PROVO, Utah -- Gonzaga scored five runs in the final three innings to top BYU 6-4 and win the weekend series over the Cougars 2-1 on Saturday at Larry H. Miller Field.

Desmond Poulson threw 6.1 innings and only allowed one earned run for the Cougars (18-27, 8-13). He struck out four, allowed four hits and only walked two. He left the game with a 4-2 lead.

Parker Starr was 2-for-5 and a run scored to extend his hitting streak to six games. Brock Whitney went 2-for-4 with an RBI that gave BYU a 2-1 lead. Jarrett Jarvis in his one at-bat extended his hitting streak with a single.

"We have a 4-1 lead late in the game and it was a circus, basically," BYU head coach Mike Littlewood said. "We gave up six walks and four errors. That's putting 10 runners on base against a good team."

The Cougars took the lead in the sixth inning as Gonzaga (20-25, 15-9) needed three pitchers to get through 10 BYU hitters. Starr's second single of the day put a runner on first before Eric Urry doubled over the first baseman's head to tie the game 1-1. Starr scored from first and the throw home was off target allowing Urry to advance to third.

Whitney followed with a one-run double into the right-centerfield gap to make it 2-1 BYU. The Zags intentionally walked Bret Lopez before pinch hitter CJ Latham doubled over the right fielder's head to score a runner and put runners on second and third. Another intentional walk loaded the bases before a flyout and a pitching change. Gonzaga brought in lefty Ben Brown to face left-handed Kelton Caldwell. Brown threw one pitch and hit Caldwell to score the fourth run of the inning. Brown was immediately pulled for David Bigelow, who got the last out of the inning with BYU up 4-1.

The Bulldogs chased Poulson in the very next inning, striking for two runs after a leadoff single by Nick Brooks. Brooks advanced to third on a wild pitch and a passed ball and scored on a fielder's choice. A throwing error on the fielder's choice put Mitch Gunsolus on third and Payden Cawley Lamb drove Gonzaga's third run home on a sacrifice fly after Poulson was lifted for Hayden Rogers.

The Bulldogs finished the comeback in the bottom of the eighth as BYU reliever Brandon Kinser walked in two runs with two outs to make it 5-4.

Gonzaga added an insurance run in the top of the ninth as a leadoff walk and a fielder's choice put a runner on second. Troy LaBrie singled to centerfield to score the run, but LaBrie was thrown out trying to advance to second.

The Bulldogs scored their first run in the third inning. Two singles put runners on first and second before a throwing error by Poulson on a sacrifice bunt sailed into left field, allowing the Bulldogs' first run to cross the plate. Poulson retired the next three batters to get out of the jam with just the one run scoring.

The Cougars return to action on Tuesday at 6 p.m. MDT against Utah at Larry H. Miller Field. The game will be televised on KBYU-TV. The Cougars have won both games so far in the Deseret First Duel four-game season series.

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.

For more detailed information, see multi-page PDF below