SAN JOSE -- Jesse Craig pitched seven strong innings Thursday for BYU as it fell 4-1 to of San Jose State.

Solid pitching has been the story early this season for the Cougars, who dropped to 0-4, as they have seen quality starts from their starters in three of four games. Spartan starter Branden Dewing (3-0, 0.78) struck out five in the game to improve SJSU to 5-3.

After a seeing couple of wild innings and SJSU get up 3-0 early in the game, the starting pitching clamped down for both teams as Craig (0-2, 3.46) kept BYU within three runs while allowing only one baserunner over the next five innings. He retired SJSU in order three times in the span, striking out four before being relieved by James Platt (0-0) in the eighth.

In the top of the seventh the BYU offense made some noise as Kasey Ko reached first on a Spartan throwing error. He advanced to second on freshman Chris Johnson's second hit of the night, a single to center field. After moving to third on a Casey Nelson groundout, Ko then scored on an Adrian Molina RBI single to center to make the game 3-1 in favor of the Spartans.

In the top of the first the Cougars looked poised to get an early jump on Dewing. With one out, Marcos Villezcas walked and moved to second on a grounder by Ben Saylor. Batting next Jeff Hiestand walked, putting men on first and second before a groundout ended the early Cougar threat.

BYU didn't help its cause in the bottom of the same frame. Spartan leadoff hitter Sam Hall started things off for SJSU with a double off Craig. After moving to third on a sac bunt he scored the first run of the game on an error. The Cougar defense struggled to come up with a play in the inning and committed three straight errors for two runs before retiring the Spartans.

The Spartans' Hall then managed another run in the third inning as he walked, stole second, moved to third on a wild Craig pitch, and then scored on a sac fly to left.

Johnson, who once again hit very well for the Cougars, managed to get on base in the top of the ninth on a throwing error before the game ended on a groundout. Johnson, who went 2-for-4 on the night, is now batting .417 on the season to lead BYU.

The two teams meet again on Friday night for the second of a three-game series.

