Utes Win Fifth Straight, Double Up USC 10-5

Saturday, April 23

Los Angeles, CA

6:00 PM

University of Utah

23-14-1, 9-8

USC

18-18, 4-13

Utah

USC

4/23/2022 11:25 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Utah has now taken four Pac-12 Conference series this season

LOS ANGELES – Center fielder Dakota Duffalo sparked a five-run fourth inning with a solo home run as the Utah baseball team doubled up USC, 10-5, on Saturday night at Dedeaux Field to secure the series win. It also extended the Utes' winning streak to five straight games and gives Utah (23-14-1, 9-8 Pac-12) its fourth series triumph in conference play this season.

Utah will look for the sweep on Sunday, April 24 in a game slated for a 1 p.m. MT first pitch. Please note, Sunday's game was moved up an hour from the prior start time of 2 p.m. MT.

First baseman Alex Baeza (3-for-5) had a team-leading three hits including an RBI triple, second baseman Landon Frei was 2-for-5 and scored a run, third baseman Chase Anderson was 2-for-4 with a two-run triple and run scored, and Duffalo homered, singled, scored twice and drove in another run with a sacrifice fly.

Utah sent eight batters to the plate in a second inning that saw the Utes score three runs. It marked the third straight game that Utah scored first, and fourth time in the last five contests.

Baeza began the second inning with a single to right field, moved up to second base on a hit by pitch, then was safe at third base when shortstop Matt Richardson dropped a bunt. The throw came to third in an attempt to get the lead man in Baeza, but the throw was errant and the bases were loaded with nobody out. Sacrifice flies by Duffalo and right fielder Kai Roberts scored Baeza and catcher Davis Cop, respectively, then another error allowed Richardson to cross the plate for the 3-0 lead.

Five more runs came in for the Utes in the top of the fourth. Duffalo blasted his third home run of the season over the wall in left-center field to begin the scoring. Then, after two walks and a single, designated hitter Jayden Kiernan dropped a two-out double to the gap in left-center, clearing the bases. He moved to third on a wild pitch and came home on a triple by Baeza, initially a dribbler up the middle that took a huge hop on the outfield lip. It rolled all the way to the wall for Baeza's third triple of the season.

The teams exchanged runs for the next few innings, and for Utah it included a two-run triple off the bat of Anderson in the top of the fifth. It would score Duffalo and Roberts, who had reached earlier via a single and walk, respectively. USC tallied three in its half of the fifth, but that proved to be the final scoring of the night on either side.

Left fielder TJ Clarkson reached base safely for the 36^th consecutive game and Roberts reached safely for the 30^th straight contest. Anderson logged a hit for the seventh straight game as well.

Not to be overshadowed was the effort of the Utah pitching staff. The win went to Zac McCleve (2-1), who entered with two outs in the fifth inning and proceeded to deal 3.2 innings of shutout ball, retiring 10 of the first 11 batters he faced. He remained on the bump into the ninth inning, finishing with a three-hit line, no walks and three strikeouts. Blake Whiting retired both of the final two batters via strikeout to secure the series victory.

Jaden Harris went four-plus innings in the start, and was responsible for three runs on four hits and a pair of walks. He struck out two batters on the night.

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