The Utah baseball team lost a close game to No. 18-ranked Arizona State on April 12, despite mounting a dramatic comeback in the ninth inning at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Utah scored eight runs in the final inning to take a brief lead, but Arizona State responded with two runs of their own for a walk-off 14-13 victory, evening up the series.
The result leaves Utah (17-14, 6-8 Big 12) with one more chance to win the series in Sunday’s rubber match. The Utes’ rally was sparked by Jake Long’s solo home run—his eighth of the season—and included six hits and three two-out runs as they overcame a seven-run deficit. During the inning, Utah batters were down to their last strike five times before taking a one-run lead.
Key contributions came from several players: Luke Jacobs homered for his fifth time this year and extended his leadoff success; Jet Gilliam went three-for-five with three runs scored and now has a ten-game hitting streak; Cal Miller recorded three hits including an RBI double and his first collegiate stolen base. Miller also notched his fifth three-hit game of his freshman campaign.
Arizona State tied the score at 13 on PJ Moutzouridis’ solo home run in the bottom of the ninth before loading the bases and delivering a single through left field for the win. Six pitchers appeared for Utah during the contest, with Payton Riske starting and Ryan Kittredge providing three scoreless innings out of relief. Ian Lenius took the loss.
The teams will play again Sunday afternoon at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time (1 p.m. local time). Fans can follow updates via @utahbaseball or by visiting www.UtahUtes.com.
