Wood leads Cougars to 3-1 win over Pacific

BYU at Pacific game 1 box score

PROVO, Utah — Pitcher Jordan Wood led the BYU baseball team to a 3-1 win over Pacific in the series opener at Larry H. Miller Field on Thursday night.

“The game had a really good pace,” BYU head coach Mike Littlewood said. “I think we just executed a little bit better tonight than we have been. Casey [Jacobsen] and Jordan [Wood] were both just pounding the zone. This was a well-played baseball game.”

On the night, Wood tallied three strikeouts, while allowing six hits on 121 pitches. He was one batter shy of his second complete game of the season. He earned his fifth win of the season for a 5-4 record. Drew Zimmerman finished the game on the mound, throwing three-straight strikes to end the game for his fourth save of the season.

The first hit of the game for the Cougars (22-26, 11-14 WCC) came in the third inning when Casey Jacobsen homered to left field for his first homerun of his career and a 1-0 lead.

Jacobsen tallied his second hit of the game in the sixth, singling to center field. Following a walk by Mitch McIntyre, Brennon Anderson reached first base on a fielder’s choice, despite Jacobsen getting out at third. Daniel Schneemann hit a sacrifice fly, sending McIntyre home for the second run of the game for BYU.

Nate Favero led off with a double to center field in the seventh inning and crossed home plate when Keaton Kringlen singled to left field, extending the Cougar lead to 3-0.

With no outs in the top of the eighth, Pacific (20-29, 9-16 WCC) scored its first and only run of the game after an error by Wood. Anderson, Schneemann and Favero combined for a double play for the first two outs to quell the threat. Wood followed by finishing off the inning with a strikeout, keeping BYU on top 3-1.

The Cougar defense came together for two quick outs in the ninth, but the Tigers reached first base after getting hit by a pitch. A single up the middle gave Pacific a runner in scoring position before Zimmerman struck out the final batter of the game, giving BYU a 3-1 victory in the first game of the series.

The Cougars continue at home on Friday at 6 p.m. MDT to play game two in the series against Pacific. Live coverage will be available on BYUtv and audio broadcasts can be heard on BYU Radio (Sirius XM 143) and ESPN 960 AM.