UVSC pitcher Marcus Moore is no Curt Shilling, but one might think so after what he did to the U baseball team Wednesday night.
The 6-foot-4 senior had the U lineup on lockdown all night, not allowing a single Ute to cross the plate and giving up just four hits. The result was an 8-0 win for the Wolverines in Orem, effectively snapping the Utes’ three-game winning streak.
The last time the two teams met on March 25, the Utes (10-13) had similar struggles against Moore and didn’t score an earned run until the fifth inning. In that game, Utah was able to figure Moore out in time and went on to a 12-6 win.
“Marcus pitched an outstanding game tonight,” Utah head coach Bill Kinneberg said. “He was ready to go against us last week, but we were able to get to him and rough him up a little bit. But tonight, he pitched really well.”
Moore kept the Utes pinned down all game on Wednesday and the Wolverines (5-17-1) escaped with their second win in the last 11 games. Moore finished with nine strikeouts.
Utah didn’t record a hit against Moore until the top of the fifth inning when Austin Jones ripped a single through the middle of the infield.
The Utes’ best chance to score against UVSC came in the top of the sixth inning when they recorded three hits. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Utah’s Jesse Shriner pounded a line drive right at Wolverine third baseman Jace Brinkerhoff. The hit resulted in a double play. After a single from Dustin Hennis, the Utes again had a chance to capitalize with runners in scoring position, but a strikeout ended the inning.
The Utes failed to mount an offensive for the rest of the game and succumbed to the 8-0 defeat.
“I was really disappointed with the team after the sixth inning,” Kinneberg said. “I think that inning took the air out of us, and we still had three at-bats left in the game.”
Meanwhile, UVSC jumped all over Utah starter John James early, scoring three runs on three hits in the bottom of the first inning. James was able to gather himself over the next five innings and keep the Utes within striking distance at 4-0, but U reliever Bennett Askew allowed four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to effectively end the game.
The game was the first of four the two teams will play against each other this week. The next is scheduled for tonight at 6 p.m. at Franklin Covey Field.
Chronicle Sports Photography SquadThe Utes failed to score and connected with only four hits on Wednesday night against UVSC in Orem.