SPOKANE -- Freshman pitcher Mark Anderson combined with Kevin Sloan and David McKnight for eight scoreless frames Tuesday as BYU held off Gonzaga, 3-2.

The southpaw picked up his first victory in going five innings after the Bulldogs tied the score two-all in the first. Sloan pitched 3.1 innings of shutout ball before being relieved by McKnight in the ninth. McKnight secured his second save of the year with a strikeout and a game-ending lineout to substitute Stephen Wells in centerfield.

“This was a tough one that was well-pitched on both sides,” said BYU coach Vance Law. “I was proud of Mark (Anderson) who found some extra strength after a rocky start. Instead of just nibbling, he went right after batters.

“It all boils down to pitching and throwing strikes. From the second inning one we got ahead of hitters and got a consistent effort defensively.

“It was critical for our guys to give us an early lead. Austin Hall did a nice job of executing the sacrifice fly in the fourth.”

Senior outfielder Sean McNaughton led off with a home run in the game's first at bat to give BYU the lead. Three batters later in the cleanup spot Bryce Ayoso made it 2-0 with his solo homer.

Ayoso had a one-out double in the fourth and scored off Hall's sac fly.

The Cougars are now 7-9, while Gonzaga evens to 8-8. BYU now readies for the start of action in the Mountain West Conference as it flies by way of Salt Lake City for a Thursday game at defending champion TCU.

