Cougars roll Tigers 9-3 for eighth straight win

PROVO, Utah — BYU baseball scored early and often to defeat Pacific 9-3 Friday night in game two of a three-game WCC series at Miller Park. The Cougars have now won eight-straight games including six straight in conference. 

"That was an all-round good game for us tonight," said BYU interim head coach Trent Pratt. "We scored early, swung the bats well all night and Bryce Robison did a great job on the mound." 

The Cougars took an early lead as they jumped on Pacific starter Jon Fortner (2-9) scoring two runs on four hits in the first inning. Fortner gave up five runs on 10 hits in 4.2 innings of work.

After Pacific (14-33, 5-18) retired the first two BYU (30-18, 13-10) batters in the bottom the first inning, Gambill singled to center field, advanced to second on a wild pitch and came around to score on a Sepede single to left field. Deming then followed with a double down the left field line and Josh Cowden was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Sepede made it a 2-0 lead when he scored on a wild pitch. 

Following three scoreless innings, Pratt added to the Cougar lead by taking the first pitch in the bottom the fifth inning deep to right field for the second home run of his BYU career. Then with one out Gambill singled to center, Sepede walked and Deming single to load the based. Cowden then hit a hard ground ball to right field that scored Gambill and Sepede to give BYU a 5-0 advantage.

The Tigers got on the board in the top of the sixth, scoring three runs off four hits before Cy Nielson entered the game in relief of Robison and got the final out of the inning. 

BYU responded with two runs of its own in the bottom half of the inning. Watkins took a 1-0 offering and blasted it into the street over the center field fence. Gambill then walked and scored from first on a Deming double to left-center field that pushed the lead to 7-3.

The Cougars scored the final two runs of the game in the seventh, for a final score of 9-3. Collin Reuter and Dawson Hall recorded back-to-back singles putting runners on first and second. They both advanced a base on a wild pitch and Pratt singled up the middle clearing the bases for his second and third RBI of the night.

BYU turned its third double play of the night in the top of the ninth and Jansen Keisel recorded the Cougars ninth strikeout of the night to end the game. 

Robison (7-1) went 5.2 innings with five strikeouts while surrendering just three runs for the win. BYU had six starters record multiple hits in the 9-3 win. Watkins and Deming each carded three hits with Watkins going 3-for-5 with a home run and Deming going 3-for-5 with two doubles and an RBI.

Player Highlights
Ozzie Pratt: 2-5, 3 RBI, Run, HR
Cole Gambill: 2-4, 3 Runs
Ryan Sepede: 2-4, 2 Runs, RBI