CEDAR -- Instate foe Southern Utah beat BYU for the first time in nine meetings Thursday to win game one of a three-game series, 5-2.

The Cougars, who fall to 1-9 on the season, failed to get their first back-to-back wins of 2006 after picking up their first win against St. Mary's on Saturday in the River City Classic.

BYU's starting pitching continued to give the team a chance to win as losing Cougar pitcher Jesse Craig (0-4, 5.32) picked up another quality start. The junior righthander threw six strong innings, recording six strikeouts and one walk while giving up just three runs on ten hits.

Winning pitcher Kasey Hubbard (1-1, 5.00) held BYU hitters to just two runs on six hits and two walks in eight innings while striking out seven for the Thunderbirds who improve to 6-2.

Things got scary for the Cougars in the bottom of the second as SUU loaded the bases with two outs before Craig got a T-Bird hitter to strike out swinging to end the threat.

BYU drew first blood in the top of the fourth as Ben Saylor singled and stole second before a walk to Casey Nelson and a double to left by Adrian Molina scored both runners to give BYU an early 2-0 lead. SUU countered for two runs in the bottom of the frame to even the score 2-2.

SUU scored one run each in the next three innings to put the T-Birds on top 5-2 for the win.

BYU looked to make a run at the lead in the seventh when Kent Walton, who went 3-for-5 to extend his team-leading hitting streak to four, singled up the middle with two outs, followed by Marcos Villezcas drawing a walk before Kasey Ko grounded out to short with a high chopper to end the inning.

Hometown boy James Platt came in to relieve Craig starting the seventh and held the T-Birds to one run on one hit while walking one and striking out one.

Hubbard retired the Cougars in order in the eighth.

BYU had a chance to even the score in the top of the ninth. After Jake Wortham walked with one out and Austin Carter and Walton both singled Villezcas popped up in the infield to make it two outs. With the bases loaded, Ko worked reliever Jason Gillins to a 3-1 count before driving the ball deep into center for the final out.

BYU turned its eighth double play of the season in the first inning.

The Cougars and Thunderbirds meet again Friday afternoon in Cedar City. The game will be broadcast live on the web. Click here for the link.

