Cougars Shut Out Washington, Take Series

SEATTLE – A gem by Cougar pitcher Justin Sterner helped BYU baseball roll to a 4-0 shutout victory over Washington at Husky Ballpark on Saturday.

“Justin really set the tone for us today and the hitters came out ready to play," BYU head coach Mike Littlewood said. "This was a great series win for our program."

BYU vs. Washington Box Score

Game Summary

• Justin Sterner tied a career high with seven strikeouts in 7.1 innings, allowing no runs and no walks with just two hits
• The win gave BYU the series, the Cougars’ seventh series win in nine played this year
• BYU scored three runs in the sixth off an RBI-double by Brock Hale, a hit by pitch drawn by Mitch McIntyre and a walk by Abraham Valdez, the latter two with the bases loaded

Player Highlights

• Brock Hale: 3-5, 2 2B, R, RBI
• Mitch McIntyre: 1-1, 2B, R, RBI, BB, 2 HBP
• Justin Sterner: W (7-3), 7.1 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

Coming off a 7-3 victory in game two, BYU (26-10) battled with the Huskies (17-17) through five scoreless innings. The Cougars broke through in the sixth with Brian Hsu leading off with a bunt single, the advancing to second on a sac bunt. Brock Hale doubled to score Hsu, then Jackson Cluff and Keaton Kringlen walked to load the bases.

Mitch McIntyre was hit by a pitch on a 3-2 count to score BYU’s second run; Abraham Valdez followed with a walk to bring in Cluff and give the Cougars the 3-0 advantage.

Sterner earned his seventh win of the year, allowing just one hit through six innings. He left the game in the seventh, finishing with a career-high-tying seven strikeouts with no runs and no walks allowed.

BYU added its final run in the eighth when the Husky center fielder committed an error on a ball hit by Casey Jacobsen that enabled McIntyre to come around from second.

Reid McLaughlin came in with two on and no outs in the ninth, retiring three successive Washington batters to collect his third save of the year.

BYU will get back into West Coast Conference play with a three-game series at Pacific starting Thursday, April 25, at 6 p.m. PT. All three games air on TheW.tv, BYU Radio and ESPN 960 AM.