Utah Nipped by No. 15 Oregon State in Middle Game, 6-5

Saturday, May 6

Corvallis, OR

2:35 PM

University of Utah

19-25-1, 8-17-1

Oregon State

32-14, 15-11

Utah

Oregon State

Utah Nipped by No. 15 Oregon State in Middle Game, 6-5

5/6/2023 6:54 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Bodily and Roberts each homered; rubber game coming Sunday

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Utah held No. 15 nationally-ranked Oregon State scoreless after the second inning, but the Utes ultimately fell a run short in their comeback effort as the team was defeated 6-5 and the series went even on Saturday at Goss Stadium.

The loss snaps a five-game winning streak for the Utes and sets up a rubber game duel with the Beavers on Sunday at 2:05 p.m. MT.

Karson Bodily had a career-best four RBI on the strength of a three-run home run, plus a fielder's choice that scored a run. The long ball was Bodily's second of the season and Kai Roberts homered for the second time in as many days, bumping his season total to three.

Utah picked up where it left off Friday night with a Bodily's two-out shot. Davis Cop opened the sequence with a ground-rule double that rolled into the left field corner, then TJ Clarkson worked a walk. After a strikeout, Bodily stepped in and clubbed the first pitch to deep right center and dropping in front of the scoreboard.

The Beavers equalized in the home half, using back-to-back singles ahead of a Mason Guerra homer to bring the score even at 3-3. Then in the second frame, Oregon State added another three-spot to pull in front, 6-3.

Roberts led off the top of the third taking the 1-2 pitch to left center field, clanking off the balcony rail just beyond the outfield wall.

The 6-4 score remained in favor of the Beavers until the sixth, when Utah pulled back within one. Clarkson led off with a double, took third on a Jayden Kiernan single and scored when Bodily beat out a would-be double play ball.

From there, though, the Utes were unable to solve Oregon State, being retired in order in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings.

Left-hander Ernesto Lugo-Canchola spun four shutout innings of relief, bridging Utah through the middle innings of the game. Bransen Kuehl dealt the final 2.2 innings with a pair of strikeouts. Starter Merit Jones received the loss.

Follow Utah baseball on social media (@utahbaseball).