RIVERSIDE, Calif. – The Utah baseball team erupted for a season-high 21 hits and had a pair of six-run innings as the Utes defeated UC Riverside 17-7 on Sunday at the Riverside Sports Complex. The game was called after eight innings.
Utah (10-2) had all nine starters score at least one run.
Core Jackson went 4-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and four runs scored. The performance tied Jackson's career-highs both for hits and runs scored, as well as the most in both categories by a Utah player this season.
Jackson was one of eight Utes to contribute a multi-hit performance on a day that also saw
Kaden Carpenter go 3-for-5 with two RBIs and score twice.
Tyler Quinn scored three runs, while
Jake Long (3),
Austen Roellig and Riverside native
Jack Kleveno each had multiple RBIs. Leadoff man
Matt Flaharty was 2-for-4 and has hit safely in 11 of Utah's 12 games this season.
Utah's 21 hits tied the most this season by a Big 12 team entering today as well. The Utes had seven hits with two outs and put the leadoff hitter aboard in five of eight innings.
Utah batted around in the first inning and opened the scoring with six runs, its most in an opening frame since the 2023 season. After the first three batters reached for the Utes, Carpenter put a single into right field that scored Flaharty and Jackson. Long followed with a single plus a two-base error as both Carpenter and Quinn came home. Then with two away, Kleveno drove in the pair of Long and
Rohne Klein to build the Utes' lead to an early 6-0 margin.
Austen Roellig added an RBI single in the fourth before Jackson doubled in the fifth to score Kleveno. In the meantime, UC Riverside scored once in the third inning and had a four-spot in the fourth as Utah remained ahead 8-5 after five innings of play.
In the top of the seventh, Utah belted out seven more hits and were aided by two errors as seven runs came across the plate for a 14-6 score at stretch time. The visitors pushed three more across in the eighth and the Highlanders answered with one run before the game was called.
With a two-inning relief appearance, left-hander
Mateus Conaway was the winning pitcher in relief of starter
Dillon Fine.
Cameron Nielson contributed 2.2 innings out of the bullpen and
Dylan Gazaway finished off the eighth inning.
Next Up
Just one non-conference weekend remains for the Utes; the team heads out to San Jose State for a three-game series from March 7-9. First pitch in the series opener is set for 4 p.m. MT.
Follow Utah Baseball
Follow Utah baseball on social media (@utahbaseball).