRISE, Ariz. – The Utah baseball team staved off a late Ohio State rally for a 6-4 victory on Saturday evening to remain undefeated in the Pac-12/Big 10 Challenge.

Utah (5-1) scored runs in the first, fourth, fifth and seventh innings and had runners on base in every inning. The Utes led 6-1 before Ohio State added runs in the seventh and eighth innings to cut the lead to 6-4. All four of Ohio State's runs were unearned, taking advantage of five Utah errors on the night.

At the plate, six different players each had two hits – DaShawn Keirsey, Jr., Dallas Carroll, Hunter Simmons, Chandler Anderson, Alex Isola and Ellis Kelly. Isola drove in two runs to lead the Utes.

Riley Ottesen pitched six innings with four strikeouts, allowing three hits, a run and two walks, earning his first win of the year. Trenton Stoltz pitched one inning, allowing one hit and an unearned run with a strikeout. Chase Bauerle pitched 2/3 of an inning with a strikeout while Dylan Drachler entered in the eighth and threw 1 1/3 innings with a strikeout for his second save of the season.

Utah got on the board quickly in the first inning. Keirsey reached on a throwing error to lead off the game and scored on a Carroll single to left field. Simmons also had an RBI single to put Utah up 2-0.

Nebraska took advantage of a leadoff single and a throwing error in the bottom of the first to score a run on a sacrifice fly, cutting Utah's lead to 2-1.

The Utes stranded runners on in the second and third before increasing their lead in the fourth. Anderson and Isola led off the inning with back-to-back doubles for a run while Keirsey also had an RBI single in the inning, giving Utah a 4-1 advantage.

Utah continued to pull ahead with a run in the fifth for a 5-1 lead. Josh Rose walked to lead off the inning and scored on an Isola's second RBI hit of the game. Utah took a 6-1 lead in the seventh after pinch hitter Conner McNally singled to lead off the inning and Anderson walked to put two on. Following a sac bunt from Isola, Ellis Kelly singled in an insurance run for the Utes.

Ohio State got a run back in the seventh, taking advantage of a wild pitch and throwing error following a leadoff double to cut the Utah lead to 6-2, and continued to cut into the lead in the eighth, taking advantage of three Utah errors while recording three hits for two runs to trail 6-4.

Utah concludes the Pac-12/Big 10 Challenge with Nebraska on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 1:00 p.m. The game will be held at field 6 of the Royals spring training complex.