TUCSON, Ariz. – Utah jumped out to an early 3-1 lead, but Arizona posted the next eight runs while mostly keeping the visiting bats at bay as the Utes were defeated 9-5 in the series finale on Sunday at Hi Corbett Field.
Bruer Webster drove in three of Utah's runs--his most as a Ute--thanks to an RBI groundout during the second inning followed up with a two-run single in the eighth.
Davis Cop was 2-for-3 with a double along with knocking in a run, while
Landon Frei also contributed a pair of hits.
Karson Bodily moved up to the two-hole in the batting order and contributed a single, three walks and a run scored.
Jayden Kiernan also drew a pair of free passes to work his on-base streak to 20 consecutive games played, the longest active streak on the team and Kiernan's longest such streak as a Ute.
The Utes erased an early 1-0 deficit with Webster's groundout in the second inning followed up by a pair of runs in the third. Cop poked a single through the right side to score Bodily in the third inning, then
Cameron Gurney put down a safety squeeze that brought Kiernan home for a 3-1 lead.
But the Utah advantage was short-lived with the Wildcats answering on a pair of two-run triples. Then in the fourth, Chase Davis pushed the Arizona lead to 7-3 with a two-run homer that snuck over the left field wall.
In the top of the fifth Utah looked set to chip away after walks to Bodily and
TJ Clarkson to begin the inning. But a strikeout and two fly balls followed to reach the game's halfway point still with a 7-3 score. The Utes again put the leadoff man aboard in the sixth but that would be all for the inning.
Arizona would tack on two more runs in the bottom of the seventh, before Webster cancelled it out with his single through the left side in the eighth to score Cop and
Matt Flaharty.
Cam Day received the starting nod for Utah and received the loss. Five Utes arms saw game action, capped off by
Micah Ashman who surrendered just a hit over the final 2.0 innings of play.
The Utes will return to Salt Lake City this evening and are off on Monday, before returning to game action on Tuesday with a trip down to Utah Tech. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. MT at Bruce Hurst Field in St. George, Utah.
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