BYU baseball improves to 6-2 vs. P5 with 10-3 win over rival Utah

SALT LAKE CITY — Alex Sardina had as good of a view of BYU baseball's offensive showcase in his first start at first base Tuesday against rival Utah: even right next to the on-deck circle.

Cole Gambill went 2 for 4 with a home run and three RBI, and freshman Collin Reuter added a two-run homer to help BYU baseball score early and often en route to a 10-3 win over rival Utah at Smith's Ballpark in Salt Lake City.

Brock Watkins connected on 3 of 4 with a double for the Cougars (9-5), and starting pitcher Bryce Robison scattered two hits over two innings to earn the win for BYU, which pounded out its 10 runs on an efficient 12 hits with four extra-base hits and five walks.

"It's always nice to see that when you're on the on-deck circle," said Sardina, who went 2 for 4 with an RBI triple and a run scored. "I told Cole that 474 in left field was put out for him; he was trying to aim for it."

After spending much of his career as a utility player, Sardina moved to first base for the first time at BYU — and the UNLV transfer made the most of it.

"Alex has been putting great swings on the ball and very competitive at-bats," BYU coach Mike Littlewood told BYU Radio. "He's a guy that we just need to keep in our lineup right now."

The 10 runs allowed are the most by a Utah team in 2022, which was the Utes' best 15-game start to a season since 1981 and included wins in seven of its previous nine games — and two of three from Washington in a Pac-12 series opener.

But that was forgotten as the Cougars evened the series at 13-13 since Littlewood arrived in Provo in 2013. The same offense that topped Loyola Marymount, Fresno State, San Diego State, UNLV and CSU Bakersfield in nonconference games mustered just seven hits and was held scoreless until the eighth inning.

Turns out, BYU is pretty good, too. The Cougars took an 11-3 record in Tuesday's midweek rivalry opener, which will continue April 19 in Salt Lake City, with wins over Ohio State, Arizona State, Milwaukee and No. 6 Oklahoma State most recently.

"It was nice to see that we could compete against the No. 6 team in the country," Sardina said. "We're not that far off from them."

BYU made itself at home early, plating three in the top of the second, including freshman Reuter's two-run homer to go up early. Gambill added two more with a home run over the fence in left-center field an inning later.

Hayden Leatham smacked a two-run single up the left side during a three-run fourth, and the pitching trio of Robison, Jake Porter and Ayden Callahan held the Utes to just three hits through the fifth inning.

Gambill turned an awkward hit into an RBI single to left field to cap a two-run sixth, and the Cougars did damage in four of the first six innings before salting away the last three with a 10-0 lead through defense and pitching.

Landon Frei scored the first run of the game for the Utes with bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the eighth. On the next at-bat, Davis Cop drove in two with a double to center field, but was caught trying to advance to third for the final out of the inning.

Frei, the former Snow Canyon standout, went 2 for 3 to lead the Utes (11-4-1), and Chase Anderson also went 2 for 3 at the plate.

"I look at this every time we play Utah as the most important game we play. But league's pretty important, too," Littlewood said. "It's going to be a challenge up on their field, but we're ready to go."

Next up

BYU opens West Coast Conference play Thursday through Saturday at Portland. The Utes return to Pac-12 play Friday through Sunday at Oregon.

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