PHOENIX –
Jack Kleveno hit his first home run of the season and
Jake Long went 4-for-6 with a double as the Utah baseball team defeated No. 18-ranked Arizona State by a 10-4 score on Friday night inside Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
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Kleveno hit a two-out, three-run home run in the fifth inning as Utah (17-13, 6-7 Big 12) extended its lead at a crucial point in the game. He walked twice, was hit by a pitch and had a sacrifice bunt on the way to finishing with a career-high four RBIs.
Cal Miller went 3-for-4, walked and scored two runs.
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Cameron Gurney smacked his seventh double of the season, reaching base for the 23
rd straight game. Long has now hit safely in 23 of Utah's last 24 games.
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ASU struck first as Landon Hairston led off the bottom of the first inning with a first-pitch double down the right field line. He took third base on a fly out then scored the game's first run on a sac fly later in the inning.
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Utah answered quickly though with a three-spot in the second inning. Kleveno came up with the bases loaded and worked through a seven-pitch battle for a walk that brought in
Jet Gilliam and evened the score at one. Two batters later, Long went the other way for his second base hit in as many innings, driving in two runs for a 3-1 Utah lead. The Utes never trailed the rest of the night.
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The Utes broke things open with a four-run top of the fifth.
Matt Flaharty put a single into right field that scored Gurney form second base, then Kleveno turned on the first pitch for a three-run homer that sailed 361 feet and over the left field wall, giving Utah a 7-1 lead and chasing the ASU starter from the game.
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ASU got three runs back with a home run from Hairston in the fifth inning. The Sun Devils threatened in the home half of the seventh with two on and one out, but
Zakye Hawkins was in perfect position to snare a line drive up the middle and fire to Gurney at first base for the 4-3 double play to get out of the inning.
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Utah picked up two key insurance runs in the top of the eighth. Gilliam was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, then a four-pitch walk to Miller brought in
Daniel Arambula and pushed the score to 9-4. Then in the ninth, Long doubled to right field on a play that brought Flaharty home from second base.
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Demitri Diamant entered the game in relief of
Colter McAnelly with one out in the fifth inning. Diamant settled in and retired five of his final six batters in a 1.2-inning outing. It set the stage for
Dylan Gazaway (3-2) to come on from the bullpen at seventh inning stretch and deal 2.1 innings of shutout, hit-free ball.
Justin Abercrombie was called upon for the final two outs.
Next Up
Utah and ASU will play the middle game of this series on Saturday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, with first pitch set for 7:30 p.m. MDT (6:30 p.m. in Arizona).
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