BYU at Portland game 3 box score

PORTLAND, Oregon (April 14, 2018)—Portland’s Pilots defeated BYU 8-6 to claim the series on Saturday and improve their record to 13-20 overall and 6-9 in the West Coast Conference.

The Cougars had leads of 2-0 and 4-2 escape, surrendering walks and committing uncharacteristic overthrows and errors that led to Pilot runs in the three-run third and four-run fourth innings.

BYU got on the scoreboard first when Nate Favero got the advance sign from Coach Mike Littlewood on Mitch McIntyre’s single, the third consecutive one-out hit of the second inning. Jarrett Perns executed a safety squeeze bunt past the pitcher for the fourth single of the frame to plate Keaton Kringlen for a 2-0 lead.

After falling behind 4-2, in the fourth inning Favero hit a two-out double to the gap in left-center and scored on the ensuing single by Kringlen to centerfield. Noah Hill belted a fastball on his first pitch for a double to drive in Kringlen and Perns to claim BYU’s last lead, 5-4.

The only other run for BYU came in the fifth frame when Daniel Schneemann broke his hitting slump with a single to left field, advanced on Hale’s only hit of the day and scored on Favero’s groundout. 

A last-ditch effort failed in the ninth with two aboard and one out when pinch-runner Paxton Larson did not get the benefit of an interference call. Larson retreated back to second base on a pop-up to the pitcher whose throw sailed into the outfield, but he tripped over the shortstop and was ruled out at third.

The Cougars, now 18-15 overall and 7-8 in the West Coast Conference, take a break from league action, playing only one game this coming week. On Tuesday night, BYU plays the University of Arizona in Tucson in a game televised live by the Pac-12 TV Network.

BYU vs. Portland game notes

On the strength of its first league sweep, BYU baseball readies for consecutive road encounters starting this week at Portland.

The Cougars, 17-13 overall, are back in the West Coast Conference race with a 6-6 record. Portland is 11-19 and 4-8.

Veterans Jordan Wood (2-2, 2.65) and Hayden Rogers (4-2, 5.40) are BYU’s respective pitchers on Thursday and Friday in games starting at 6 p.m. PDT. Saturday’s starter for the Cougars is yet to be named in the noon contest.

BYU had to come from behind in all three wins last week against Santa Clara, with rain being a factor. The Cougars should be more prepared to play at Portland on the strength of playing 14 games in Provo on the “new” artificial turf similar to the surface Portland has had for a couple years.

The Cougars have won six games in a row over the Pilots. Portland sophomore Beau Brundage is No. 1 in the league in batting average, hits and on-base percentage. BYU’s Brock Hale leads the league in slugging percentage.

Following the three-game series at Portland, the Cougars travel to Arizona for a Tuesday nonconference game prior to hosting Utah again and a three-game series against San Diego.