TEMPE, Ariz. – The Utah baseball team opened a three-game series against Arizona State with a 7-4 loss to the Sun Devils on Friday evening.
ASU broke a 4-4 tie with three runs in the bottom of the eighth for the win.
Rykker Tom went 2-for-4 on the night at the plate while Wade Gulden hit a two-run home run for the Utes.
Utah used five pitchers, with starter Josh Tedeschi pitching two innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits with a strikeout. Justin Kelly pitched two scoreless innings with two strikeouts before leaving the game with an injury. Jacob Rebar, who earned the loss, pitched 3 2/3 innings and allowed three runs on three hits with two walks and a strikeout. Trenton Stoltz pitched the final 1/3 of an inning, allowing one hit.
Utah stranded two on base in the first inning, but it was ASU that broke through first with two runs in the bottom of the first, as the Sun Devils left the bases loaded to end the inning. Arizona State also scored two runs on four hits in the second for a 4-0 lead.
The Utes rallied back in the third as Chris Rowan walked to lead off the inning and Keirsey doubled, leading to Rowan scoring on a ground out. Keirsey scored the second run of the inning on a wild pitch.
Davis Delorefice walked to lead off the fourth and set up Gulden’s two-run home run, tying the game at 4-4.
Utah got out of a jam in the fifth, forcing ASU into leaving bases loaded, and both teams kept runners off the bases in the late innings before the Sun Devils broke through in the eighth for the win.
Utah and ASU play game two of the series on Saturday, April 21, at 7:30 p.m. MDT (6:30 p.m. PT/MST).
