Upcoming Event: Baseball versus Vanderbilt on October 10, 2025 at 4 p.m.
4 p.m.
Baseball
vs Vanderbilt
Friday, April 26
Salt Lake City, UT
6:00 PM
University of Utah
27-13, 12-7
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UCLA
13-26, 6-16
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UCLA
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Utah
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Photo by: Sophia Kuder/Utah Athletics
Roberts’ Single Lifts Utes over UCLA in 12 Innings
4/27/2024 12:07 AM | Baseball
Utes reach most wins since 2017 after 3-2 victory opens series
SALT LAKE CITY – Kai Roberts lofted a single into center field, allowing Hunter Antillon to trot home from third base and give the Utah Baseball team a 3-2 win over UCLA in 12 innings on Friday night at Smith's Ballpark.
It was a rainy night, but the Utes powered through on the way to their fifth win in the last seven games—improving the squad to 27-13 on the season (12-7 Pac-12). Both the overall and conference-only win totals for the team are the most since 2017.
Antillon set the stage for the heroics with a one-out double to the gap in left-center field. A well-placed sac bunt from Bruer Webster moved Antillon to third base, before Core Jackson was awarded first base on a hit-by-pitch. Roberts then stepped into the box, took a strike and lifted the 0-1 pitch into center field to secure the series-opening victory.
Roberts also scored the tying run in the eighth inning to level the score at two-all. Drake Digiorno was retired by strikeout with two away, but a passed ball not only allowed Digiorno to reach first base; Roberts sprinted to the plate from third.
The Utes were kept in position for the walk-off, thanks in part to a fantastic pitching performance by the duo of Bryson Van Sickle and Randon Hostert. Van Sickle went 7.1 innings in his start, allowing two runs on seven hits, just one walk and posting four strikeouts.
Then Hostert (5-3) came on for the final 4.2 innings, matching his season-long outing and allowing just a pair of hits. He walked nobody and struck out a season-high six, retiring the final seven batters he faced from the 10th inning onward. It was capped off by Hostert striking out the side in the top of the 12th.
Jackson, Roberts and Antillon each had two hits on the night. Roberts—the Pac-12's leader in stolen bases—also swiped two bags two bring his season total to 27. It tied Roberts for the single-season program record with Casey Child and Scott Pratt, both whom hit that total in 1997.
Though the start of the game was delayed about 20 minutes due to weather, the Utes quickly got on the board during the first inning. Jackson and Roberts led off with back-to-back singles, then Jackson tagged up and took third when Digiorno flew out. Roberts later stole second base, with Jackson coming home on the same play.
The Bruins would erase the Utah lead with a pair of runs in the third, knocking in runs on a AJ Salgado triple and a base hit from Roman Martin.
Van Sickle faced the minimum in the fifth inning and had a 1-2-3 seventh as Utah remained within a run of the Bruins.
A wild eighth inning saw the Utes break through and level the score with a two-out rally. Roberts reached on a fielding error, keeping the inning alive. He then stole second and took third on an errant throw. Now with Digiorno up to bat, the count went full. Though he struck out, the ball snuck through and allowed him to reach first on a passed ball, all while Roberts came home.
Hostert was unfazed by a two-out double for UCLA in the ninth, winning a six-pitch at bat against Salgado with a strikeout. But a 1-2-3 home half sent this game to extra innings—the third straight Utah vs. UCLA game to go into extras.
A 4-6-3 double play brought the top of the 10th to an end after UCLA inked a one-out single. Though Antillon reached second base with one out in the bottom half of the inning, two fly balls ended the threat. Both teams were retired 1-2-3 in the 11th inning, as were the Bruins in the top of the 12th.
Next Up
The Utes are slated to face UCLA on Saturday at Smith's Ballpark for the second game of this Pac-12 Conference series. First pitch will be at 2 p.m. MT.
Buy Your Tickets! | Click Here
Single-game tickets are now on sale for the entirety of Utah's 2024 home schedule at Smith's Ballpark. Season tickets are still available for purchase, but season ticket hats have sold out.
Fans can contact the Utah Athletics Ticket Office via phone with questions at (801) 581-8849.
Follow Utah Baseball
Follow the Utes on social media (@utahbaseball).
