Consecutive wins knock No. 19 San Diego out of first place

SAN DIEGO—A second-consecutive upset was registered by BYU baseball over No. 19 San Diego with a 12-8 victory on Saturday.

The Cougars (22-14 overall and 11-4 in the West Coast Conference) took the series by knocking the Toreros (27-11 and 13-5) out of first place in the league. BYU, who will sit no worse than third place in the WCC this weekend, moved up from fourth place past USD.

Pinch-hitter Nate Favero laced a three-run double to the centerfield wall to regain the Cougar lead at 9-8 in the seventh inning. Reliever Jordan Wood struck out the final batter looking in each of his three innings to improve his record to 3-0.

"This was a great weekend for BYU baseball," BYU coach Mike Littlewood said. "To go on the road and win a series against a team like San Diego is pretty special. Every guy on our team made a contribution the last three days and I couldn't be more proud of them."

A pair of six-run spurts in the second and seventh innings helped BYU win the rubber match against USD.

The Cougars took the initial lead when Bronson Larsen scored on Brennon Anderson’s right field single in the second inning. Then four-straight two-out singles by Tanner Chauncey, Keaton Kringlen, Brock Hale and Colton Shaver plated runs for a 6-0 start.

San Diego generated eight runs in the third, fifth and sixth innings to overtake BYU, 8-6, partially due to a two-run homer by Roman Garcia that chased starter Hayden Rogers from the mound in the fifth.

The second six-run BYU rally came in the seventh frame following Larsen’s ground-rule double, Favero produced the game-winning RBI. Schneemann then plated Favero with a single for a 10-8 margin. Kringlen completed the six-run seventh with a two-run single to left field to extend the cushion to 12-8.

Defensive plays bolstered the Cougars who were errorless. Kringlen made a diving catch to end the first inning as USD went down in order. A lineout to Daniel Schneemann set up an inning-ending double play to set the Toreros down in the second.

Kyle Dean ran down a Hunter Mercado-Hood’s deep fly ball in centerfield in the sixth for the second out. Shortstop Schneemann short-hopped a grounder for out No. 2 in the eighth.

Lefty Bo Burrup spelled Wood in the eighth, mowing USD down in order that inning and surrendering one hit in the ninth.

BYU is idle until Thursday when it hosts San Francisco to start a three-game series.