Friday, April 22
Los Angeles, CA
7:00 PM
University of Utah
22-14-1, 8-8
11
at
3
USC
18-17, 4-12
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | 0 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 15 | 3 |
| USC | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
Sox Deals Complete Game in 11-3 Series-Opening Win at USC
4/23/2022 12:08 AM | Baseball
Anderson, Cop and Kiernan each had three-plus hits
LOS ANGELES – Right-handed ace Matthew Sox dealt his first collegiate complete game and the Utes broke the game open with a six-run fourth inning, as Utah earned an 11-3 win over USC to open the three-game series at Dedeaux Field on Friday night.
Sox (3-2), who faced the minimum through three innings, allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and just one walk, striking out four on the night. He went down as the first Ute to go the distance in a game since the 2017 season. Sox was incredibly efficient with his pitch count, sitting at 80 pitches after seven innings and capping the night at 106 with 71 strikes.
Eight players had a hit for Utah (22-14-1, 8-8 Pac-12), with three different Utes contributing three-plus hits. Catcher Davis Cop tied his career-high with four hits on the night, designated hitter Jayden Kiernan hit his first career home run during a three-hit night and third baseman Chase Anderson also had three hits. Kiernan tied his career-high with four RBI, three coming on the homer. Anderson, playing on his birthday, also scored twice in the ballgame.
The visitors got on the board with a run in the second inning, as Kiernan hustled all the way from first base when Alex Baeza placed a double to right center field, rolling to the wall.
Mere inches separated the Utes from back-to-back home runs in the third inning. Second baseman Landon Frei drew a leadoff four-pitch walk, ahead of a well-hit ball off the bat of Anderson. It appeared headed out of Dedeaux Field, but USC center fielder Rhylan Thomas leaped and reached over the wall in right-center to rob Anderson of the home run.
On the next pitch, however, left fielder TJ Clarkson got the last laugh with a two-run homer to nearly the exact same spot as Anderson, off the light tower in right-center field. Clarkson now has 11 home runs on the season, the most by a Utah player since C.J. Cron clubbed 15 during the 2011 season.
Utah would take a 9-0 lead with a six-spot in the fourth inning, all with two outs--a common theme of the ballclub lately. Frei put a first-pitch double into the gap in right center to plate a pair of runs, then he scored when Anderson poked a single through the left side. After Clarkson was hit by the first pitch, Kiernan clubbed a no-doubter off the batter's eye in straightaway center field for a three-run home run and a 9-0 Utes lead.
A pair of runs went back to USC in the bottom of the fourth on singles by Tyresse Turner and Garret Guillemette.
In the sixth inning, Utah moved the score to 10-2 on an infield single by Kiernan which brought Anderson to the plate. The Trojans got one back in the bottom of the eighth, when a pickoff attempt got away at first base and was compounded by a second error on the play.
Leadoff man and right fielder Kai Roberts extended his hitting streak to eight straight games in the ninth inning, clubbing a solo homer to straightaway center field and bringing the ballgame to its final score of 11-3. For Roberts, it was his third home run of the season.
As a team, the Utes had 13-plus hits for the fourth time in the last five games, and fourth straight contest against Pac-12 Conference teams.
Utah and the Trojans will continue their three-game series on Saturday, April 23 beginning at 6 p.m. MT. The game will be televised in its entirety on Pac-12 Mountain as well as joined in progress on Pac-12 Los Angeles.
Follow Utah baseball on social media (@utahbaseball).
Sox (3-2), who faced the minimum through three innings, allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and just one walk, striking out four on the night. He went down as the first Ute to go the distance in a game since the 2017 season. Sox was incredibly efficient with his pitch count, sitting at 80 pitches after seven innings and capping the night at 106 with 71 strikes.
Eight players had a hit for Utah (22-14-1, 8-8 Pac-12), with three different Utes contributing three-plus hits. Catcher Davis Cop tied his career-high with four hits on the night, designated hitter Jayden Kiernan hit his first career home run during a three-hit night and third baseman Chase Anderson also had three hits. Kiernan tied his career-high with four RBI, three coming on the homer. Anderson, playing on his birthday, also scored twice in the ballgame.
The visitors got on the board with a run in the second inning, as Kiernan hustled all the way from first base when Alex Baeza placed a double to right center field, rolling to the wall.
Mere inches separated the Utes from back-to-back home runs in the third inning. Second baseman Landon Frei drew a leadoff four-pitch walk, ahead of a well-hit ball off the bat of Anderson. It appeared headed out of Dedeaux Field, but USC center fielder Rhylan Thomas leaped and reached over the wall in right-center to rob Anderson of the home run.
On the next pitch, however, left fielder TJ Clarkson got the last laugh with a two-run homer to nearly the exact same spot as Anderson, off the light tower in right-center field. Clarkson now has 11 home runs on the season, the most by a Utah player since C.J. Cron clubbed 15 during the 2011 season.
Utah would take a 9-0 lead with a six-spot in the fourth inning, all with two outs--a common theme of the ballclub lately. Frei put a first-pitch double into the gap in right center to plate a pair of runs, then he scored when Anderson poked a single through the left side. After Clarkson was hit by the first pitch, Kiernan clubbed a no-doubter off the batter's eye in straightaway center field for a three-run home run and a 9-0 Utes lead.
A pair of runs went back to USC in the bottom of the fourth on singles by Tyresse Turner and Garret Guillemette.
In the sixth inning, Utah moved the score to 10-2 on an infield single by Kiernan which brought Anderson to the plate. The Trojans got one back in the bottom of the eighth, when a pickoff attempt got away at first base and was compounded by a second error on the play.
Leadoff man and right fielder Kai Roberts extended his hitting streak to eight straight games in the ninth inning, clubbing a solo homer to straightaway center field and bringing the ballgame to its final score of 11-3. For Roberts, it was his third home run of the season.
As a team, the Utes had 13-plus hits for the fourth time in the last five games, and fourth straight contest against Pac-12 Conference teams.
Utah and the Trojans will continue their three-game series on Saturday, April 23 beginning at 6 p.m. MT. The game will be televised in its entirety on Pac-12 Mountain as well as joined in progress on Pac-12 Los Angeles.
Follow Utah baseball on social media (@utahbaseball).
Players Mentioned
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Pitching:
W: Sox, Matthew (3-2)
L: Esqueda, Isaac (1-2)
Batting:
2B: Frei, Landon 1 ; Anderson, Chase 1 ; Baeza, Alex 1
HR: Roberts, Kai 1 ; Clarkson, TJ 1 ; Kiernan, Jayden 1
RBI: Roberts, Kai 1 ; Frei, Landon 2 ; Anderson, Chase 1 ; Clarkson, TJ 2 ; Kiernan, Jayden 4 ; Baeza, Alex 1
SH: Duffalo, Dakota 1 ; Singer, Gabe 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Roberts, Kai 1 ; Frei, Landon 2 ; Anderson, Chase 2 ; Clarkson, TJ 2 ; Kiernan, Jayden 2 ; Cop, Davis 1 ; Duffalo, Dakota 1
HBP: Clarkson, TJ 1 ; Duffalo, Dakota 1
Batting:
2B: Thomas, Rhylan 1
RBI: Turner, Tyresse 1 ; Guillemette, Garret 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Thomas, Rhylan 1 ; Smith, D'Andre 1 ; Turner, Tyresse 1
SB: Turner, Tyresse 1
PO: Lozano, Tyler 1
Game Leaders
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