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May 02 | 06:00 PM
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mperry
| Posted: 2 May 2014 | Updated: 8 Nov 2020
PROVO, Utah – Despite big hitting performances from Brock Whitney and Bret Lopez, BYU baseball stranded runners on base as it fell to Gonzaga, 4-3, in the second game of the West Coast Conference series, Friday night at Larry H. Miller Field.
The Cougars (18-26) fell to 8-12 in WCC play as the third place Bulldogs (19-25) improved to 14-9 in the conference.
"We left a lot out there,” BYU head coach Mike Littlewood said. “More than anything, there were a lot of emotions and frustrations, but it's a really disappointing loss in a game we needed to win."
The first baseman Whitney led the hitting for BYU, going 4-for-5 including a double. Lopez, the designated hitter, had a double of his own as he hit 3-for-5 with an RBI while sophomore Hayden Nielsen also chipped in with a 2-for-4 night at the plate.
"We had a couple chances, but every time we hit it well, it seemed like there was somebody there to catch it," Whitney said. "That's just how baseball is sometimes. Sometimes it's going your way and sometimes it's not."
The Cougars had their opportunities but left 14 runners on base in the game.
In the bottom of the third, BYU broke the scoreless tie. Freshman Brennon Lund reached base on a two-out single, and second baseman Parker Starr followed with a single to left field. Lund scored the game’s first run on sophomore Eric Urry’s RBI single to right.
Gonzaga then countered in the fourth inning as Sam Brown scored on a wild pitch, knotting the game at 1-1. Then in the top of the fifth, the Bulldogs took a 2-1 lead on a solo home run by Payden Cawley Lamb.
In the bottom half of the frame, Urry reached base for the second time on the night with a single to right field before senior Kelton Caldwell drew a walk. Lopez then came to the plate and singled up the middle, driving in Urry for the RBI while tying the game at two apiece.
After a scoreless sixth for both teams, BYU ran into trouble in the seventh. With runners on the corners, Gonzaga’s Jimmy Sinatro singled up the left field line for the RBI, giving the Zags the 3-2 lead. After runners advanced, Gonzaga singled again later in the inning, stretching the lead to 4-2.
Leading off in the bottom of the seventh, Whitney singled and advanced to third on a throwing error. The next batter, right fielder Caldwell, took the first pitch to deep center field on the warning track for the RBI-double, closing the Cougar deficit to 4-3. BYU did not capitalize as three base runners were stranded after a flyout ended the inning.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, BYU tried to get a rally going. Jarrett Jarvis singled to left center, who earlier in the game extended his hitting streak to five. Sophomore Trace Hansen then hit to right field, but the outfielder Cawley Lamb made an impressive diving grab for the second out. The game ended as pinch runner Andy Isom was caught stealing second.
The series between the Cougars and Bulldogs concludes with the rubber game Saturday at 1 p.m. MDT.
Ralph R. Zobell
| Posted: 27 Apr 2014 | Updated: 8 Nov 2020
Coming off a bitter-sweet bye week, BYU's baseball team readied for its next nine instate games starting this Tuesday night at Utah Valley University (19-22).
“We came off of a weekend where we played very well and could have ridden that momentum into the following week,” BYU coach Mike Littlewood said as the Cougars took time off for final exams and a couple of practices as the sweet part of the deal. “We used last week to get rested, healed up and prepared to make a final push at a conference tournament berth.”
BYU, 16-25 overall and 7-11 in the West Coast Conference, will start senior co-captain Desmond Poulson (4-5, 4.73) in a pre-designated role as it rotates through its pitching corps Tuesday at 6 p.m.
“We have a huge game at Utah Valley and hopefully we can get a little redemption from our previous game. Eric Madsen (UVU coach) does a great job with his team and I know they will come out ready to play.”
After the non-conference game at UVU, the Cougars host league Gonzaga this week, then Santa Clara the following week before closing league action at Portland. In between the WCC games are two non-league games with Utah.
“We feel like we need to win seven or eight of our remaining nine league games in order to secure a playoff spot,” Littlewood said. “Right now that is in our grasp and we will come out and fight with everything we have no matter where we are in the standings. Gonzaga is a great team and it should be an exciting series with a lot on the line for both teams.”
Jeff Barker (3-5, 4.48) will start the series against Gonzaga, followed by Poulson returning to the mound on Friday. Both Thursday and Friday's games are at 6 p.m. On Saturday at 1 p.m., Kolton Mahoney (5-5, 4.30) takes the hill for the Cougars.
