SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. – Four runs in the eighth inning broke open a tied game and gave BYU baseball a 6-2 win at Cal Poly on Thursday in the first game of a four-game series.

Box Score

"I’ve said all along for us to be successful we need our veteran players to step up and help us and tonight that’s exactly what happened," BYU head coach Mike Littlewood said. "Justin Sterner gave us six strong innings, Mitch McIntyre and Austin Deming came through with huge hits, and Danny Gelalich made an incredible play in the outfield. Tonight we beat a great pitcher and I’m really proud of the guys for battling in a tough environment."

Game Summary

• Tied 2-2 in the eighth, Hayden Leatham’s grounder brought in the game-winning run. Austin Deming’s 3-RBI triple later in the inning put the Cougars up four runs
• The BYU pitching staff allowed zero earned runs with 10 strikeouts
• BYU has scored its game-winning runs in the eighth inning in each of the Cougars three victories this season

Player Highlights

• Austin Deming: 2-4, 3B, 3 RBI
• Mitch McIntyre: 2-3, 2B, R, HBP, 2 RBI
• Justin Sterner: 5.2 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 7 K
• Reid McLaughlin: W (2-0), 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 K

Tied 2-2 in the top of the eighth, two singles and a walk loaded the bases for BYU (3-2). Hayden Leatham’s subsequent grounder to the Cal Poly second baseman was enough to bring in Brock Watkins from third and put BYU ahead.

After Mitch McIntyre was hit by a pitch to again load the bases with two outs, Austin Deming laced a hit over the center fielder’s head for a bases-clearing triple to put BYU up, 6-2. The hit was the sophomore’s first triple of his career.

Sophomore Reid McLaughlin earned his second win of the young season, pitching shutout innings in the seventh and eighth with three strikeouts before freshman Mikade Johnson came  in and closed out the Mustangs in the ninth.

BYU starter Justin Sterner had seven strikeouts of his own and did not allow an earned run in just over five innings. But Cal Poly (2-3) took the initial 1-0 lead in the fourth after an error on what would have been the third out and an RBI walk by the Mustangs.

In the seventh, a leadoff single from Andrew Pintar and a walk by Leatham put two BYU runners on with no outs. Mitch McIntyre took advantage, hitting a double down the left field line to score both runners and give BYU the 2-1 lead.

Another Cougar fielding error on a possible third out was followed by an RBI-single by Cal Poly to tie the score, 2-2, in the bottom of the seventh. But after Cal Poly starter Taylor Dollard was pulled, singles by Watkins and Bryan Call and a walk by Pintar set up the Cougars’ big eighth inning.

The Cougars and Mustangs will play again on Friday, Feb. 21, at 6 p.m. PT before playing a doubleheader Saturday, Feb. 22, starting at 1 p.m. PT.

PROVO, Utah – BYU baseball will travel to play four games at Cal Poly from Feb. 20-22 in San Luis Obispo.

The two teams are meeting for the first time since 2003. The series is tied at 1-1 overall, with Cal Poly winning 14-5 at home in 2002 and the Cougars winning 11-1 the following year at a neutral field in Scottsdale, Arizona.

BYU Game Notes

BYU (2-2) defeated Gonzaga and No. 25 Oregon State and lost two games to New Mexico in their opening contests of the season in Surprise, Arizona. Cal Poly (2-2) is coming off wins against UConn and then-No. 1 Vanderbilt with defeats at the hands of No. 13 Michigan and Pepperdine.

The Cougars currently boast a 2.31 ERA, including a 1.40 ERA by the bullpen. Nine different pitchers have already come on in relief, including six true freshmen, with seven pitchers yet to allow an earned run.

Starters for BYU will remain the same as last week, with RHP Justin Sterner (0-0, 1.42) starting game one, LHP Cy Nielson (0-1, 4.91) game two, RHP Easton Walker (0-0, 10.12) game three and RHP Jarod Lessar (0-0, 4.50) game four.

Senior catcher Abraham Valdez leads the Cougars at the plate, batting .400 with a double, two runs and two walks. Freshman Andrew Pintar is next at .333 with two doubles, two runs, an RBI and a walk. Junior Hayden Leatham leads the team with 11 total bases, including two home runs and a double for three RBI and two runs.

The Cougar defense is ranked 11th in the nation after pulling off five double plays through four games while sporting a .987 fielding percentage. 

Cal Poly with throw RHP Taylor Dollard (1-0, 0.00) in game one, LHP Andrew Alvarez (0-1, 0.00) in game two and RHP Drew Thorpe (0-0, 2.57) in game three with game four's starter to be announced later.

The Mustangs sport a 3.25 team ERA led by Dollard who went 7.0 innings with 10 strikeouts in his appearance last week. 

At the plate, Cal Poly is hitting .225 with six extra base hits and 18 walks. The Mustangs have had trouble on defense, committing 10 errors through four games for a .932 percentage.