Cougars defeat Saint Mary's 4-3, sweep three-game series

PROVO, Utah – Starting pitcher Bryce Robison scattered five hits and struck out three over 6.1 innings to lead BYU baseball to a 4-3 win over Saint Mary’s at Miller Park on Saturday.

“Bryce was very efficient today,” said BYU head coach Mike Littlewood. “He was pitching to contact and letting his defense do their work. We really needed a good outing form him today and he delivered.”

Robison recorded his sixth win of the season giving up just one earned run while facing 28 Gael hitters. 

While Robison kept the Gaels from scoring early, the Cougars came out swinging. In the bottom of the first, Mitch McIntyre scored off an Andrew Pintar single to center field. Pintar went on to steal second and later scored from third courtesy a Jacob Rogers single up the middle.

BYU would extend its lead to 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth when a Brock Watkins double to right field set up Abraham Valdez’s score off a sacrifice fly from McIntyre.

In the top of the fifth, the Gaels appeared to be threatening when a Cougar error allowed a Saint Mary’s runner to reach third. The Gaels would strand the runner at third when Hunter Swapp collected a pop-fly into shallow left field and a putout from Pintar ended the threat.

Following a scoreless sixth inning from both teams, Saint Mary’s pulled within one in the seventh when a runner scored off a throwing error and a walk with bases loaded sent another Gael home to cut the BYU lead to 3-2. BYU pitcher Reid McLaughlin then entered the game and successfully closed the door with a bases loaded strikeout to end the inning.

In the bottom of the eighth, Joshua Cowden would put away the game for the Cougars when he scored all the way from first base on a Valdez double to left center.

McLaughlin and Cooper McKeehan would close out the day on the mound for the Cougars, with McKeehan staving off a last gasp effort from the Gaels with a strikeout for out No. 2 and a groundout to third base to seal the victory.

With the win, BYU completes a three-game sweep of the Gaels and advances to 9-9 in WCC play, 16-23 on the season.

BYU faces UVU in the UCCU Crosstown Clash on Tuesday at 6 p.m. MDT. Tune into Tuesday’s game on the BYU Sports Network: BYU Radio 107.9 FM/BYU Cougars App.