BYU vs. Utah game 3 box score

PROVO, Utah – A six-run fifth inning for Utah doomed BYU baseball in an 8-4 Deseret First Duel loss Tuesday night at Larry H. Miller Field

With the defeat, the Cougars (18-17) fell behind in the season series to the Utes (10-28), 2-1.

Utah scraped one across in the first but left the bases loaded as BYU’s Bo Burrup escaped a jam. The Cougars answered in the bottom half when Nate Favero singled up the middle to plate Daniel Schneemann.

Kendall Motes pitched a scoreless second inning before allowing a run in the third for a 2-1 Utah lead. He impressively fanned three straight in the third with the sacks full to limit the damage. Once again, BYU responded, with Brock Hale coming across on a wild pitch in the third. He walked, stole second and advanced to third on a Favero infield single before scoring.

The Utes hung a crooked number on the Cougars in the fifth, with six runs on six hits, including five doubles.

BYU chipped away in the seventh, pushing across two runs to trail 8-4. Kyle Dean doubled to score David Clawson, then came home on a single into centerfield by Keaton Kringlen.

In all, the Cougars sent eight pitchers to the mound. The last four—Kenny Saenz, Blake Inouye, Jake Suddreth and Drew Zimmerman—combined to pitch 4.1 innings without allowing a run.

The 2,605 in attendance represented the ninth-largest crowd in school history.

Starting Thursday, the Cougars host a three-game series against San Diego.

BYU vs. Utah, San Diego Game Notes

Parity is reflected for BYU baseball this week as it returns to league play following Tuesday’s rubber match when it hosts Utah.

The Cougars, 18-16 overall and 7-8 in the West Coast Conference, are three-and-one-half games out of first place with 12 league games remaining. How BYU emerges from hosting four games this week could jump start a bid to get one of four spots in the league tournament next month.

Utah, now 9-28, is also looking for a rebound, having won two of its last 10 games since evening the series against BYU, 4-3, earlier this month in Salt Lake City. The run differential is tied at 10 apiece in the Deseret Duel baseball standings, with a fourth game scheduled May 8 in Salt Lake City. BYU beat Utah 7-6 in 10 innings last month in Provo.

BYU starting pitcher is Bo Burrup (2-1, 6.84) for Tuesday’s 6 p.m. MDT game in Provo which will be televised live locally over KBYU-TV (channel 11).

The University of San Diego, 18-22 overall and 7-11 in the WCC, is looking to halt a five-game skid in league play following its Tuesday game at UC Irvine. USD and BYU start a three-game series on Thursday and Friday at 6 p.m. The games Thursday and Saturday (1 p.m.) will be televised live by BYUtv.