Cougars win 4-3 at Nebraska on Saturday

LINCOLN, Nebraska — BYU baseball came from behind for the third-straight game to defeat Nebraska 4-3 on Saturday and win the four-game series 3-1 at Haymarket Park. 

“Our guys did a great job of battling at the plate today, and with our pitching staff we feel like we are never out of a game,” said BYU interim head coach Trent Pratt. “We did a great job of not giving them a big inning. Every guy that came into the game today, both on the hill and at the plate, did their job. It was another great team win.” 

Nebraska (13-21, 4-5) scored first for the fourth-straight game on a leadoff home run in the first inning to take a 1-0 advantage. The Cornhuskers extended their lead to 2-0 with another solo home run in the bottom of the third inning. 

After scoreless innings in the fourth and the fifth, BYU (20-13, 6-6) got on the board in the top of the sixth with two runs to tie the game at 2-2. After Dawsen Hall was hit by a pitch to open the inning, Brock Watkins hit the first pitch he saw over the right-center wall for a two-run home run to tie the game. 

Nebraska retook the lead in the bottom half of the inning on a hit-by-pitch, a bunt and a sacrifice bunt to lead 3-2.  

The Cougars responded with two more runs in the top of the seventh to retake the lead. After reaching first on a throwing error, Josh Cowden advanced to third on a single up the middle by Mason Strong. Strong, who had two hits on the day, then advanced to second on a wild pitch to set up a two-run single up the middle by Ozzie Pratt that scored both runs for a 4-3 BYU lead. 

Scoreless outings by Cougar pitchers Cooper McKeehan, Ayden Callahan and Reid McLaughlin over the final three innings clinched the win for BYU, its third come-from-behind victory in the four-game series. 

“We played for each other all weekend,” Callahan said. “It was a great series win for our team, and I was really excited to be able to contribute to the win today.” 

BYU’s five pitchers scattered eight hits for three earned runs in the victory. McKeehan (1-0) got the win, while McLaughlin picked up his second save of the series in as many days, giving the Cougar closer seven saves on the year.  

The Cougars are now 10-3 versus Power Five programs in 2022. In the addition to the 3-1 series victory at Nebraska, BYU has wins over then No. 6 Oklahoma State, Ohio State, Utah and a program-first series sweep of Arizona State in Phoenix. 

BYU returns to action versus rival Utah (19-14-1, 6-8) on Tuesday, April 19, at Smith’s Ballpark in Salt Lake City. The Cougars defeated the Utes in the first meeting of the year on March 15 by a score of 10-3. Following the midweek game, BYU will resume West Coast Conference play against San Diego (22-11, 9-5) in a three-game series at Miller Park, April 21-23. 

The BYU-Utah game is scheduled for 6 p.m. MDT and will be streamed live on the Pac-12 Network, while the audio broadcast can be heard on the BYU Sports Network—107.9 FM, BYUCougars.com and BYU Cougars app.