Roberts’ Walk-Off Single Gives Utes 8-7 Win Over BYU

Tuesday, April 19

Salt Lake City, UT

6:00 PM

University of Utah

21-14-1

Brigham Young

20-14

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
BYU	0	5	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	7	7	1
Utah	1	0	3	1	0	2	0	0	1	8	8	3

Photo by: Bayleigh Schroeder

Roberts’ Walk-Off Single Gives Utes 8-7 Win Over BYU

4/20/2022 12:14 AM | Baseball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Ashman strikes out three in final two innings; Utes have won three straight games

SALT LAKE CITY – Kai Roberts sent the first pitch the other way, poking a single through the left side to bring Davis Cop home from second base and giving the Utah baseball team an 8-7 walk-off win over BYU on Tuesday night at Smith's Ballpark. It's the third straight victory for the Utes and fourth in the last five games.

Roberts, the in-state product from Lehi, capped a resilient comeback effort for the Utes (21-14-1), who trailed by a 5-1 score after two innings of play.

Tied 7-7 heading into the bottom of the ninth, Cop led off the frame with a four-pitch walk, moved into scoring position on shortstop Gabe Singer's sacrifice bunt back to the mound, then scored on Roberts' single. Cop had to hustle down the third base line and eventually slid in at home around the tag of BYU catcher Collin Reuter.

Lefty Micah Ashman (2-0) pitched the final two innings of the ballgame and recorded three strikeouts. A pair of errors in the field gave BYU their only baserunners under Ashman's watch.

Designated hitter Jayden Kiernan had a two-run double among his pair of hits and three RBI, and six-hole hitter and first baseman Alex Baeza logged both a single and a double. Roberts walked three times and scored twice.

Left fielder TJ Clarkson reached base safely for the 34^th straight game—a career-long for Clarkson and the second-longest active streak in the Pac-12.

Utah pulled ahead right off the bat, plating a run in the bottom of the first inning. Roberts, the leadoff man in the lineup, walked and advanced up to second base on an error. Third baseman Chase Anderson battled through seven pitches for a free pass of his own before Clarkson sent a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Roberts for the 1-0 Utes lead.

The lead was short-lived though as the Cougars put up a five-spot in the top of the second inning. BYU sent eight batters to the plate and tallied four hits, including a three-run homer for Brock Watkins to give the visitors a 5-1 lead.

Not deterred, the Utes chipped away at the deficit with three runs in the third inning and all with two outs. Second baseman Landon Frei drew a walk earlier in the frame, then Clarkson worked another four-pitch walk ahead of Kiernan's double to left center field. Both Clarkson and Frei scored on the play. Next up was Baeza, who drove Kiernan home with a single that trickled into right center, leaving the BYU lead at 5-4.

The teams traded runs in the fourth inning. Utah pulled back within one at 6-5 on a bases-loaded walk to Frei that brought center fielder Carter Booth 90 feet home.

In the sixth, the Utes pulled out in front again. Anderson hit a sac fly to bring home Singer with the tying run, then Kiernan drove in Roberts with a single up the middle for the 7-6 lead. But the Cougars leveled the score at seven-all in the following inning.

It was a staff day on the pitcher's mound for Utah, with a particular pattern of youth culminating with Ashman. It was great to see Brady Maylett earn a pair of strikeouts in the sixth inning, followed up by an inning's work for Bransen Kuehl in the seventh.

Utah resumes Pac-12 Conference play on Friday, April 22, heading to Los Angeles to begin a three-game series at USC. First pitch in the opener is slated for 7 p.m. MT.

Follow Utah baseball on social media (@utahbaseball).