Three-run eighth dooms Cougars in 4-3 loss

BYU vs. Gonzaga game 3 box score

PROVO, Utah – Gonzaga rallied late to spoil Blake Inouye’s solid outing and an opportunity for a BYU sweep Saturday in a 4-3 decision at Larry H. Miller Field.

"When two good teams play, you win or lose with a play here or there," BYU head coach Mike Littlewood said. "We saw some good things this week."

The Bulldogs (12-10, 3-3 West Coast Conference) used a single and a Cougar error en route to loading the bases in the eighth with a 1-1 tie. A single, two walks and a hits batsman plated three Zags and BYU (12-10, 2-4 WCC) was unable to come back.

Inouye started for the Cougars and allowed just four hits and one earned run in six innings of work.

"Blake (Inouye) gave us exactly what we needed," Littlewood said. "He showed us that he can definitely be a starter for us."

BYU scored first by getting Mitch McIntyre over and in after he reached on an error in the third. Gonzaga squared it up at 1-1 with a pair of hits in the sixth.

The Cougars responded to the Bulldogs’ eighth-inning rally by putting up a pair of runs in the bottom half. Jarrett Perns led off the inning with a double and Keaton Kringlen and Brian Hsu singled. However, BYU stranded runners on the corners with a 6-3-6 double play groundout.

On Tuesday, the Cougars play at UVU in the second leg of the UCCU Crosstown Clash (BYU won the first game 9-3 in Provo). Then, they play a three-game weekend series at Pepperdine.