DECATUR, Georgia—Snake-bitten in the 10th inning, BYU’s baseball team lost a 3-2 heartbreaker on Monday at Georgia State University in the Atlanta Challenge.

The umpire ruled that the Cougar first baseman pulled his foot off the bag with runners on the corners and two outs, so the Panthers remained undefeated after their third game of the season while BYU fell to 1-2.

"Our pitching staff did a great job tonight and our hitters were very average,” BYU coach Mike Littlewood said. “We've got a couple guys pressing at the plate right now, but we had great energy and competed well against a very solid team.”

The Cougars were out-hit for the first time this season, 14-5, but got key pitching performances throughout the marathon game.

BYU took the initial lead when Kyle Dean singled to left field, scoring Colton Shaver and advancing to second base in the second inning. Brock Hale doubled down the left field line prior to Dean and advanced to third, then scored on Nate Favero’s sacrifice fly to go ahead, 2-0.

Keaton Kringlen, whose hitting streak ended at 13 games, pegged a Panther runner attempting third base in the third following a one-out single. Hale doubled again in the fourth, advancing to third on a wild pitch, where he was stranded.

Keaton Cenatiempo relieved starter Hayden Rogers to start the fifth and retired the first two GSU batters, then surrendered a single and was replaced by lefty Rhett Parkinson, who fanned the Panther centerfielder Ryan Blanton to end the frame.

It was deuces wild in the bottom of the sixth. Parkinson picked up his second strikeout with a runner aboard before being replaced by Mason Marshall.  Marshall struck out the second Panther of the inning, then GSU tied the game 2-2 with a two-out single.

BYU stranded a pair of runners in the eighth after David Clawson drew a one-out walk and was replaced by pinch runner Cam Richins.  Richins went to second on a fielder’s choice, then to third on a passed ball as Brennon Anderson walked with two down before Tanner Chauncey flew out.

GSU left two aboard in the bottom of the eighth as lefty Riley Gates battled through the full frame and got a swinging strikeout to end the inning still tied 2-2.

Shaver knocked a one-out double in the ninth, but his pinch runner Casey Jacobsen ended up stranded on third.  Gates repeated his feat for a second consecutive inning, striking out a Panther with two on to end the ninth.

GSU held the Cougars at bay in the 10th with runners on the corners.

BYU now readies for a Thursday doubleheader in California, opening with Northern Colorado at 2 p.m. PST, followed by a nightcap versus host San Jose State at 7 p.m.

No. 21 Georgia Tech starts BYU baseball’s 2017 season this this Friday in the six-team Atlanta Challenge in Georgia.

The Cougars also play afternoon games at Kennesaw State on Saturday and at Georgia State in Decatur on Monday.  Tech has also been ranked No. 29 by National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, No. 38 by Collegiate Baseball in addition to its higher ranking by Baseball America.  The Cougars received votes in preseason polls by the NCBWA and Collegiate Baseball, but were not ranked.

Practice games at Michigan State and at the Caribbean island Curaçao against its national team last semester verified BYU will again be a power hitting team.  The silver lining may be how the deep Cougar pitching staff blessed with more lefties delivers during the season after practicing against its slugging teammates.

Fifth-year head Coach Mike Littlewood will start junior righthander Maverik Buffo (6-2, 3.63 in 2016) will on the mound against Georgia Tech. After Friday’s game against the Yellow Jackets, senior redshirt righthander Brady Corless (2-4, 5.51 in 2015) is expected to be BYU’s starting pitcher on Saturday, but Monday’s pitcher is yet to be announced.

"This time of year is like our second Christmas,” Littlewood said.  “Opening day is a always a special day for baseball guys and this year is no different.  We know we open up with three tough opponents, but at the same time we feel cautiously optimistic about the prospects of our upcoming season.  One thing for certain is we have a bunch of guys that will fight for each other and they will leave everything on the field every day."

All-Americans Colton Shaver and Keaton Kringlen have been spotlighted early among the bevy of talented Cougar hitters.  Shaver was projected by D1baseball.com as the WCC’s player of the year. Kringlen, a sophomore, brings an 11-game hitting streak into the season. The Cougars have been prognosticated as one of the top four teams in the West Coast Conference as they ready for defense of the league title.

Following the trip to Georgia, the Cougars have consecutive road trips to California to play San Jose State, Northern Colorado and CSU Bakersfield before opening the home season against nationally ranked UC Santa Barbara in a four-game series.

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