The Utah baseball team overcame an eight-run deficit to defeat Kansas State 16-14 in a comeback victory on March 29 at Charlie Monfort Field at America First Ballpark.
The game was significant as the Utes, now with a record of 15-10 overall and 5-4 in Big 12 play, faced a challenging situation after trailing by eight runs early. The comeback marked the largest deficit overcome by Utah since their rally from a nine-run hole against Oregon State in March last year.
Jake Long led the effort for Utah, hitting for the cycle and going five-for-six with two home runs, four RBIs, and three runs scored. Long became only the third player in program history to hit for the cycle. His performance included extending his hitting streak to twenty games—the longest such streak by a Utah player since C.J. Cron’s run in 2011. All nine players in Utah’s lineup had at least one hit during the game.
Utah entered the bottom of the eighth inning trailing by four but managed seven hits that resulted in six runs and gave them their first lead of the game. Zakye Hawkins hit a three-run home run that put Utah ahead for good at 16-14 while fans celebrated.
Dylan Gazaway came out of the bullpen for Utah to close out Kansas State’s final attempts, securing his second save of the season as Ian Culver received credit for the win. Seven different pitchers saw action during this high-scoring contest.
Looking ahead, Utah will take a break from conference play with an upcoming game against Utah Valley on Tuesday evening.
