Utah scored three runs in the sixth inning Friday night, then held on to stun the visiting Arizona Wildcats 5-4 in Salt Lake City.
The loss drops Arizona (23-16) to 6-10 in conference play; it’s believed that the team needs to finish with a .500 record — or close to it — to make the postseason. The Wildcats have lost four in a row. Utah improved to 11-28 overall and 5-11 in league play.
Arizona led 4-0 through three innings, only to allow two in the fourth and three more in the sixth.
Utah’s DaShawn Keirsey Jr. led off the fourth with a triple and was able to score on the play off of a throwing error, cutting Arizona’s lead to 4-1. Oliver Dunn then walked and stole second. He scored two batters later, and Arizona led by two.
Utah took the lead in the sixth. The Utes loaded the bases win nobody out. Keirsey then scored on a walk to make it 4-3. Chandler Anderson drove home two with a single, giving the Utes a lead they would not relinquish.
Arizona’s Cody Deason pitched six innings, allowing five runs on six hits, walking five and striking out two. Gil Luna and Juan Aguilera each worked a scoreless inning of relief.
UA’s Alfonso Rivas, Cameron Cannon, Cesar Salazar and Donta Williams all had two-hit games in the loss.
