Beltran goes 4-for-4 in the conference win.
May 9, 2008
USAFA, Colo. - The University of Utah baseball team broke a scoreless tie in the sixth inning in tallying the 5-2 conference win over the United States Air Force Academy this afternoon.
The Utes (18-24 overall, 6-12 Mountain West) benefited from back-to-back RBI doubles in posting a three-run sixth. Michael Beltran hit a two-out RBI double to make it 1-0, and that was followed by Fred Ferguson's two-RBI double. Utah led 3-0 after the sixth.
"It was a good game this afternoon," said head coach Bill Kinneberg. "It was a tight game, and I don't think we played very well. But Air Force had a lot to do with that."
A two-RBI single by AFA's Vai Schierholtz in the seventh trimmed the Utah lead down to one, 3-2. But, Austin Jones plated all the insurance Utah needed in the eighth. He hit a two-run homer to lift Utah to the three-run win.
Stephen Fife got the nod on the mound today, and he went eight innings in tallying the victory. He allowed two runs, eight hits and one walk. He struck out 12 Air Force batters. It's the second time this season he's fanned that many in a game, and it ties the school's single-game record.
Robert Chimpky came on in the ninth inning to tally his fifth save of the year. He fanned two of the three batters faced in preserving the Utah victory.
The Utes finished with the 13-9 edge in hits this afternoon. Beltran was on fire with the bat. He went 4-for-4 at the plate, tallying one RBI and scoring a run. The freshman shortstop had two of the team's five doubles today. Beltran tallied the RBI double in the sixth, and he smacked a double again in the eighth.
"Michael Beltran has swung the bat well for us," said Kinneberg. "Today, he waited for good pitches, and he made something happen with them."
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The Falcons (16-29, 2-16 MWC), who saw five of their nine hits come in the last three innings, were led by the 3-for-4 effort of Josh Meents. Schierholtz led the home team in plating both of its RBI. Pitcher Alex Truesdale takes the loss for AFA. He went seven innings, allowing 11 hits and five earned runs.
The same two teams will battle in a doubleheader tomorrow afternoon. The first game, a seven-inning make-up from the March 30 rainout here in Salt Lake City, will start at 11 p.m.
"We have two tough, but important, games tomorrow," said Kinneberg. "The forecast is windy and a bit cold, but we have to be ready to come out and play hard against this Air Force squad."
