SURPRISE, Ariz. – Runs in the eighth and ninth innings broke a 5-5 tie and lifted the Utah baseball team to a 7-5 win over Nebraska on Friday evening.
Utah took several leads throughout the game but each time Nebraska was able to pull even for the tie. With the score tied at 5-5 after each team scored two runs in the seventh, the Utes took the win with a single run in the eighth and an insurance run in the top of the ninth.
Every Utah starter had a hit, led by a 4-for-4, three-RBI performance by Hunter Simmons, and five players each had multiple hits on the night. DaShawn Keirsey, Jr., and Josh Rose also had RBI.
Dylan Drachler shut down Nebraska for the final two innings, allowing one hit and earning the save. Tanner Thomas pitched one inning and allowed one hit through the seventh and picked up the victory. Jayson Rose pitched 4 2/3 innings in the start, allowing three runs on six hits with six strikeouts and seven walks. Josh Tedeschi pitched 1 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on three hits with three strikeouts.
In the eighth inning with the game tied at 5-5, Chandler Anderson led off the inning with a single and Kyle Hoffman walked to put two on for DaShawn Keirsey Jr. Keirsey hit a single to score Anderson and give the Utes a 6-5 lead. Oliver Dunn walked to reload the bases with one out, but Dallas Carroll hit a ground ball that the shortstop made a great play on for a double play to get Nebraska out of the inning.
Utah’s ninth inning insurance run came when Simmons singled and Josh Rose walked, leading to an RBI single by Zach Moeller.
Before the late inning fireworks, each team scored a run in the first inning. Dunn hit a one-out single and Carroll followed with a single. Simmons walked to load the bases and Josh Rose hit a bloop single that the outfielder couldn’t quite make a diving catch on for Utah’s first run of the game. The Utes left the bases loaded after a strikeout and fly out.
Nebraska came right back in the bottom of the inning with a run to tie it at 1-1. A leadoff single and two-out walk culminated in a run on an RBI single. The Huskers would strand the bases loaded for the first time in the game as a popup ended it.
Utah took a 3-1 lead with two runs in the third. Dunn led off the inning with a single and Carroll hit a single deep to the shortstop and Dunn moved to third on the play following a throwing error after the fielder attempted to make a play on the ball. Simmons hit a single down the left field line to score a run while Carroll scored on a ground out.
Jayson Rose got out of jams in both the third and fourth innings, forcing Nebraska into leaving the bases loaded and getting big strikeouts each inning to end the threat.
Nebraska tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth inning, rallying with two outs. A two-out single and walk led to a two-RBI double to tie the game before Tedeschi got a strikeout to end the inning.
Utah stranded two on in the sixth before retaking the lead in the top of the seventh inning. Hoffman singled to lead off the inning and Carroll was intentionally walked with two outs. Simmons came through with the big hit with a two-RBI single to give Utah a 5-3 lead.
Nebraska rallied back in the bottom of the seventh. A pair of leadoff singles put two runners on and although the Utes got two ground outs, a long at bat led to a two-RBI double, tying the game at 5-5 before the late Utah rally.
Utah returns to the field on Saturday night, facing Ohio State for the second time in the tournament at 7:30 p.m. MT. The Utes beat the Buckeyes 12-0 in their first meeting on Thursday.
