SANTA CLARA, California—Unusual twists Friday night led to an 8-7 win by Santa Clara in game two over BYU baseball.

After jumping out to a 7-1 lead through five innings, Santa Clara drew a bases-loaded walk in the ninth inning to deny the Cougars a chance to secure a tournament berth in next week’s West Coast Conference Championships.

Hopes are still alive for BYU, now 26-23 overall and 14-11 in the WCC, after it eliminated Santa Clara, 26-27, 12-14) in the opener of the three-game series in 10 innings on Thursday.

“For some reason we just weren't mentally locked in tonight,” BYU coach Mike Littlewood said. “We sat back and just accepted what Santa Clara brought to us. We did a nice job battling back, but it's tough to overcome a six-run deficit on the road.”

That comeback started in the sixth inning after Bronco coach Dan O’Brien was ejected in the previous frame after arguing a catcher interference call prior to his team’s four-run rally. BYU benefited from a three-run error in the sixth when right-fielder Grant Meylan dropped Colton Shaver’s near-inning-ending fly out with the bases loaded to close the game to 7-4.

BYU added three more runs in the seventh inning aided by singles from outfielder Derrick Whitney and Bronson Larsen, the latter of which extended the catcher’s hitting streak to 22 games. Larsen ended up on second, then third when Dillon Robinson tied the game at seven-all, scoring on a bases-loaded balk.

Then Cougar starting hurler Kolton Mahoney, now 4-7, caught fire when he put the Broncos down in order the next two frames, including the eighth when he tallied three of his nine strikeouts off his eventual 134 pitches.

Mahoney left the game after surrendering a single in the ninth which led to the bases being loaded with after one out. At that point Littlewood called time and moved Whitney from right field to become the fifth infielder, placed between third and shortstop.

“We need to take the fight to our opponent and have an aggressive mindset,” Littlewood said. “We are hungry to solidify our tournament berth and our guys will be ready to play tomorrow (Saturday).”

The Bronco-Cougar series concludes Saturday at 1 p.m. PDT in the second-to-last opportunity to lock up that berth.

With destiny in its own control, BYU’s baseball team begins the final week of the regular season on Tuesday in a non-league game at rival Utah.

The Cougars (24-22 overall and 13-10 in the West Coast Conference) play Utah (16-29-1) on Tuesday to determine the winner of the annual Deseret First Duel. Then BYU travels to Santa Clara (24-26, 11-13) for a three-game series beginning Thursday.

“This is a big week for us as we enter the last week of conference play, as well as a series deciding game against Utah on Tuesday,” BYU coach Mike Littlewood said.

“We'd love to go up to Salt Lake, pick up a win against the Utes and capture the baseball portion of the Deseret Dual. Every game against Utah brings a different type of excitement and I'm sure this game won't be any different.”

Junior Brady Corless (2-4, 5.18) will be BYU’s starting pitcher against the Utes. Last March, Utah won a rain-shortened six-inning game in Salt Lake City, 9-6. BYU beat the Utes, 7-6, in Provo last month. With this being the rubber match of the rivalry, run differential is not a factor determining the winner of the Deseret Duel. BYU has won six of the past seven years unless the two teams tie in a series favoring BYU, 240-114-2.

Brandon Kinser (6-3, 4.14)  and Kolton Mahoney (4-6, 4.92) take the mound for the Cougars on Thursday and Friday evenings when the Cougars return to WCC action. Saturday afternoon’s starter is TBA for BYU.

“We hold the destiny of our post season in our own hands,” Littlewood said. “Earning a spot into the WCC tournament was one of our main goals as we entered this season so it feels great to still be able to achieve that goal with a week of conference play remaining.”

BYU has tiebreaking scenarios in its favor with all teams in contention for the final four spots of WCC Tournament berths except league-leading San Diego. A sweep at Santa Clara ensures BYU of a berth in that tourney. The Cougars are a game short of a full complement of conference games because of last Saturday’s cancelled game against St. Mary’s due to rain in Provo.

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