SALT LAKE CITY – Senior center fielder
Kai Roberts homered, doubled and had two singles as part of a 4-for-5 night to lead Utah at the plate, but No. 17-ranked Arizona had a five-run fifth and a three-spot in the sixth that the Utes were unable to erase as the visiting Wildcats took the series rubber game, 10-4, on Sunday night at Smith's Ballpark.
Roberts had an opposite-field homer on the first pitch when he led off the bottom of the first inning, going yard for the seventh time this season. Then in the second inning, he smacked a two-out, RBI double before adding singles in both the fourth and sixth. It was Roberts' 23
rd multi-hit game of the season and third with four or more hits.
Drake Digiorno and
TJ Clarkson each had two hits while
Karson Bodily and
Landon Frei each drove in a run.
Matt Flaharty added his fourth double of the season.
Starting pitcher
Colter McAnelly (5-3) cruised through the first 4.2 innings before the Arizona bats heated up. McAnelly worked 1-2-3 innings in both the first and fourth, also facing the minimum in the second inning when he surrendered a leadoff single but followed with a pop up and double play. He finished with four strikeouts.
Randon Hostert,
Michael Alan Stanford and
Brett Porthan came on in relief, which saw Porthan strike out the side in order in the eighth. Returning to game action,
Payton Riske entered in the ninth inning and had a strikeout among his outing.
After Roberts' double scored
Hunter Antillon in the second inning, the Utes crossed another run in the fifth. Clarkson laced a one-out single, took second on a wild pitch and scored when Frei put a base hit into center field.
Then in the sixth, Utah plated what proved to be its final run when Bodily beat out a would-be inning-ending double play ball. Bodily was originally ruled out, but Utah challenged the call and it was overturned after a lengthy video review.
Bruer Webster had been running home from third and scored upon the outcome of the challenge.
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Utah will play its regular season home finale on Tuesday when in-state foe Utah Tech visits Smith's Ballpark for a 4 p.m. game.
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