SALT LAKE CITY – Behind a career-high 11 strikeouts from Riley Ottesen, the Utah baseball team rallied from an early deficit to beat Arizona State, 7-4, and win the series against the Sun Devils.
After falling into an early 3-0 deficit, the Utes scored five runs in the fifth and two runs in the sixth inning en-route to the win.
Ottesen allowed four runs on six hits with three walks over 8 1/3 innings, in addition to his 11 strikeouts. He raises his record to 5-4 on the year. Dylan Drachler and Tanner Thomas each pitched in the ninth to get the final outs, with Thomas striking out the final batter.
At the plate, Chandler Anderson went 2-for-4 with four RBI, with a two-RBI triple to tie the game. Dallas Carroll was 2-for-3 with an RBI, including his third triple of the season.
After ASU took a 3-0 lead in the first inning, Ottesen settled down on the mound to put up zeros as the game continued. Utah broke through in the fifth inning, as Oliver Dunn led off the inning with a single and Josh Rose was hit by a pitch. DaShawn Keirsey hit a shot down the left field line that the third baseman deflected but couldn’t corral, scoring Utah’s first run of the game. Anderson hit a triple to the gap in left center, scoring two runs and tying the game, while Anderson scored on an RBI single from Carroll. Carroll scored with the help of an error after a single from Zack Moeller, giving Utah a 5-3 advantage.
The Utes added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth. Rose walked to lead off the inning and Ellis Kelly reached when an attempted out at second was thrown wide, sending Rose to third. Both runs scored on a single from Anderson, giving Utah a 7-3 lead.
Arizona State rallied in the top of the ninth, putting two on base with a walk and well-placed bloop single. Drachler replaced Ottesen, and following a hit batter and wild pitch to send in a run as well as a pop out, Thomas entered to get a strikeout for the final out of the game.
Utah goes for the series sweep on Sunday, May 28, at 11:30 a.m. MT in the regular-season finale.
