The University of Utah Baseball team made a trip down to St. George to take on the Dixie State Trailblazers in a mid-week game, Tuesday April 6. The game was the second and last matchup in a home-and-home series for Utah and Dixie. The teams last met on March 23 at Smith’s Ballpark where despite a late game rally from the Utes, Dixie State pulled out a 9-7 win. While it was snowing in Salt Lake at game time, in St. George it was 73 and sunny.  

Utah came into the game hot off their first ever win in Corvallis against Oregon State. Randon Hostert got his first start and seventh appearance on the mound this season for Utah. Throwing for three innings, Hostert had five strikeouts and gave up five hits for two runs bringing his season ERA to 5.09. Hostert walked two in the fourth so Matt Sox was called in from the bullpen and quickly retired the next three batters. Sox pitched for three innings, allowing two hits and no runs, striking out four Dixie batters.

Utah wasted no time getting bats rolling at the plate, teeing up on Dixie’s Dillon Holliday. C. Rowan Jr. led off in the second and after taking his first pitch, put the second over the left field wall. Two putouts from the field threatened to end Utah’s momentum but Shea Kramer had other ideas, singling and then advancing to second on a walk. Matt Richardson followed up with a single and an RBI and Chase Fernlund was brought across on a balk. Vinny Zavolta, who has been hot at the plate, singled to bring in one but was left stranded on second when the inning ended, Utah up 4-0. 

Utah added two more runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings to go up 10-2. In the seventh, back-to-back singles from Jayden Kiernan and Kai Roberts put two on the pond for Rowan Jr. who homered for the second time on the night to bring in three before the end of the inning. Utah repeated their performance in the eighth to go up 16-2. Dixie added one in the eighth but came up way short, ending the game with Utah up 16-3 in a statement redemption win.

Utah will stay at home this weekend to host the Washington State University Cougars for the first time in almost two years. The last time the teams met was in May 2019 for a three game series that Utah took 2-1. Wazzou is 13-10 overall but struggling in Pac-12 play with a 2-7 record, most recently winning game three after dropping the first two against Stanford. The Cougs bat for .290, .434 slugging with an on base percentage of .385.

Utah falls just behind WSU in overall stats but has the momentum going into the game after posting 18 hits for 16 runs with a team BA at .409 against Dixie State, all season highs. Before facing Utah, the Cougs will make a stop in Orem on Wednesday, April 7 to play the Utah Valley University Wolverines. The last time the two teams met UVU put on a slugging clinic taking the game 20-13.

The first of a three game series against Washington State will begin on Friday, April 9 at 6 p.m. MST. Game two will take place on Saturday, April 10 at 4 p.m. MST and game three will be on Sunday, April 11 at 1 p.m. MST. All three games will be held at Smiths Ballpark.

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