Pacific logs more big hits than Cougars in 4-3 win

STOCKTON, California—A pair of leads slipped away Thursday night from BYU’s baseball team as Pacific came from behind for a 4-3 victory.

The Cougars (22-20 overall and 11-8 in the West Coast Conference) ended a five-game winning streak with the loss to Pacific (10-32, 8-12).

“This was a good ballgame and Pacific did what they had to do to get the win,” BYU coach Mike Littlewood said. “They got key hits and we didn't.”

BYU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning after Dillon Robinson’s two-run, 365-foot line-drive home run, his fourth of the season. Sans that belt in the 90-degree heat, the Cougars were unable to come up with any other big hits.

“It's time for 1, 2, 3 and 5 in our lineup to get back on track and help us offensively,” Littlewood said. “We had far too many chances throughout the game to score runs and just gave away at bats.

“We will see what we're made of tomorrow as we try to bounce back from this tough loss.”

A complete game by Kolton Mahoney with seven strikeouts from 123 pitches and errorless play wasn’t enough for the Cougars who out-hit the Tigers 10-8 and stranded eight compared to Pacific’s six left on base.

Meanwhile, the Sullivan brothers delivered for the Tigers. Tyler Sullivan doubled in the first Pacific run in the third. Brett Sullivan hit a solo homer in the fourth to tie the game at 2-2. Brett Sullivan led off with a double in the sixth then scored off Nate Verlin’s single to knot the score at 3-3. Verlin then scored the winning run with one out.

BYU’s Brennon Lund (22), Bronson Larsen (14) and Robinson (7) each extended their consecutive-game hitting streaks.

The two teams meet in the second of a three-game series on Friday at 6 p.m. PDT in a contest streamed live by theW.tv and available on BYU Radio through 960 AM.