The Utah baseball team lost a high-scoring series opener against Kansas on April 2, with the final score ending at 14-12 in favor of the Jayhawks at Hoglund Ballpark.
The outcome was decided in the bottom of the ninth inning when Kansas hit four home runs, overcoming Utah’s 12-9 lead. Both teams recorded 16 hits and combined for a total of 16 extra-base hits during the game.
Jet Gilliam led Utah’s offense with a career-best performance, going 5-for-5 with two home runs, four RBIs, and four runs scored. Luke Jacobs contributed two doubles and his third home run of the season as part of his first four-hit game for Utah. Matt Flaharty added three hits including a double, driving in one run and scoring twice.
Gilliam became the third consecutive Utah player to have a multi-home run conference game this week, following Jake Long and Derek Smith. Jacobs opened scoring with a solo homer in the first inning, while Gilliam homered in both the second and seventh innings. Blake Eckerle also drove in what was then the go-ahead run during a back-and-forth contest that saw neither team score until after six innings.
Jake Long’s hitting streak ended at 21 games—the longest by any Utah player since 2011. The next matchup between Utah and Kansas is scheduled for Friday morning at 10 a.m. Mountain Time (11 a.m. local time), moved earlier due to expected thunderstorms.