BRIGHAM YOUNG at GONZAGA BULLDOGS
Mar 16, 2010 at SPOKANE, Wash. (Patterson Complex)
BRIGHAM YOUNG 3 (7-9)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
McNAUGHTON, Sean lf......  4  1  2  1   0  0  6  0   0
RELF, Brandon ss.........  4  0  1  0   0  0  1  3   0
WOLFE, Alex 1b...........  3  0  0  0   1  0  5  0   1
AYOSO, Bryce dh..........  4  2  2  1   0  0  0  0   0
GUENTHER, Wes c..........  4  0  0  0   0  0  5  1   2
HALL, Austin 3b..........  3  0  0  1   0  0  1  0   0
CLUFF, Jonathan cf/rf....  4  0  1  0   0  0  2  0   0
NIELSEN, Dane 2b.........  4  0  1  0   0  0  4  0   1
HANCOCK, Alex rf.........  3  0  0  0   0  2  2  0   1
 FRAMPTON, Chase ph......  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   1
 WELLS, Stephen cf.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0   0
ANDERSON, Mark p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 SLOAN, Kevin p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2   0
 McKNIGHT, David p.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 34  3  7  3   1  2 27  6   6
GONZAGA BULLDOGS 2 (8-8)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
HEID, D cf...............  5  0  0  0   0  1  3  0   2
YARDLEY, B 3b............  4  1  1  0   0  0  0  3   0
HUNTER, A dh.............  3  1  0  0   1  1  0  0   0
CASTELLITTO lf...........  2  0  0  0   1  1  2  0   0
BOLINGER, R 1b...........  3  0  0  0   1  1 11  0   0
WILSON, S 2b.............  3  0  0  0   1  0  2  3   1
STURDIVANT rf............  1  0  0  1   2  0  4  0   0
 ESLICK, C ph............  1  0  1  0   0  0  0  0   0
 CHISM, T pr.............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
EDMAN, C c...............  4  0  0  0   0  1  2  0   5
ORTIZ, E ss..............  3  0  1  0   1  0  3  3   0
BARON, L p...............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 MOON, B p...............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
Totals................... 29  2  3  1   7  5 27 11   8
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
BRIGHAM YOUNG....... 200 100 000 -  3  7  0
GONZAGA BULLDOGS.... 200 000 000 -  2  3  2
-------------------------------------------
E - ORTIZ, E(6); BARON, L(1). LOB - BY 6; Gonzaga 8. 2B - McNAUGHTON(5);
RELF(3); AYOSO(7); ESLICK, C(2). HR - McNAUGHTON(2); AYOSO(3). HBP -
CASTELLITTO. SF - HALL(1). CS - ORTIZ, E(1).
BRIGHAM YOUNG          IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF  NP
--------------------------------------------------
ANDERSON, Mark......  5.0  1  2  2  5  1 16 22  91
SLOAN, Kevin........  3.1  2  0  0  1  3 11 12  52
McKNIGHT, David.....  0.2  0  0  0  1  1  2  3  18
GONZAGA BULLDOGS       IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF  NP
--------------------------------------------------
BARON, L............  7.2  7  3  3  1  2 29 31 114
MOON, B.............  1.1  0  0  0  0  0  5  5  16
Win - ANDERSON (1-0).  Loss - BARON, L (0-2).  Save - McKNIGHT (2).
WP - McKNIGHT(3). HBP - by ANDERSON (CASTELLITTO). BK - ANDERSON(1); BARON,
L(1). PB - GUENTHER(1). Pitches/strikes: ANDERSON 91/51; SLOAN 52/39; McKNIGHT
18/11; BARON, L 114/79; MOON, B 16/10.
Umpires - HP: Kevin Walker  1B: Randy Sutton  3B: Rick Jaggars
Start: 6:30 pm   Time: 2:32   Attendance: 796
Weather: cloudy, cool, 51 degrees
ANDERSON faced 1 batter in the 6th.
BRIGHAM YOUNG 1st - McNAUGHTON homered to left field, RBI (1-1). RELF
lined out to rf (3-2). WOLFE flied out to lf (2-2). AYOSO homered to left
center, RBI (1-0). GUENTHER flied out to lf down the lf line (2-2). 2 runs,
2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
GONZAGA BULLDOGS 1st - HEID, D grounded out to ss (2-1). YARDLEY, B
singled through the right side (3-2). HUNTER, A walked (3-2); YARDLEY, B
advanced to second. HUNTER, A advanced to second on a passed ball; YARDLEY, B
advanced to third on a passed ball. CASTELLITTO flied out to lf down the lf
line (2-2). BOLINGER, R walked (3-1). BOLINGER, R advanced to second; HUNTER, A
advanced to third; YARDLEY, B scored on a balk. WILSON, S walked. STURDIVANT
walked, RBI (3-2); WILSON, S advanced to second; BOLINGER, R advanced to third;
HUNTER, A scored. EDMAN, C flied out to rf (0-1). 2 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 3
LOB.
BRIGHAM YOUNG 2nd - HALL flied out to rf (2-2). CLUFF lined out to cf
(0-1). NIELSEN singled to left center (3-2). NIELSEN advanced to second on an
error by p, failed pickoff attempt. HANCOCK struck out swinging (0-2). 0
runs, 1 hit, 1 error, 1 LOB.