It was a rainy night, but the Utes powered through on the way to their fifth win in the last seven games—improving the squad to 27-13 on the season (12-7 Pac-12). Both the overall and conference-only win totals for the team are the most since 2017.
Antillon set the stage for the heroics with a one-out double to the gap in left-center field. A well-placed sac bunt from Bruer Webster moved Antillon to third base, before Core Jackson was awarded first base on a hit-by-pitch. Roberts then stepped into the box, took a strike and lifted the 0-1 pitch into center field to secure the series-opening victory.
Roberts also scored the tying run in the eighth inning to level the score at two-all. Drake Digiorno was retired by strikeout with two away, but a passed ball not only allowed Digiorno to reach first base; Roberts sprinted to the plate from third.
The Utes were kept in position for the walk-off, thanks in part to a fantastic pitching performance by the duo of Bryson Van Sickle and Randon Hostert. Van Sickle went 7.1 innings in his start, allowing two runs on seven hits, just one walk and posting four strikeouts.
Then Hostert (5-3) came on for the final 4.2 innings, matching his season-long outing and allowing just a pair of hits. He walked nobody and struck out a season-high six, retiring the final seven batters he faced from the 10th inning onward. It was capped off by Hostert striking out the side in the top of the 12th.
Jackson, Roberts and Antillon each had two hits on the night. Roberts—the Pac-12's leader in stolen bases—also swiped two bags two bring his season total to 27. It tied Roberts for the single-season program record with Casey Child and Scott Pratt, both whom hit that total in 1997.
Though the start of the game was delayed about 20 minutes due to weather, the Utes quickly got on the board during the first inning. Jackson and Roberts led off with back-to-back singles, then Jackson tagged up and took third when Digiorno flew out. Roberts later stole second base, with Jackson coming home on the same play.
The Bruins would erase the Utah lead with a pair of runs in the third, knocking in runs on a AJ Salgado triple and a base hit from Roman Martin.
Van Sickle faced the minimum in the fifth inning and had a 1-2-3 seventh as Utah remained within a run of the Bruins.
A wild eighth inning saw the Utes break through and level the score with a two-out rally. Roberts reached on a fielding error, keeping the inning alive. He then stole second and took third on an errant throw. Now with Digiorno up to bat, the count went full. Though he struck out, the ball snuck through and allowed him to reach first on a passed ball, all while Roberts came home.
Hostert was unfazed by a two-out double for UCLA in the ninth, winning a six-pitch at bat against Salgado with a strikeout. But a 1-2-3 home half sent this game to extra innings—the third straight Utah vs. UCLA game to go into extras.
A 4-6-3 double play brought the top of the 10th to an end after UCLA inked a one-out single. Though Antillon reached second base with one out in the bottom half of the inning, two fly balls ended the threat. Both teams were retired 1-2-3 in the 11th inning, as were the Bruins in the top of the 12th.
Next Up
The Utes are slated to face UCLA on Saturday at Smith's Ballpark for the second game of this Pac-12 Conference series. First pitch will be at 2 p.m. MT.
Buy Your Tickets! | Click Here
Single-game tickets are now on sale for the entirety of Utah's 2024 home schedule at Smith's Ballpark. Season tickets are still available for purchase, but season ticket hats have sold out.
Fans can contact the Utah Athletics Ticket Office via phone with questions at (801) 581-8849.
Follow Utah Baseball
Follow the Utes on social media (@utahbaseball).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Hostert, Randon (5-3)
L: Ruff, Rashad (2-5)
Batting:
2B: Martin, Roman 1 ; Cholowsky, Roch 1 ; Brennan, Payton 1
3B: Salgado, AJ 1
RBI: Salgado, AJ 1 ; Martin, Roman 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Salgado, AJ 1 ; Dugger, Cashel 1
HBP: Gourson, Duce 1 ; Knight, Malakhi 1 ; Dugger, Cashel 1
Batting:
2B: Jackson, Core 1 ; Antillon, Hunter 1
RBI: Roberts, Kai 1
SH: Webster, Bruer 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Jackson, Core 1 ; Roberts, Kai 1 ; Antillon, Hunter 1
SB: Jackson, Core 1 ; Roberts, Kai 2
HBP: Jackson, Core 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
6
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
5
R
1
H
2
RBI
0
AB
5
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
C
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INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
/ BaseballOF
/ Baseball
LHP
/ Baseball
INF
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