Baseball Falls to Cal, 9-5

SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah baseball team fell in its second game of the series to the Cal Bears 9-5 on Saturday at Smith's Ballpark.
 
Kyle Robeniol got the start and went 7.0 innings and allowed four runs on eight hits. He struck out six batters.
 
Utah outhit Cal 13-12 in the game. Richardson once again led the team going 3-4 and scored two runs as well as having two RBI.
 
Cal once again showed off their power early hitting a two-run home run in the second inning to take a 2-0 lead. The Utes bounced right back by getting on the board in the third inning. Matt Richardson and Vinny Zavolta started the inning with two singles. Richardson advanced to third and Kai Roberts came through with a single to make the score 2-1.
 
The Golden Bears struck again in the fourth with another two-run home run to go up 4-1, but the Utes struck right back. Utah started the inning off by getting the first two runners on base once again. After Tyler Thompson laid down a sacrifice bunt, it advanced the runners to second and third with no outs. Richardson stepped up to the plate and knocked a single to score both runs to bring the score to 4-3.
 
Both teams went scoreless from the fourth inning to the eighth inning. Still holding a one-run lead, Cal struck for three runs in the eighth to get some separation. The Utes tried to respond, but stranded two on base leaving the score 7-3 heading to the eighth.
 
The task of a comeback grew when Cal scored two more runs to stretch their lead to 9-3, but Utah gave it their best shot bringing the tying runner to the plate.
 
Christopher Rowan, Jr. started the inning off with a pinch-hit home run in the ninth. Utah tacked on one more run in with a single from Richardson and a double from Vinny Zavolta to cut Cal's lead to four. After a single from Jayden Kiernan and a walk from Kai Roberts, the bases were loaded bringing Trey Clarkson to the plate. Cal got a strikeout against Clarkson and then ended the game with a double play as Shea Kramer grounded out to third.
 
Overall, the Utes had five players with multiple hits in the game. The first three batters in Utah's order went 6-14 on the day.
 
The loss drops Utah to 4-13 on the season and 1-4 in Pac-12 play.
 
Utah and Cal will play the third game of the series on Sunday with first pitch coming at 11:05 on Pac-12 Network Mountain.