Cougars earn sweep over Milwaukee

PROVO, Utah – Sophomore DJ McNew recorded four RBIs to aid the BYU baseball team to a 5-3 win and a sweep in the series against Milwaukee on Saturday at Larry H. Miller Field.

The Cougars improved to 11-3 on the year, the second-best start by BYU through 14 games since 1970.

"I thought the pitchers on both sides did a nice job keeping each other off-balance and we happened to get a couple big hits here and there," BYU head coach Mike Littlewood said. "Again today, as we have the last couple days, we got production one through nine which was nice."

BYU vs. Milwaukee Box Score

Game Summary

• The Cougar defense held the Panthers scoreless through five innings before allowing two runs on a triple in the sixth.
• BYU scored a single run in the second through fifth innings and then tallied a pair in the fifth.
• Milwaukee got another run on the board in the top of the ninth after four batters walked, but Reid McLaughlin earned the save after striking out the final batter of the game.

Player Highlights

• DJ McNew: 2-2, SF, 4 RBI
• Mitch McIntyre: 2-4, R, 2B
• Justin Sterner: W (3-1), 5.1 IP, 2 ER, 4 H, 6 K

Sophomore Justin Sterner earned the win for BYU to improve to 3-1 on the year, going 5.1 innings with six strikeouts.

The Cougars scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the second when senior Keaton Kringlen crossed home after McNew singled to left field.

In the third inning with bases loaded, senior Brock Hale grounded out to shortstop but sent freshman Carson Matthews home for a 2-0 BYU lead after three.

Sophomore Mitch McIntyre stepped up to bat in the fourth inning and blasted a hit to right field, resulting in a double. He advanced to third on a passed ball before coming home as McNew tallied his second RBI to give the Cougars a 3-0 lead.

BYU added two more runs again off McNew's bat, this time recording a two-run single on a hit down the right field line with the bases loaded. 

McNew finished the game 2-for-2 with four RBIs and a walk. McIntyre, senior Brian Hsu and sophomore Danny Gelalich also had two hits apiece.

In the top of the ninth with the score 5-2, the Panthers earned a run after four players walked, cutting the deficit to two runs. Freshman Reid McLaughlin entered the game with two outs and bases still loaded, then struck out the Milwaukee batter on six pitches to end the game.

"He's a guy we trust giving the ball to as a freshman and we know he's going to throw strikes," Littlewood said of McLaughlin.

BYU continues play at Miller Field on Thursday, Mar. 14, as they begin West Coast Conference action against Gonzaga in a three-game series. The game will be streamed live on TheW.tv while audio broadcasts can be heard on BYU Radio and ESPN 960 AM.