Brigham Young at San Jose State
Feb 16, 2006 at San Jose, Calif. (Municipal Stadium)
Brigham Young 1 (0-4)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Walton, Kent rf..........  4  0  1  0   0  0  0  0   0
Villezcas, Marcos ss.....  3  0  0  0   1  0  0  1   0
Saylor, Ben 1b...........  4  0  0  0   0  2  9  0   0
Hiestand, Jeff lf........  3  0  0  0   1  1  4  0   0
Ko, Kasey dh.............  3  1  0  0   1  1  0  0   2
Johnson, Chris 3b........  4  0  2  0   0  0  2  4   0
Nelson, Casey c..........  4  0  0  0   0  0  7  2   2
Molina, Adrian cf........  3  0  1  1   0  0  1  0   0
Vargas, Dan 2b...........  3  0  0  0   0  2  1  0   2
Craig, Jesse p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 Platt, James p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 31  1  4  1   3  6 24  8   6
San Jose State 4 (5-3)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Hall, Sam cf.............  3  2  1  0   1  0  3  0   0
Pierson, David 2b........  2  1  1  1   0  0  1  6   0
Giovanatto, Donato rf....  2  1  0  0   1  2  2  0   0
 Balatico, Chris ph/rf...  1  0  1  0   0  0  1  0   0
Angel, Ryan lf...........  4  0  0  1   0  2  2  0   0
Sauceda, Ricky dh........  3  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   0
 Fyfe, Greg ph...........  1  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   0
Fromm, Brandon 1b........  3  0  1  1   0  0 12  0   0
Epidendio, Nick 3b.......  3  0  0  0   0  1  0  1   1
Campos, Raul ss..........  3  0  0  0   0  0  1  5   3
Massman, Brody c.........  3  0  0  0   0  1  4  1   0
 Santich-Hughes, J. c....  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0   0
Dewing, Branden p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 Winck, Matt p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 28  4  4  3   2  8 27 13   4
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
Brigham Young....... 000 000 100 -  1  4  3
San Jose State...... 210 000 01X -  4  4  2
-------------------------------------------
E - Villezcas 2; Vargas; Campos 2. DP - SJSU 2. LOB - BYU 6; SJSU 4. 2B -
Hall(2); Fromm(5). SH - Pierson. SF - Pierson. SB - Molina; Hall. CS -
Balatico.
Brigham Young          IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Craig, Jesse........  7.0  4  4  3  2  6 26 30
Platt, James........  1.0  0  0  0  0  2  2  2
San Jose State         IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Dewing, Branden.....  8.0  4  1  0  3  5 27 30
Winck, Matt.........  1.0  0  0  0  0  1  4  4
Win - Dewing (3-0).  Loss - Craig (0-2).  Save - Winck (1).
WP - Craig; Platt.
Umpires - HP: Kevin Gillmore  1B: Greg Charles  3B: Jason Venzon
Start: 6:07 pm   Time: 2:14   Attendance: 344
Game notes:
Opener of a three-game non-conference series.
Craig faced 2 batters in the 8th.
Play-by-Play
                 Brigham Young at San Jose State - Play-by-Play
              Feb 16, 2006 at San Jose, Calif. (Municipal Stadium)
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
Brigham Young....... 000 000 100 -  1  4  3
San Jose State...... 210 000 01X -  4  4  2
-------------------------------------------
Brigham Young starters: 9/rf Walton; 10/ss Villezcas; 25/1b Saylor; 32/lf
Hiestand; 33/dh Ko; 5/3b Johnson, C.; 8/c Nelson; 1/cf Molina; 13/2b Vargas;
35/p Craig;
San Jose State starters: 7/cf Hall; 1/2b Pierson; 28/rf Giovanatto; 4/lf Angel;
2/dh Sauceda; 25/1b Fromm; 8/3b Epidendio; 13/ss Campos; 15/c Massman; 3/p
Dewing;
Brigham Young 1st - Walton grounded out to ss. Villezcas walked. Saylor
grounded out to 2b; Villezcas advanced to second. Hiestand walked. Ko grounded
out to 2b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
San Jose State 1st - Hall doubled to center field. Pierson grounded out
to p, SAC, bunt; Hall advanced to third. Giovanatto walked. Angel reached on a
fielding error by ss, RBI; Giovanatto advanced to second; Hall scored. Sauceda
reached on a fielding error by 2b; Angel advanced to second; Giovanatto
advanced to third. Fromm reached on a fielding error by ss, RBI; Sauceda
advanced to second; Angel advanced to third; Giovanatto scored, unearned.
Epidendio struck out swinging. Campos flied out to lf. 2 runs, 1 hit, 3
errors, 3 LOB.
Brigham Young 2nd - Johnson, C. singled to right field. Nelson flied out
to cf. Molina flied out to rf. Vargas grounded out to 3b, bunt. 0 runs, 1
hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
San Jose State 2nd - Massman grounded out to ss. Hall walked. Hall stole
second. Hall advanced to third on a wild pitch. Pierson flied out to lf, SF,
RBI; Hall scored. Giovanatto struck out swinging. 1 run, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0
LOB.
Brigham Young 3rd - Walton grounded out to ss. Villezcas grounded out to
ss. Saylor struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
San Jose State 3rd - Angel struck out looking. Sauceda fouled out to 3b.
Fromm flied out to lf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young 4th - Hiestand struck out swinging. Ko walked. Johnson, C.
flied out to rf. Nelson lined out to lf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1
LOB.
San Jose State 4th - Epidendio grounded out to 3b. Campos grounded out
to 3b. Massman struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young 5th - Molina grounded out to 2b. Vargas struck out
swinging. Walton flied out to cf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
San Jose State 5th - Hall flied out to lf. Pierson popped up to 2b.
Giovanatto struck out looking. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young 6th - Villezcas flied out to lf. Saylor struck out
swinging, out at first c to 1b. Hiestand grounded out to 2b. 0 runs, 0 hits,
0 errors, 0 LOB.
San Jose State 6th - Angel grounded out to 3b. Sauceda struck out
swinging. Fromm doubled down the rf line. Epidendio flied out to cf. 0 runs,
1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young 7th - Ko reached on a throwing error by ss. Johnson, C.
singled to center field; Ko advanced to second. Nelson grounded into double
play 2b to 1b; Johnson, C. out on the play; Ko advanced to third. Molina
singled to center field, RBI; Ko scored, unearned. Molina stole second. Vargas
struck out swinging. 1 run, 2 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.
San Jose State 7th - Campos grounded out to 3b. Massman popped up to 1b.
Hall grounded out to 1b unassisted. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young 8th - Walton singled up the middle. Villezcas flied out to
cf. Saylor grounded into double play 2b to ss to 1b; Walton out on the play.
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
San Jose State 8th - Pierson singled through the right side. Balatico
pinch hit for Giovanatto. Balatico singled through the right side, advanced to
second on the throw; Pierson advanced to third. Platt to p for Craig. Balatico
advanced to third on a wild pitch; Pierson scored. Angel struck out looking.
Fyfe pinch hit for Sauceda. Balatico out at third c to 3b, caught stealing.
Fyfe struck out swinging, out at first c to 1b. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0
LOB.
Brigham Young 9th - Balatico to rf. Santich to c for Massman. Winck to p
for Dewing. Hiestand flied out to rf to right center. Ko struck out swinging.
Johnson, C. reached on a fielding error by ss. Nelson grounded out to ss. 0
runs, 0 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.

For the second week in a row BYU's baseball team plays in California in search of its first victory.

The Cougars, 0-3, fly to San Jose for a Thursday contest which starts a three-game series with the Spartans, who began the week at 3-3.

BYU will keep its starting lineup intact, including the pitching rotation of Jesse Craig (0-1, 3.00 earned run average) for Thursday, Patrick Wells (0-1, 27.00) for Friday and Brandon Christiansen (0-0, 2.57) for Saturday. Thursday and Friday's games will be at 6 p.m., while Saturday's contest is at 1 p.m.

"Our situational hitting was not up to standard," said BYU Coach Vance Law. "Our pitching was solid and we could have won two of the three games, but unfortunately we did not come up with the big two-out hit when needed, so that will be our focus this week."

SJS won its home opener two weeks ago against Cal Poly and won its three-game series last weekend on the road at Cal Santa Barbara. The Spartans play on Tuesday at San Francisco before hosting the Cougars.

The games will not be broadcast over the Internet, but will be available to read through live webcasting on links at www.byucougars.com.

For more information on BYU's baseball team for this week, click on the PDF link at the top of this page.