Brigham Young at Southern Utah
Mar 02, 2006 at Cedar City, Utah (Thunderbird Park)
Brigham Young 2 (1-9)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
CARTER lf................  5  0  1  0   0  1  2  0   2
WALTON cf................  5  0  3  0   0  0  2  0   0
VILLEZCAS ss.............  4  0  1  0   1  0  2  5   1
KO 1b....................  4  0  0  0   1  2 10  0   6
HIESTAND dh..............  4  0  0  0   0  2  0  0   1
SAYLOR rf................  4  1  1  0   0  1  1  0   0
NELSON c.................  2  1  0  0   2  1  6  1   0
MOLINA 3b................  4  0  2  2   0  0  0  1   1
JOHNSON, J. 2b...........  2  0  0  0   1  0  1  2   0
 WORTHAM ph..............  0  0  0  0   1  0  0  0   0
 JOHNSON, S. pr..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
CRAIG p..................  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 PLATT p.................  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 34  2  8  2   6  7 24 10  11
Southern Utah 5 (6-2)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Charlie Hahl lf..........  4  0  1  0   1  1  1  0   2
Trever Dimick ss.........  5  0  0  0   0  0  2  4   1
Justin Sotelo cf.........  4  1  1  0   0  2  5  0   1
Amos Burgess rf..........  4  2  2  0   0  0  0  0   0
Jeff Oliverson dh........  4  1  2  1   0  2  0  0   0
Cameron Nelson c.........  3  0  2  2   0  0  7  0   0
Chester Wilson 1b........  4  0  1  1   0  0  7  1   2
Greg Marshall 3b.........  2  1  1  0   1  0  1  1   0
Keli`i Zablan 2b.........  4  0  1  0   0  2  4  2   3
Kasey Hubbard p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 Jason Gillins p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 34  5 11  4   2  7 27  9   9
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
Brigham Young....... 000 200 000 -  2  8  1
Southern Utah....... 000 211 10X -  5 11  0
-------------------------------------------
E - MOLINA. DP - BYU 1. LOB - BYU 11; SUU 9. 2B - MOLINA; Burgess;
Oliverson; Nelson; Wilson, C.. HBP - Marshall. SF - Nelson. SB - SAYLOR;
Hahl; Sotelo; Burgess; Marshall 2.
Brigham Young          IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF  NP
--------------------------------------------------
CRAIG...............  6.0 10  4  3  1  6 28 30 105
PLATT...............  2.0  1  1  1  1  1  6  8  25
Southern Utah          IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF  NP
--------------------------------------------------
Kasey Hubbard.......  8.0  6  2  2  5  7 29 34 116
Jason Gillins.......  1.0  2  0  0  1  0  5  6  27
Win - Hubbard (1-1).  Loss - CRAIG (0-4).  Save - Gillins (1).
HBP - by CRAIG (Marshall). Inherited runners/scored: None. Pitches/strikes:
CRAIG 105/75; PLATT 25/16; Hubbard 116/65; Gillins 27/16.
Umpires - Home:Mike Andrews  1st:Randy Upton
Start: 1:05 pm   Time: 2:20   Attendance: 158
Brigham Young at Southern Utah - Play-by-Play
Mar 02, 2006 at Cedar City, Utah (Thunderbird Park)
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
Brigham Young....... 000 200 000 -  2  8  1
Southern Utah....... 000 211 10X -  5 11  0
-------------------------------------------
Brigham Young starters: 6/lf CARTER; 9/cf WALTON; 10/ss VILLEZCAS; 33/1b KO;
   32/dh HIESTAND; 25/rf SAYLOR; 8/c NELSON; 1/3b MOLINA; 15/2b JOHNSON, J.;
   35/p CRAIG;
Southern Utah starters: 2/lf Hahl; 7/ss Dimick; 32/cf Sotelo; 20/rf Burgess;
   10/dh Oliverson; 18/c Nelson; 28/1b Wilson, C.; 4/3b Marshall; 21/2b
   Zablan; 44/p Hubbard;
Brigham Young - inning 1
   CARTER fouled out to 3b (2-1). WALTON flied out to cf (0-0). VILLEZCAS
   singled up the middle (1-0). KO struck out swinging (3-2). 0 runs, 1 hit,
   0 errors, 1 LOB.
Southern Utah - inning 1
   Hahl singled to first base (1-1). Dimick grounded into double play 2b to
   ss to 1b (1-1); Hahl out on the play. Sotelo struck out swinging, out at
   first c to 1b (2-2). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young - inning 2
   HIESTAND struck out swinging (3-2). SAYLOR struck out looking (0-2).
   NELSON walked (3-2). MOLINA flied out to cf (0-0). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0
   errors, 1 LOB.
Southern Utah - inning 2
   Burgess flied out to lf (0-0). Oliverson struck out swinging (0-2).
   Nelson singled through the left side (0-0). Wilson, C. doubled down the
   lf line (0-0); Nelson advanced to third. Marshall walked (3-2). Zablan
   struck out swinging (1-2). 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.
Brigham Young - inning 3
   JOHNSON, J. popped up to ss (0-1). CARTER flied out to cf (0-0). WALTON
   singled to right field (1-2). VILLEZCAS reached on a fielder's choice
   (0-0); WALTON out at second ss to 2b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Southern Utah - inning 3
