OREM, Utah — Too big of a deficit could not be overcome Saturday afternoon as Pacific defeated host BYU baseball, 11-7, at Brent Brown Ballpark.

The University of the Pacific (14-19 overall and 5-7 in the West Coast Conference) amassed a 9-0 lead by the third inning over BYU (12-21, 4-8) before the Cougars started to claw back.

“We didn’t have the mindset that the game was over,” BYU coach Mike Littlewood said.  ”We showed a little character coming back. We had them on the ropes, but you can only get so many big two-out hits.”

The Tigers led off with a Tyler Sullivan home run and a Taylor Murphy triple which led to their second run in building a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Then in the third inning, Pacific loaded the bases after starting pitcher Jeff Barker failed to cover first base to complete an inning-ending double play. The Tigers loaded the bases and then rattled off six of its seven runs that frame for that 9-0 lead.

“We came out ready, but for some reason Jeff (Barker) wasn’t on and that mental error (not covering first) cost him,” Littlewood said.

Meanwhile after Barker was relieved on the mound, BYU’s relievers held the Tigers scoreless.

“We got exactly what we needed from those guys (our relievers),” Littlewood said. “I was happy with our approach (hitting). Usually that is enough to get over the hump.”

BYU got its first run of the game in the bottom of the third when Dillon Robinson doubled to the fence off the right fielder’s glove to score Hayden Nielsen who led off with a double.

In the fifth inning, BYU mounted its best barrage when Brennon Lund hit the first of consecutive singles, followed by Robinson and Brock Whitney. Lund scored, and then Kelton Caldwell launched the first pitch, a slider, over the frontage road before the freeway on-ramp. That smash closed the gap to 9-5.

Repeat and reload Caldwell in the seventh on his fifth dinger of the season, to score Whitney. Caldwell tattooed a changeup again past the frontage road beyond right field, narrowing the margin to 9-7.

The finale of the league series with Pacific was played at Utah Valley University due to athletic department policy to not play on the BYU campus during church General Conference weekend.

The blue Cougars take a non-conference break on Tuesday night when they play the red Cougars of Washington State in a game away from home at Pasco, Wash. BYU returns to WCC play on Thursday starting a three-game series at Pepperdine.

PROVO, Utah — Royal blue uniforms will be worn for the fourth time this season as BYU’s baseball team readies to host rival Utah Valley University on Tuesday.

BYU (10-19 and 2-7 in the West Coast Conference) hosts UVU (9-18, 3-3 in the Western Athletic Conference) on Tuesday at 6 p.m. MDT, with junior transfer Michael Springer (0-2, 8.24) scheduled to start on the mound for the Cougars against Devin Nelson (1-4, 4.36) for the Wolverines. The BYU-UVU game will be streamed live on TheW.tv.

“We approach this just like a league game,” BYU coach Mike Littlewood said. “It will be nice to be back home where we can focus and be upbeat. We hope to put nine solid innings together but need to do it one inning at a time. We need to do the little things and pay attention to detail.”

Momentum gained in the Utah Valley game will help the Cougars as they prepare to host the University of the Pacific in a three-game league series on Thursday.

One of the unknowns in that series is when BYU sophomore Kolton Mahoney will throw. Mahoney has pitched/started either the second or third contests of three-game series but could make an appearance or start in the opener.

BYUtv will televise Thursday’s game live at 6 p.m., the same starting time for Friday’s game with the Tigers at Larry H. Miller Field. Saturday’s finale with Pacific will be played at noon in Orem at UVU’s Brent Brown Ballpark. Pacific leads the series, 6-3 and is making its first trip to Provo.

The Cougars wore the traditional royal blue uniforms in previous games this season at home against Utah and San Diego and at AT&T Park against San Francisco.

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