University of Utah
19-24-1, 8-16-1
Oregon State
31-14, 14-11
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utah | 0 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 16 | 1 |
| Oregon State | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 15 | 2 |
Cop and Roberts’ Homers Power Utah Past No. 15 Oregon State, 13-9
5/6/2023 12:37 AM | Baseball
Five straight wins for Utes; Ashman’s ninth save matched the most by a Ute since 2016
Eight different Utes had a hit, with Cop and Landon Frei contributing three apiece toward Utah's 16 total hits as a team. Cop's solo shot on the first pitch of the sixth inning was his ninth home run of the season and coincidentally was his 100th hit at Utah.
The bullpen is also owed credit; Jaden Harris picked up the win after a three-inning outing, then Zac McCleve dealt 1.1 innings setting the stage for Micah Ashman to close out the final 1.2 innings with a pair of strikeouts.
Ashman earned his Pac-12-leading ninth save, which is the most by a Utah pitcher since 2016 and ties him for second-most in recorded program history (Tyler Wagner holds the program record with 12 during the 2011 season).
Utah made quick work in the second inning to erase an early 4-0 deficit; it came on four hits including three doubles. Landon Frei moved Cameron Gurney into scoring position with a slow roller down the third base line that bumped the bag for a single, then Matt Flaharty laced a double that scored Frei and Gurney. Back-to-back doubles off the bats of Roberts and Cop then drove in a pair of runs to bring the score all-square at four after just an inning and a half of play.
OSU took a 6-4 lead after three, but in the top of the fourth Utah swung momentum back its way with a six-spot and its first lead of the ballgame. A walk and a single turned the lineup back over to Roberts, who drilled the first pitch over the bleachers in right-center field for his second long ball of the year. Later, Jayden Kiernan put a single through the left side that saw Cop hustle around from second base, before Utah jumped on a Beavers error for two more runs and a 10-6 score.
Cop turned on the first pitch of the sixth and left no question that it was leaving the ballpark; the Beavers' left fielder did not even move. As the inning went on, TJ Clarkson scored on a ground ball Bruer Webster worked a bases-loaded walk to bring Karson Bodily to the plate.
McCleve faced a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh with the tying run at the plate. He induced a grounder to Matt Flaharty at shortstop, who tagged second base and fired to first for a clutch inning-ending double play.
Ashman relieved McCleve with one out in the eighth and fanned the next two batters to get out of the frame. Then in the ninth, he and the Utah defense sat down Oregon State in order to secure the series-opening victory.
Utah will duel with the Beavers again on Saturday in a 2:35 p.m. MT game at Goss Stadium.
Follow Utah baseball on social media (@utahbaseball).
Players Mentioned
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Harris, Jaden (2-3)
L: Sellers, Trent (6-4)
S: Ashman, Micah (9)
Batting:
2B: Roberts, Kai 1 ; Cop, Davis 1 ; Flaharty, Matt 1
HR: Roberts, Kai 1 ; Cop, Davis 1
RBI: Roberts, Kai 4 ; Cop, Davis 2 ; Kiernan, Jayden 1 ; Bodily, Karson 1 ; Gurney, Cameron 1 ; Flaharty, Matt 2 ; Webster, Bruer 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Roberts, Kai 2 ; Cop, Davis 2 ; Clarkson, TJ 2 ; Kiernan, Jayden 1 ; Bodily, Karson 1 ; Gurney, Cameron 1 ; Frei, Landon 2 ; Flaharty, Matt 1 ; Webster, Bruer 1
CS: Webster, Bruer 1
HBP: Gurney, Cameron 2
Batting:
2B: Guerra, Mason 1 ; Kasper, Brady 1
HR: Guerra, Mason 1
RBI: Bazzana, Travis 1 ; McDowell, Micah 1 ; Guerra, Mason 3 ; Turley, Gavin 2 ; Smith, Tanner 2
SH: Kasper, Brady 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bazzana, Travis 2 ; Forrester, Garret 1 ; McDowell, Micah 1 ; Guerra, Mason 2 ; Kasper, Brady 2 ; Macias, Dallas 1
SB: Bazzana, Travis 2
HBP: Macias, Dallas 1
PO: McDowell, Micah 1