   Hahl grounded out to 2b (0-2). Dimick grounded out to ss (1-0). Sotelo
   struck out swinging (1-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young - inning 4
   KO struck out looking (3-2). HIESTAND struck out swinging (2-2). SAYLOR
   singled through the right side (0-0). SAYLOR stole second. NELSON walked
   (3-2). MOLINA doubled to left field, 2 RBI (1-0); NELSON scored; SAYLOR
   scored. JOHNSON, J. walked (3-2). CARTER struck out swinging (3-2). 2
   runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Southern Utah - inning 4
   Burgess singled to left field (1-0). Oliverson doubled to right field
   (1-2); Burgess advanced to third. Nelson grounded out to 1b unassisted,
   RBI (3-2); Oliverson advanced to third; Burgess scored. Wilson, C.
   grounded out to ss, RBI (1-0); Oliverson scored. Marshall singled through
   the right side (0-1). Marshall stole second. Zablan singled through the
   right side (0-2); Marshall advanced to third. Hahl struck out swinging
   (1-2). 2 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Brigham Young - inning 5
   WALTON grounded out to 3b (0-0). VILLEZCAS grounded out to 2b (0-0). KO
   walked (3-0). HIESTAND popped up to 2b (2-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1
   LOB.
Southern Utah - inning 5
   Dimick grounded out to ss (0-0). Sotelo singled through the left side
   (2-0). Burgess popped up to ss (2-1). Sotelo stole second. Oliverson
   singled through the left side, RBI (2-2); Sotelo scored. Nelson doubled
   down the lf line (1-0); Oliverson advanced to third. Wilson, C. flied out
   to rf (0-2). 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Brigham Young - inning 6
   SAYLOR flied out to cf (2-2). NELSON grounded out to ss (0-0). MOLINA
   singled to center field (1-0). MOLINA out at second p to 1b to ss, picked
   off. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Southern Utah - inning 6
   Marshall hit by pitch (0-0). Marshall stole second. Zablan struck out
   swinging (3-2). Hahl grounded out to p (0-2); Marshall advanced to third.
   Dimick reached on a fielding error by 3b (2-1); Marshall scored,
   unearned. Sotelo flied out to cf (0-1). 1 run, 0 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young - inning 7
   JOHNSON, J. grounded out to 2b (0-0). CARTER grounded out to 1b
   unassisted (1-0). WALTON singled up the middle (0-0). VILLEZCAS walked
   (3-1); WALTON advanced to second. KO grounded out to ss (0-2). 0 runs, 1
   hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Southern Utah - inning 7
   PLATT to p for CRAIG. Burgess doubled down the lf line (0-0). Oliverson
   struck out swinging (0-2). Burgess stole third. Nelson flied out to cf,
   SF, RBI (3-1); Burgess scored. Wilson, C. grounded out to ss (1-1). 1
   run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young - inning 8
   HIESTAND flied out to lf (2-1). SAYLOR popped up to 2b (1-0). NELSON
   struck out looking (2-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Southern Utah - inning 8
   Marshall flied out to lf (0-1). Zablan popped up to 2b (0-1). Hahl walked
   (3-2). Hahl stole second. Dimick grounded out to 3b (1-1). 0 runs, 0
   hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young - inning 9
   Gillins to p for Hubbard. MOLINA grounded out to ss (1-1). WORTHAM pinch
   hit for JOHNSON, J.. WORTHAM walked (3-2). JOHNSON, S. pinch ran for
   WORTHAM. CARTER singled to center field (1-2); JOHNSON, S. advanced to
   second. WALTON singled to left field (1-1); CARTER advanced to second;
   JOHNSON, S. advanced to third. VILLEZCAS popped up to 2b (1-2). KO flied
   out to cf (3-1). 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.

For the first time this season BYU's baseball team will be playing in Utah when it starts a three-game series Thursday against Southern Utah.

All the games are scheduled to start at 1 p.m., in Cedar City and will also be played on Friday and Saturday.

The probable BYU starters on the mound for BYU are Jesse Craig (0-3, 5.62), Patrick Wells (0-2, 10.97) and Brandon Christiansen (1-0, 6.00).

BYU Coach Vance Law juggled his lineup to produce the first victory in nine games in California last Saturday and he looks for continued progress in this series.

"We gave some of our younger players the opportunity and they may get more opportunities," said Law. "This is a big series for us to build confidence through getting some wins.

"Our pitchers' records don't indicate the good performances they have had and we have played reasonably well defensively."

Following the series with SUU, now 5-2, BYU travels next week for a three-game series at Cal-Riverside before returning to open the home season in Provo.

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