Clarkson Keys 6-3 Win at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – In one of the more memorable two-way performances in recent program history, TJ Clarkson began Monday's game for Utah as the designated hitter—then earned the win with 2.2 shutout innings of relief pitching—finishing with two home runs at the plate and five RBI as the Utes defeated Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 6-3, at Chapman Field.
 
Utah (4-4) closes its first Texas road trip of the season with a three-game winning streak, including back-to-back victories over the Islanders. The Utes will head home this evening, but will return to Texas this coming weekend for a three-game series at UTSA from Friday through Sunday, March 3-5.
 
Clarkson's (2-for-2) first homer of the game came at a crucial point in the contest, as Utah trailed 2-0 in the sixth inning and looked for an offensive spark. Bruer Webster led off the inning with an infield single, then took second when nobody was covering the bag. He remained there until Clarkson's two-out shot to the Chapman Field scoreboard in right-center field, leveling the score at two.
 
The two-all score remained until the top of the eighth, when back-to-back homers put the Utes in front 6-2. Clarkson again stepped up to bat, this time with two on in Elijha Hammill and Landon Frei. Clarkson turned on the first pitch and landed it almost in the exact same spot. Then Davis Cop stepped into the box and went opposite-field on the 1-0 pitch, sending it over the right field wall. It was Clarkson's third home run of the season, Cop's first and the first back-to-back dingers for the Utes since April 2022 at Utah Valley—and that first-inning sequence included Clarkson on the back end.
 
For everything about Clarkson's five-RBI day, as key in the victory was his effort on the mound. He began the game at the designated hitter spot in the Utah batting order, but headed to the bullpen in the middle innings and took the hill in the fifth in relief of Merit Jones, who made his first collegiate start. Clarkson would go on to allow just two walks and a hit batsman—he didn't surrender a hit—in 2.2 innings with one strikeout. He received the win (1-0) and Micah Ashman came on for his first career save.
 
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi scored the game's first run during the opening inning, taking advantage of an error on a bunt and later taking a 1-0 lead on a groundout. The Islanders doubled the lead in the fourth inning on a wild pitch. The score remained 2-0 for the home club until the Utah string of homers began in the sixth inning.
 
The Islanders got one run back in the bottom of the ninth on a single by Sebastian Trinidad, but a laser throw from Dakota Duffalo in right field to Webster nailed Trinidad trying to stretch it into a double. Ashman came on to replace Zac McCleve at that point, and after an error in the field, Ashman earned two strikeouts to secure the save.
 
Cameron Gurney singled in the game, extending his hitting streak to all five collegiate games he has appeared in. Elijha Hammill reached base safely for his seventh straight contest.
 
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