SANTA CLARA, California—Pitching and key defensive plays led BYU baseball to a 4-2 victory over Santa Clara on Saturday for a berth in next week’s West Coast Conference Championships.

Right fielder Derrick Whitney led the Cougars (27-23 overall and 15-11 in the WCC) with a diving catch to freeze speedy pinch runner Kyle Czaplak at first base in the eighth inning

“It really was the key play of the game, no doubt about it,” BYU coach Mike Littlewood said. “Whit made a great play.”

That one-out catch allowed Mason Marshall to preserve a 4-2 lead on the heels of winning pitcher Michael Rucker (5-1) leaving the game in the seventh frame.

“Ruck he didn’t have his best stuff,” Littlewood said. “I was hoping he (Rucker) could get through seven. He (Marshall) just has so much moxy. We just needed a strike-thrower. You have to play like that. Success breeds that a little bit.”

The Cougars never trailed behind Rucker as he tallied six strikeouts, four of which closed the first, third, fourth and sixth innings. Marshall fanned the final Bronco of the seventh frame and rang up the lead SCU batter in the ninth to earn his first save of the season and 10th in his two-year Cougar career.

Rucker also got double-play help from second baseman Tanner Chauncey, who teamed with first baseman Dillon Robinson to end the second inning and again with Robinson and shortstop Hayden Nielsen to start the sixth frame.

But the defensive gem belonged to Whitney, also responsible for BYU’s insurance run in the sixth with a sacrifice fly which plated Parker Starr, who batted 3-for-4 on the afternoon.
“He’s (Whitney) putting together really good at bats in the two hole and extends our lineup a little bit,” Littlewood said.

Cougar centerfielder Brennon Lund preceded Whitney in the order with the game-winning RBI, a one-out single also to left field in the sixth. Catcher Bronson Larsen accounted for BYU’s first run in the second from a lead-off double which extended his hitting streak to 23 games. Nielsen scored the second Cougar run on a sac-fly by Chauncey in the third.

Pending Sunday action in other league games, BYU could improve its seeding in the WCC tourney when it closes the regular season with a make-up game Monday at St. Mary’s (28-26, 10-16) at 2 p.m. PDT, a game which will not be broadcast by BYU radio, but will be streamed live on the Internet by TheW.tv.

Following Monday’s game, the Cougars remain in the Bay area to practice in Santa Clara on Tuesday before the tourney begins on Thursday in Stockton.

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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