RUSTON, Louisiana — BYU baseball split a doubleheader with LA Tech on Saturday, dropping the first game, 8-6, before winning the nightcap, 8-2, at Pat Patterson Park in Ruston.

The Cougars improved to 2-1 on the year, while the Bulldogs fell to 1-2. The final game of the four-game series will be played on Monday at 6 p.m. CST.

“I was proud of the way we played today,” said BYU head coach Trent Pratt. “We had a lot of solid at bats and put pressure on their pitching early. It’s a long season and you’re going to have adversity, so I was pleased with the way we bounced back in the second game.”

GAME TWO

BYU jumped out to a big lead early in game two, scoring seven runs in the first two innings on its way to an 8-2 win. 

Second baseman Ozzie Pratt led off the game with a single in the first inning and scored on a single through the right side by center fielder Cole Gambill, who later scored for a 2-0 lead. 

A double by Pratt early in the second inning drove in another run for a 3-0 Cougar advantage. Left fielder Tate Gambill then singled in Pratt and Cole Gambill drove a ball into the left-field gap to score his brother Tate. With two outs and Cole on second, third baseman Austin Deming homered to left field for a 7-0 lead. 

Summary
  •  Five Cougars collected two hits in the nightcap including, Deming, Pratt, Tate Gambill, Ryan Sepede and Cooper Vest
  •  BYU hit .300 (12-40) to LA Tech’s .206 (7-34)
  •  Lefty starting pitcher Cutter Clawson threw six scoreless innings for the win
Player Highlights
  •  Austin Deming: 2-5, HR, 2 RBI
  •  Ryan Sepede: 2-4, HR, 1 RBI
  •  Ozzie Pratt: 2-4, 2B, RBI
  •  Cutter Clawson: W, 6 IP, 9 SO, 2 Hits

BYU freshman Cutter Clawson, who recently returned from a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was outstanding on the mound. The lefty threw six complete innings, scattering just two hits while striking out nine for his first win of the year.

“The boys made it real easy for me tonight with seven runs early,” said Clawson. “The big lead gave me a lot of confidence. I loved the way the guys fought at the plate tonight. They had a lot of energy and made it tough on the LA Tech pitchers.”

BYU added its final run in the seventh when Sepede hit a solo shot over the left field wall. LA Tech picked up single runs in the seventh and eighth innings before BYU lefty reliever Boston Mabeus entered the game in the ninth to get the final three outs for the 8-2 victory. Clawson (1-0) got the win, while Rawley Hector (0-1) took the loss for the Bulldogs.

GAME ONE

The Cougars got off to a quick start in game one with two runs in the first inning and three more in the third to take an early 5-3 advantage. The big swing came from Deming, who homered to left field in the top of the third with Cole Gambill on first. 

BYU scratched out another run in the sixth inning on a Deming double to center that once again plated Gambill, giving the Cougars a 6-2 advantage through six innings. 

LA Tech cut the BYU lead to 6-5 with back-to-back home runs in a three-run seventh inning before completed the comeback in the eighth with three additional runs on two hits, a walk and a hit batter. Landon Tomkins (1-0) got the win for the Bulldogs, while Peyton Gubler (0-1) took the loss for BYU. 

Summary
  •  Deming led all hitters, going 5-4, with a home run and four RBI
  •  BYU hit .350 (14-40) to LA Tech’s .250 (8-32)
  •  The Cougar bullpen surrendered a combined six runs in the seventh and eighth innings
Player Highlights
  •  Austin Deming: 4-5, HR, 2 2B, 4 RBI
  •  Ryan Sepede: 3-5, Run
  •  Ozzie Pratt: 1-3, 2 BB, Run
  •  Safea Mauai: 2-4, RBI, BB

Monday’s game-four with LA Tech will be broadcast live on the BYU Radio App and on BYU Radio 107.9 FM in the northern Utah market, with Jason Shepherd on play-by-play. In addition, LA Tech will broadcast the game on CUSA.tv