SALT LAKE CITY – Utah baseball found itself in another pitching duel on Saturday in the Kleberg Bank College Classic, but after getting a win on Friday, the Utes dropped their Saturday game 3-2 against Missouri.
Utah pitchers
David Watson and
Ian MacIver combined to only give up seven hits against the Tigers. Watson had a career day striking out nine batters, but the Tigers scratched out three runs against them and that proved to be enough.
Missouri scored its first two runs in the second inning on a couple of home runs. Utah battled back in the fourth and fifth innings to tie it up.
Zack Moeller got the fourth started with a single and advanced to second after
Rykker Tom drew a walk. With Moeller in scoring position,
Vinny Zavolta singled to left field getting him across the plate for the Utes first run.
In the fifth,
Tyler Thompson got things going with a double and then advanced to third on a wild pitch. With two outs,
Jayden Kiernan singled to score Thompson and tie the game at 2.
In the sixth inning, Missouri manufactured a run with a fly ball to go back out in front 3-2. From there, the Utes had trouble getting anything going. Zavolta got on base and advanced to second on a wild pitch in the top of the ninth, but Utah couldn't get him home to tie up the score.
Thompson and Zavolta both went 2-3 in the game. Kiernan and Zavolta each had one RBI.
Watson ended up pitching six innings and only allowed six hits while striking out nine. MacIver only allowed one hit over the final two innings.
Utah has one more game in Corpus Christi, Texas in the Kleberg Bank College Classic against Kansas State. First pitch will be at 10 a.m. MT on Sunday.