The Utah baseball team secured its second consecutive shutout victory, defeating Grand Canyon 1-0 on Saturday at Charlie Monfort Field at America First Ballpark. This marks the first time since March 2008 that Utah has achieved back-to-back shutout wins.
Starting pitcher Payton Riske led the effort with six innings of four-hit pitching, recording two strikeouts and allowing one walk. Relievers Ryan Kittredge and Cameron Nielson finished the game, with Nielson earning his second save of the season.
Utah’s offense produced 10 hits. Cal Miller continued his strong performance with a third straight multi-hit game, going 3-for-4. Daniel Arambula added two hits in four at-bats. The game’s only run came in the third inning when Zakye Hawkins scored on a sacrifice fly by Luke Jacobs.
Defensively, Utah made key plays to preserve the lead. In the fifth inning, with bases loaded and one out, Arambula started a double play to end Grand Canyon’s threat. Kittredge faced a runner on third in the seventh but recorded a strikeout and groundout to maintain the shutout. Cameron Gurney contributed an unassisted double play in the eighth inning.
Grand Canyon had another opportunity in the ninth inning, putting the tying run on base with one out. Nielson responded with a strikeout before batter’s interference ended the game.
Jake Long extended his hitting streak to seven games and has now reached base in nine consecutive contests.
Utah will continue its series against Grand Canyon on Sunday at America First Ballpark, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. Mountain Time.
Fans can follow updates on Utah baseball through @utahbaseball or by visiting www.UtahUtes.com.
