Utah tied a season-high with 16 hits and took the lead on No. 7 Stanford in the sixth inning, but a seven-run home half of the frame put the Cardinal ahead as the Utes fell in the series finale, 16-8, on Monday afternoon in the series finale at Sunken Diamond.
Utah now turns its focus to a three-game series with conference foe USC, with the series running Friday through Sunday, March 31-April 2. First pitch in the series opener is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT at Smith's Ballpark.
TJ Clarkson (3-for-5) eclipsed 100 career hits during the game, a highlight of four Utah players in the lineup with three-hit performances. It also included Cameron Gurney (3-for-4), Dakota Duffalo (3-for-4) and Bruer Webster (3-for-5) with the hit totals tying season-highs for all four Utes. Clarkson's line extended his team-leading on-base streak to 20 consecutive games.
Starting pitcher Merit Jones received a no-decision, despite exiting the game in line for the win with five-plus innings on the bump. He was responsible for four runs on seven hits and three walks while striking out a pair of Cardinal.
Stanford broke the ice with two runs in the second inning, before Utah got one back in the visiting half of the fourth. Clarkson led off the inning with a base hit to right center field, moved to third on a couple infield grounders, then scored when Gurney snuck a tapper through the left side.
The 2-1 score remained until the fifth inning when the Utes were able to equalize. Webster started the frame with a base hit, moved up when a back-pick skipped down the first base line, then took third base on a Duffalo single. He scored when Landon Frei skied a fly ball to deep right center, plenty deep for Webster to come in on the sacrifice fly and tie the score at two.
In the bottom of the fifth the Cardinal pulled back in front on a sac fly from Braden Montgomery, moving the score to 3-2.
But that lead was short-lived for the home club as Utah sent seven men to bat in the sixth, earning three runs. Kaden Carpenter was hit by a pitch to lead off, then Matt Flaharty sprinted down the line to beat out a bunt single. A wild pitch put the pair in scoring position, setting the stage for Webster's two-run knock into center field. Two batters later, Frei laced a single to center to score Webster and extend the Utes' lead to 5-3.
Stanford used a seven-run sixth and a three-spot in the seventh to put the game away. Utah did post three more runs in the game, via a Carpenter double in the seventh then two more in the eighth following a Cardinal error.
Blake Whiting (0-2) received the loss for Utah.