Walk-off homer taints earlier win in split doubleheader

STOCKTON, California (February 23, 2017)—Shane Timmons’ walk-off home run in the 13th inning gave host San Jose State a 3-2 victory Thursday as BYU baseball split a doubleheader.

The Cougars, now 2-3, defeated Northern Colorado 6-0 earlier on Thursday in the San Jose Tournament, but the Spartans rallied to overcome 20 strikeouts by four BYU pitchers in the nightcap.

"We got two outstanding starting pitching performances today," BYU coach Mike Littlewood said.  "Maverik (Buffo) and Brady (Corless) were both dominant, we just didn't give Brady enough run support to get the win in game 2."

Brady Corless struck out a dozen in 7.2 innings against San Jose State and got the needed impetus when lefty reliever Rhett Parkinson struck out the batter with Spartans on first and second to bail him out of a jam in the eighth inning.

Keaton Kringlen singled in BYU’s go-ahead run in the ninth, scoring Daniel Schneemann from second with two on and two out. However, SJSU tied the score in the ninth before going on to win in the 13th inning.

The Cougars took the initial lead against San Jose State in the fourth inning when Kyle Dean led off with a double to right field, then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Dean scored on Nate Favero’s groundout to second.

The Spartans tied the score, 1-1, in the sixth with a one-out double off Corless. David Clawson prevented SJSU from taking the lead, chasing down an errant pitch on a strikeout and throwing out the runner attempting first to end the frame.

Favero’s bat came up big by way of a three-run homer off the scoreboard in the five-run second inning in the day’s opener against Northern Colorado. Favero’s dinger, his second of the young season, was the third-consecutive hit of that inning after Brock Hale and Dean singled. 

Bronson Larsen singled after Favero and scored on Brennon Anderson’s sacrifice fly. Schneemann, who doubled in the first inning, got aboard on an error, then scored on Tanner Chauncey’s single to end the scoring in the second.

Larsen drove in Shaver in the third as both of them accounted for two of the three singles that inning.

Buffo was superb in six innings of work against the Bears, getting out of bases-loaded jams in the third and fifth innings.  Buffo evened his record to 1-1 and struck out eight before he was relieved by Bo Burrup, then by Keaton Cenatiempo.

The Cougars have a Friday rematch against the Bears, who bring a 2-4 record into the noon PST game. SJSU, now 1-2, plays UNC in the nightcap on Friday in the tournament before hosting BYU on Saturday.