Hennis Ties Home Run Record, Utah Tops SUU 23-7 - The Official Athletic Site of the University of Utah

Hennis Ties Home Run Record, Utah Tops SUU 23-7
Utah's home-opener slated for Monday; Home games to be webcast

Dustin Hennis hit three home runs Saturday.

March 10, 2007

Box Score

CEDAR CITY, Utah - University of Utah junior Dustin Hennis tied a school record with three home runs Saturday afternoon against Southern Utah. Hennis drove in seven runs and scored four, leading a Ute offensive onslaught, which eventually ended up in a 23-7 win over Southern Utah at Thunderbird Park.

Hennis accounted for the first run of the game in the top of the second, when he led off with a home run. An RBI single off the bat of catcher Cody Guymon and a pair of unearned runs put Utah (4-12) up 4-0 after two innings. The Utes led 9-0 after the top of the third. Third baseman Jay Brossman singled in front of Hennis' second round-tripper of the day. Guymon later delivered a two-run double and then scored on a two-run dinger off the bat of shortstop Mike Mitchell.

Southern Utah (3-17) got to Ute starter John James for three runs in the bottom of the third to make it 9-3. But Hennis walked and later scored on a balk in the top of the fourth to make it 10-3. A five-run sixth inning made it 15-3. Mitchell delivered an RBI double, right fielder John Welsh had a two-run single and two other runs scored on an error. SUU scored a single run in the bottom of the sixth.

Hennis continued his power display in the seventh. Second baseman Corey Shimada picked up an RBI walk to make it 16-3. With the bases still loaded, Hennis then hammered his third homer of the contest, a grand slam, which put Utah up 20-4. The Thunderbirds tallied two in the seventh to make it 20-6.

T.J. Wise got into the act in the eighth. His three-run, pinch-hit home run - also the first dinger of his Utah career - accounted for Utah's final runs of the contest. Southern Utah added a single run in the bottom of the inning.

All told, Hennis finished the day going 3-for-4 with three home runs, four runs scored and seven RBIs. The last Ute to hit three home runs was Michael Westfall during the 2001 season. Guymon was 3-for-5 with four runs and two runs driven in, while Mitchell was 3-for-6 with four runs and three RBIs.

Bennett Askew (1-0) tossed three innings of relief to pick up his first victory as a Ute. He allowed one run on two hits, while striking out four and walking one.

Utah is scheduled to play its home opener Monday at Franklin Covey Field, hosting Gonzaga in a 2 p.m. contest.

-UU-