Baseball Opens Northern Colorado Series With 8-5 Win

OGDEN – The Utah baseball team won the first game of the series against Northern Colorado 8-5 on Saturday night at Lindquist Field in Ogden, Utah.
 
The Utes are playing the Bears in a non-conference series and got off to a good start with the victory. With Brayson Hurdsman getting his first start of the season, he pitched 5.0 innings only giving up two earned runs on one hit. Utah totaled 13 hits on the night with Jaylon McLaughlin leading the way going 3-5 at the plate.
 
Utah got off to a quick start in the first with Kai Roberts hitting his first career home run to left field putting the Utes up 2-0.
 
Northern Colorado responded in the top of the second to tie up the score, but Utah took the lead again in the bottom of the third. To start the inning, McLaughlin got one of his three hits and quickly stole second base. Jayden Kiernan then singled to score McLaughlin to go back up 3-2.
 
Utah added two more runs in the fourth to double up the Bears.
 
Overall, Hurdsman and Justin Kelly kept Northern Colorado off the bases only giving up three hits all night.
 
The Bears did get within one after scoring two runs in the sixth, but Utah answered with one run in the seventh and two more in the eighth. Matt Richardson knocked a two RBI double in the eighth inning to put Utah up 8-4.
 
Kelly locked it down from there earning his first save of the season.
 
Richardson led the team with three RBI going 2-4 on the night. Kiernan and Roberts both had multiple hits in the game as well.
 
Hurdsman's record moved to 2-1 on the season.
 
Utah and Northern Colorado will play the second game of the series on Sunday, May 9 at 4 p.m. Kyle Robiniol will take the mound for Utah.