Favero's homer at Kansas yields 7-6 win and 10-1 record

LAWRENCE, Kansas (March 5, 2016)—Nate Favero’s two-run homer in the ninth inning allowed Mason Marshall to slam the the door shut Saturday in a 7-6 BYU baseball win at Kansas.

That victory gave the Cougars a three-game sweep over the Jayhawks (3-7), a dozen career saves for Marshall (second in Cougar records) and a 10-1 team record for the best start in school history.

Favero homered on the first pitch, sending the baseball off the scoreboard in right field as pinch-runner Court Iorg scooted across the plate. Colton Shaver, who batted 4-for-5 on the day, started that inning with a ground-rule double.

Marshall was the second reliever of the final inning, taking the mound with one out and Jayhawks on the corners. Marshall struck out Colby Wright on three “straight” pitches, then got his second batter to ground out to third base to preserve the win for reliever Keaton Cenatiempo (1-0).

“I couldn't be more proud of the way Keaton (Cenatiempo) threw this week, and Mason (Marshall) was lights out again today in a big time pressure situation,” BYU coach Mike Littlewood said. ““This team just won't quit. They believe they can win and will fight until the last bell.”

The Cougars spotted a 3-0 lead to Kansas and battled back three times for leads of 4-3, 5-4 and finally 7-6. Cenatiempo no-hit seven Jayhawks after replacing lefty Hayden Rogers in the seventh when the score favored Kansas, 6-5.

“Colton (Shaver) and Nate (Favero) really stepped up for us offensively, but everyone in the lineup put together great at bats throughout the game,” Littlewood said.

All the BYU starters collected at least one hit, but one of the bigger ones came in the fifth inning when Shaver belted a three-run homer on a 2-1 pitch. Shaver’s dinger, the second of the season, caused the Jayhawk centerfielder to give chase then watch it sail over the fence for BYU’s first lead of the game, 4-3.

Another came in the sixth when Eric Urry’s double bounded over the right field wall, preventing a second run from scoring as Brennon Anderson had to remain at third base with a 5-4 lead.

The Cougars return to Provo to open the home season with a 12-game stand, starting with Utah Valley on Tuesday at 6 p.m. That game will be streamed live over TheW.tv and through BYU radio and Sirius Satellite 143.

“This team is ready to come back home and open up at Miller Park in Tuesday,” Littlewood said. “Utah Valley is much improved from last year and we know we have our work cut out.”