SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah baseball team fell 12-2 to the UCF Knights on Friday night in an eight-inning game on Charlie Monfort Field at America First Ballpark.
Jake Long went 2-for-4 and extended his hitting streak to 10 straight games, while
Jet Gilliam singled and drove in a run, reaching base for the 16
th consecutive contest.
Cal Miller hit his fifth homer of the season as well.
Utah got
Luke Jacobs to third base in the bottom of the first inning, after Jacobs led off the frame with a line-drive single. He moved into scoring position on Long's base hit and took third on a ground ball in the infield. But a double play ended the threat and the game remained scoreless.
The Knights got on the scoreboard first with a home run from JD Rogers at the top of the second. Utes' starting pitcher
Colter McAnelly responded and recorded two strikeouts to close out the inning. McAnelly then worked around a two-out walk in the third inning to keep the Utes within a run.
UCF pushed across three runs in the top of the fourth, but Utah responded with a tally in the home half. Back-to-back singles to begin the inning had
Cameron Gurney on third base with nobody out; he would score when Gilliam hit into a fielder's choice. After four innings, Utah looked to claw back from a 4-1 deficit.
But the Knights' bats heated up with a run in the fifth and sixth innings, plus a five-spot in the seventh.
Miller rocketed a 397-foot solo homer run to start the bottom half of the sixth for Utah.
In the top of the eighth, UCF's JD Rogers—who finished with seven RBIs—drove in the game's final run as the series opener went to the Knights.
Next Up
Utah and UCF will play a doubleheader on Saturday, beginning at 2 p.m. MT inside America First Ballpark. The doubleheader was scheduled due to anticipated inclement weather on Sunday.
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