SALT LAKE CITY – Utah's
Karson Bodily clubbed his first career home run and added a double, while
Cam Day and
Zac McCleve combined to allow just one hit and a walk over the final four innings as the Utes downed Utah Valley, 10-8, on Monday night at Smith's Ballpark in the front end of a home-and-home.
The teams will rematch on Tuesday night at Utah Valley's UCCU Ballpark, with first pitch coming at 6:05 p.m. MT in Orem, Utah.
Seven different Utes had hits on the night, led by 2-for-3 efforts for Bodily and
TJ Clarkson. Bodily's three RBI were his first as a Ute and
Cameron Gurney drove in a pair with a two-run home run. Bodily also scored three times, a single-game career-high for the freshman.
On the mound, Clarkson earned the start and worked two innings before returning to DH. Fellow left-hander
Ernesto Lugo-Canchola came on for the next three innings and struck out four batters, allowing a run on four hits and a pair of walks.
Day ultimately received the win (3-3), fanning three after coming on to begin the sixth inning. McCleve then entered for the ninth and capped his second save of the season on a game-ending strikeout.
The clubs traded runs over the first three innings, with the Utes taking their first lead in the bottom of the third. After a one-out double by Clarkson, Gurney went opposite field for a two-run homer that landed on the left field berm—his third long ball of the year and narrowing the Utah deficit to 7-6.
Just a hit by pitch to
Dakota Duffalo separated the home club from back-to-back jacks, as Bodily took a 1-1 pitch over the wall in right-center, pushing the Utes ahead by an 8-7 score.
That line would remain until the top of the sixth, when the Wolverines leveled the score at eight on a sac fly. But the Utes answered in the home half with their own sac fly off the bat of
Kai Roberts, scoring Bodily with what proved to be the game-winning run. Bodily gave one a ride with the bases loaded in the seventh, deep enough to score Clarkson on a sac fly.
Day kept strong in the eighth when UVU brought the tying run to the plate, countering with a fly ball and a strikeout to end the inning. Then with McCleve on the bump in the ninth, the Utes turned a double play followed up by a McCleve strikeout to seal the victory.
McCleve is up to 11 saves in his Utah career, which ranks fourth in recorded program history and is one from tying Robert Chimpky (2008-09) for third with 12.
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