GONZAGA BULLDOGS 2nd - ORTIZ, E fouled out to lf (0-2). HEID, D grounded
out to 1b unassisted (0-0). YARDLEY, B flied out to cf (2-2). 0 runs, 0
hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BRIGHAM YOUNG 3rd - McNAUGHTON lined out to ss (1-2). RELF grounded out
to ss (1-0). WOLFE grounded out to p (1-1). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0
LOB.
GONZAGA BULLDOGS 3rd - HUNTER, A struck out looking (2-2). CASTELLITTO
hit by pitch (1-1). BOLINGER, R flied out to cf to right center (1-0). WILSON,
S flied out to lf (1-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
BRIGHAM YOUNG 4th - AYOSO doubled down the rf line (0-1). AYOSO advanced
to third on a balk. GUENTHER grounded out to ss (2-2). HALL flied out to rf
down the rf line, SF, RBI (0-0); AYOSO scored. CLUFF singled to center field
(0-2). NIELSEN reached on a fielder's choice (0-1); CLUFF out at second ss to
2b. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
GONZAGA BULLDOGS 4th - STURDIVANT popped up to 2b to right field (1-0).
EDMAN, C lined out to 2b (2-2). ORTIZ, E lined out to 3b (1-1). 0 runs, 0
hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BRIGHAM YOUNG 5th - HANCOCK struck out looking (1-2). McNAUGHTON doubled
to left center (2-1). RELF popped up to 1b (2-1). WOLFE grounded out to 2b
(0-1). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
GONZAGA BULLDOGS 5th - HEID, D flied out to lf (2-1). YARDLEY, B flied
out to lf (2-1). HUNTER, A flied out to rf (2-1). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors,
0 LOB.
BRIGHAM YOUNG 6th - AYOSO flied out to cf (0-0). GUENTHER popped up to
2b to right center (1-2). HALL flied out to rf (0-0). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0
errors, 0 LOB.
GONZAGA BULLDOGS 6th - CASTELLITTO walked (3-0). SLOAN to p for
ANDERSON. BOLINGER, R popped up to ss (1-2). WILSON, S reached on a fielder's
choice (2-2); CASTELLITTO out at second ss to 2b. STURDIVANT walked (3-2);
WILSON, S advanced to second. EDMAN, C flied out to lf (0-2). 0 runs, 0
hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
BRIGHAM YOUNG 7th - CLUFF grounded out to 2b (0-1). NIELSEN popped up to
1b (2-0). HANCOCK lined out to ss (1-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0
LOB.
GONZAGA BULLDOGS 7th - ORTIZ, E singled to center field (2-2). HEID, D
struck out swinging (0-2). ORTIZ, E out at second c to 2b, caught stealing.
YARDLEY, B grounded out to ss (1-2). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BRIGHAM YOUNG 8th - McNAUGHTON grounded out to 3b (0-1). RELF doubled
down the lf line (1-2). WOLFE walked (3-1). AYOSO reached on a fielder's choice
(2-2); WOLFE out at second 2b to ss; RELF advanced to third. MOON, B to p for
BARON, L. GUENTHER grounded out to p (1-0). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2
LOB.
GONZAGA BULLDOGS 8th - HUNTER, A grounded out to p (0-1). CASTELLITTO
struck out looking (0-2). BOLINGER, R struck out swinging (2-2). 0 runs, 0
hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BRIGHAM YOUNG 9th - HALL grounded out to 3b (2-1). CLUFF grounded out to
3b (0-0). NIELSEN reached on a throwing error by ss (2-2). FRAMPTON pinch hit
for HANCOCK. FRAMPTON lined out to cf (1-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 error, 1
LOB.
GONZAGA BULLDOGS 9th - CLUFF to rf. WELLS to cf for FRAMPTON. WILSON, S
grounded out to p, bunt (1-1). ESLICK, C pinch hit for STURDIVANT. ESLICK, C
doubled to left center (0-2). CHISM, T pinch ran for ESLICK, C. McKNIGHT to p
for SLOAN. CHISM, T advanced to third on a wild pitch. EDMAN, C struck out
swinging (3-2). ORTIZ, E walked (3-1). HEID, D lined out to cf (0-2). 0
runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

Gonzaga hosts BYU in a two-game series on Monday and Tuesday preceding the Cougars' Mountain West Conference opener on Thursday at TCU.

BYU takes a 6-8 record into the first game with the Bulldogs. The Zags are just returning from a four-game weekend at the Irish Baseball Classic in San Antonio, Texas.

Starting on the mound in Monday's game for BYU will be junior righthander Shawn Hardesty (1-1, 8.22), while Tuesday's Cougar starter is TBA.

"This is the nature of the beast when you have to play 56 games in 14 weeks," said BYU coach Vance Law, in reference to this week's five games. “This is why depth on our pitching staff is critical.”

The Cougars just finished winning two of three games against Washington to open the home season as BYU raised its batting average from .299 to .329 last week.