SALT LAKE CITY (May 13, 2014)—Utah scored three runs in the ninth inning to come from behind Tuesday night for a 5-4 victory over BYU baseball.
The rivalry lived up to its name as the Cougars lost leads of 2-0 and 4-2. BYU fell to 19-31, while Utah improved to 16-30. Due to multiple promotionals, including free admission for children, a line formed around the perimeter of Smith’s Ballpark, attributing to the attendance of 3,800.
“We left too many runners on base (BYU 8, Utah 4),” BYU coach Mike Littlewood said. “It doesn’t matter what the batting average or records are in this rivalry. Usually the team who gets the last at bat is going to win. It’s frustrating this year, I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s the same stuff, just a different day. In the seventh and eighth Hayden (Rogers) was so sharp with all three pitches, but then he started missing.”
The Utes and Cougars split the four-game series, with BYU winning the first two and earning the Deseret First Duel trophy for the baseball series by virtue of a 39-21 run differential.
In the final game of the series, BYU struck first when Kelton Caldwell got a two-out, standup double to left center in the second inning and scored after Jarrett Jarvis battled at the plate, then singled to right field for a 1-0 lead.
When Brennon Lund walked, then advanced to third on Hayden Nielsen’s single to right field, the Cougars looked poised to score again in the third, but Dillon Robinson grounded into a 5-4-3 inning-double play.
Desmond Poulson registered his fourth strikeout swinging to end the third with Utes on second and third base. He followed up ending the fourth with his fifth strikeout, this time called with a runner on first.
Pinch-hitter Eric Urry hit a one-out double to the rightfield corner, where it was misplayed and he advanced to third. Urry then scored on Trace Hansen’s sac-fly for a 2-0 lead.
With one swing on an 0-2 count, Konnor Armijo swatted a two-run, two-out homer to tie the game 2-2 in the sixth.
Errant Ute pitches loaded the bases in the sixth as BYU took a 3-2 lead off Lund’s ground-out before Hayden Rogers relieved Poulson on the mound.
The Cougars tacked on what appeared to be a fourth insurance run in the ninth, leading off with back-to-back doubles by Urry and Hansen.
The Cougars next play Thursday at 3 p.m. PDT, when they start a three-game series in a return to league play at Portland.