SALT LAKE CITY (Interstat) — Ryder Robinson went 4 for 4 and drove in two runs, and the BYU bullpen delivered seven scoreless innings before surviving a ninth-inning rally to edge Utah 6-5 in a Big 12 conference game Tuesday night.

The Cougars, who snapped a three-game skid, scored twice in the first inning and never trailed, but needed to withstand a two-run home run by Utah’s Jake Long in the bottom of the ninth to secure the road victory.

BYU improved to 11-12 overall, while Utah fell to 13-9. The result defied the pregame projections from Interstat, which gave the Utes a 55.6% probability to win and simulated a 7-4 Utah victory.

The most critical sequence of the game came in the top of the seventh inning, with BYU clinging to a 3-0 lead built in the first. After a walk to Cooper Wolfgramm and a single by Luke Anderson, both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Robinson then delivered the game’s biggest hit, a two-run single to right field that scored both runners and extended the Cougars’ lead to 5-0. Robinson, who entered the game in a 2-for-13 slump over his previous four contests, also scored three runs, stole two bases and was hit by a pitch.

BYU’s early offense came quickly against Utah starter Brett Kittredge. Robinson singled and scored on Mason McChesney’s double in the first. McChesney then came home on a single by Easton Jones for a 2-0 lead.

Utah answered with three runs in a chaotic bottom of the second, capitalizing on BYU starter Carter Sterner’s control issues. A wild pitch allowed one run to score, and Kaden Miller came home on a double by Drake Flaharty. With the bases loaded, Long was hit by a pitch to force in another run, cutting the deficit to 3-2. Sterner was pulled after recording just five outs.

From that point, the BYU relief corps dominated. Ethan Zufall entered with the bases loaded and one out in the second and induced an inning-ending fielder’s choice. He was followed by Tyler Ball, Nate Wochner, Jaxon Clayton, Jakob Marx and Dan Brousseau, who combined for 6 1/3 hitless innings. That group allowed just three walks and struck out six, preserving the narrow lead.

The Cougars added an insurance run in the eighth on an RBI single by pinch-hitter Collin Erickson, and another in the ninth on Jones’ second run-scoring single, which plated Robinson to make it 6-3.

That run proved vital when Utah mounted its final charge against BYU closer Janzen Johnson in the ninth. Pinch-hitter TJ Hawkins singled with one out before Long launched a two-run homer to right, suddenly bringing the tying run to the plate. The Utes then put the potential winning run on base with back-to-back singles by Karson Arambula and Hunter Gurney. Johnson finally closed the door, getting Kai Navarro and Miller to fly out to end the game.

Utah’s bullpen also provided strong work after the rough start. Demitri Diamant, Sammy Cova and Ian Culver combined for 3 2/3 innings of scoreless, one-hit relief, keeping the Utes within striking distance.

BYU finished with 11 hits to Utah’s 12, but the Utes left 10 runners on base. The Cougars’ bullpen effort, headlined by Zufall, Clayton and Brousseau, was the definitive factor.

BYU opens a three-game home series with Oklahoma State on Thursday. Utah begins a three-game set against Kansas State at home on Friday.