SALT LAKE CITY – Utah baseball secured its first Big 12 Conference series win over the after taking the rubber game from preseason league favorite Oklahoma State with a 12-3 victory at Smith's Ballpark on Sunday. The Utes are now 13-9 overall with a 2-4 conference record.
Kaden Carpenter went 3-for-4 with an RBI, two doubles and scored once; his 10 doubles this season lead the team.
Core Jackson clubbed an opposite-field homer for his team-leading fourth of the year, while
Derek Smith doubled in the game as well. Carpenter extended his hitting streak to eight straight games while Jackson has now reached base safely in a team-long 17 consecutive contests.
Cameron Nielson made his first collegiate start and worked into the fifth inning, allowing one run on four hits and two walks, while striking out one.
Mateus Conaway and
Lucas Boesen (2-1) came on from the bullpen before
Easton Jones tossed the final four innings to earn his second save of the year.
Jones came on midway through the sixth inning and allowed just a leadoff double in the eighth; otherwise he kept Oklahoma State off the basepaths entirely. The pitching staff all weekend was aided by clean defense, not only going error-free in the series but making some outstanding plays along the way.
Utah took the lead from the jump on Sunday, as the bases were loaded in the first inning from three walks.
Austen Roellig grounded into a fielder's choice to bring in Jackson and put the Utes up 1-0.
In the top of the third inning, the Cowboys loaded the bases, but the Utes shut them down as
Tyler Quinn fielded a grounder and made a quick throw home for a force out. Nielsen then induced a pop-up to the infield as Utah retired the side without any damage.
The two teams went three up, three down in the fourth.
An RBI single in the top of the fifth gave Oklahoma State its first run of the game, after a leadoff double gave the Cowboys a runner in scoring position. However, Roellig quickly took away the momentum as he put away two batters who fouled out to him at third base.
Utah was able to push seven runs across and bat around in the fifth, posting five hits and taking advantage of a Cowboys error. Quinn reached to lead off the inning after a throwing error. He quickly scored when Carpenter sent a double to the gap.
However, the Utes weren't done. With two outs, Smith sent a line drive over the third baseman to bring in
Jake Long and advance
Cameron Gurney to third base, giving Utah a 4-1 edge over the Cowboys.
Santino Panaro was next up and slapped a base hit to bring Gurney across the plate, turning the lineup over.
Matt Flaharty followed with a single to right center as Smith came in with another run.
After working the count full, Jackson went opposite-field on the payoff pitch tucking it just inside the left field foul pole for a three-run home run. It brought in Utah's seventh run of the frame and put the score at 9-1 after five full innings.
Oklahoma State responded in the top of the sixth with a two-run home run, but Jones came on from the bullpen and got three quick outs—thanks again in part to solid defense—to get Utah back to the bats.
The eighth inning brought more action for Utah, seeing hits from Quinn and Carpenter once more. Quinn advanced across the plate after Long's sacrifice fly, and Gurney took one up the middle once more to bring in Utah's last run of the game.
Next Up
The Utes will hit the road to St. George, Utah, to take on Utah Tech for a midweek game on Tuesday at 4 p.m. MT. Then the team will be back home for another conference series against the Arizona State Sun Devils, running from March 28-30 at Smith's Ballpark.
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