{"id":255314,"date":"2026-04-18T05:09:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-18T05:09:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/255314\/"},"modified":"2026-04-18T05:09:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-18T05:09:11","slug":"utah-back-on-track-with-10-3-victory-over-texas-tech","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/255314\/","title":{"rendered":"Utah Back on Track With 10-3 Victory Over Texas Tech"},"content":{"rendered":"

SALT LAKE CITY \u2013 The Utah baseball team used power hitting and dominant relief pitching to pull away with a 10-3 win over Texas Tech in the series opener on Friday night at America First Ballpark.
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\nIt was the first meeting in baseball between the two programs.
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\nWith Texas Tech holding a 3-2 lead into the middle innings, the Utes (18-15, 7-9 Big 12) seized control with a series of momentum-shifting swings. Cal Miller<\/a> delivered the first big blow in the fifth, launching a two-run homer to right-center field that gave Utah key insurance. The freshman went on to finish 3-for-5 with a career-high tying three RBIs including his third home run of the season.
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\nDaniel Arambula<\/a> and Matt Flaharty<\/a> added 2-for-3 performances, while Jet Gilliam<\/a> clubbed his fifth homer of the season\u2014a three-run shot in the eighth inning.
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\nWhile the offense came through in key moments, Utah’s pitching staff was equally impactful in securing the victory. Demitri Diamant<\/a> (2-0) turned in one of his strongest outings of the season, tossing 3.2 scoreless innings while allowing just two hits and striking out a career-high six batters.
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\nJustin Abercrombie<\/a> came on for the ninth inning in a non-save situation, capping off a combined relief effort that held Texas Tech scoreless over the final six innings. Ryan Kittredge<\/a> made the start with regular Friday night arm Colter McAnelly<\/a> unavailable, going 4.1 innings for the Utes.
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\nUtah got on the board quickly in the first inning, loading the bases with nobody out. Cameron Gurney<\/a> then laced a 1-2 pitch into left field for a single that brought in Luke Jacobs<\/a> with the game’s first run. Jake Long<\/a> would score later in the inning to give the Utes the early 2-0 lead.
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\nKittredge spotted the Red Raiders a one-out single in the second inning but was unfazed and induced a double play to get out of the inning.
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\nTech pulled in front after a three-hit third inning that included a home run for Logan Hughes as the Red Raiders went ahead by a 3-2 score. But Miller quickly leveled the score in the home half of the third with a base hit that brought Arambula home from second base. Two batters later, Flaharty put a single into left field that scored Gurney and gave Utah the lead for the rest of the night.
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\nDiamant came on with one out in the fifth and a runner on first base. He later faced a bases-loaded situation but got out of the jam with a fly ball.
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\nUtah set the stage for Miller’s long ball in the fifth with a leadoff walk for Arambula. Miller would turn on the first pitch he saw and send it 422 feet to right center field for the two-run shot to extend the Utes’ lead to 6-3. Later in the inning and with Gilliam on third base, Derek Smith<\/a> sent a 105-mile per hour rocket to the hot corner that netted an infield single and scored Gilliam for a 7-3 Utah advantage.
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\nDiamant struck out the side in the seventh, unfazed by a leadoff double. He was given even more insurance in the bottom of the eighth on Gilliam’s big fly, a three-run shot on the heels of Gurney being hit by a pitch plus an infield pop up for Miller that landed behind the mound for a single.
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\nAs the game neared its end, head coach Gary Henderson<\/a> called upon Abercrombie for the ninth inning. He fanned his first batter on three pitches, induced a fly ball and then won a seven-pitch battle for another strikeout and a 1-2-3 inning to wrap up the victory.
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\nNext Up
\nUtah and Texas Tech will play the middle game of this three-game set on Saturday with first pitch at 2 p.m. MT inside America First Ballpark. Fans are encouraged to arrive early as Utah will be holding a special recognition for the 10th anniversary of its 2016 Pac-12 Championship team.
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\nFollow Utah Baseball
\nKeep up with the Utes by following @utahbaseball and by visiting\u00a0www.UtahUtes.com<\/a>. Download the Utah 360 app\u00a0here<\/a>.
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