Four-Run Seventh Leads to Win

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A two-out rally in the seventh helped give BYU a 6-2 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Thursday at Whataburger Field.

One through eight in the Cougar lineup had at least one hit and the pitching staff combined for eight strikeouts and just one walk as BYU improved its record to 3-2.

“Jarod Lessar was pretty good in his first D-I start and set a great tone for us on the mound,” BYU head coach Mike Littlewood said. “We talk all the time about clutch hitting, solid pitching and playing catch; tonight, we did all three very well. Noah Hill did a great job tonight behind the plate and came up huge at the plate.”

Box Score

Game Summary

• BYU broke open a tied game in the seventh inning behind a single and three doubles to take a four-run lead
• BYU’s Jarod Lessar retired 10-straight batters from the first to the fourth inning before an infield single broke up the streak. One batter later, the Cougars threw the runner out at third base on a 7-6-3-2-5 play.
• The Cougars tallied 12 hits, their second double-digit hit game of the season

Player Highlights

• Brock Hale: 2-for-5, 2 RBI, R, SB
• Noah Hill: 3-for-3, RBI, R
• Jarod Lessar: 4.2 IP, 2 ER, 4 K
• Reid McLaughlin: W (1-0), 2.1 IP, 0 ER, 2 K

Tied 2-2 with two outs and two on in the top of the seventh inning, senior Brock Hale hit the first pitch he saw back up the middle for a two-RBI single to give BYU the lead. After Hale stole second, sophomore Jackson Cluff hit a double down the right field line, scoring Hale. Senior Keaton Kringlen answered with another double, scoring Cluff, to extend the lead to 6-2.

BYU had an initial 2-0 lead, first scoring on a solo home run by sophomore Mitch McIntyre, his first homer of the year.

With two outs in the fourth, sophomore DJ McNew singled to left field, then advanced a base on a wild pitch. Hill then singled through the left side, scoring McNew to make it 2-0.

After giving up a single to the first Islander batter of the game, sophomore starting pitcher Jarod Lessar retired the next 10 Corpus Christi hitters until an infield single with two outs in the bottom of the fourth broke the streak. However, an outstanding play in the field threw the runner out one batter later at third base on a 7-6-3-2-5 sequence.

A&M-Corpus Christi answered in the fifth, manufacturing a pair of runs to tie the game, 2-2, before BYU responded two innings later.

In his first career start as a Cougar, Lessar went 4.2 innings and struck out four. Freshman right-hander Reid McLaughlin picked up his first career win, collecting two strikeouts with no runs allowed in 2.1 innings. Senior right-hander Blake Inouye closed out the final two innings.

Eight Cougar batters had at least one hit, including Hill with three and Hale and senior Brian Hsu each tallying two apiece.

BYU will return to Whataburger Field on Friday, Feb. 22, at 2 p.m. CT to take on Ohio State (4-0).