BYU falls to USF in game two Friday

PROVO, Utah — BYU baseball dropped the second game of a three-game series with San Francisco, 15-5, at Miller Park on Friday night.

With the win, USF improves to 13-12 (4-7) while BYU falls to 10-19 (4-7 WCC) on the year. With the West Coast Conference series tied at 1-1, the Cougars will face the Dons in the final game of the three-game series on Saturday at 1 p.m. MDT. 

Game Summary 
  •  BYU yielded a season-high 18 hits including three home runs to the Dons
  •  The Dons had runners aboard in all nine innings, scoring 15 while stranding 14
  •  USF first baseman Christian Stapleton was 3-5 with 2 HRs and 7 RBI

BYU Highlights
  •  Chad Call: 1-3, 2 RBI, 2B
  •  Jacob Wilk: 1-4, RBI, Run
  •  Parker Goff: 2 HBP, RBI, Run

Following a scoreless first inning, Ryan Sepede singled to lead off the bottom of the second for BYU. After Cooper Vest was hit by a pitch, Jacob Wilk flew out to deep center, moving Sepede to third. Parker Goff then drove Sepede home with a sacrifice fly to center field to give the Cougars a 1-0 lead.

In the top of the third inning the Dons responded with a three-run home run over the scoreboard in right field to take a 3-1 lead, then tacked on two more later in the at bat to stretch the advantage to 5-1.

BYU got a run back in the bottom half of the inning when Ozzie Pratt reached on a one-out double into the left-field corner and later scored on a Cole Gambill infield ground ball to second base to cut the USF lead to 5-2.

San Francisco extended the lead to 6-2 with a lead-off home run in the top of the fifth and scored two more later in the inning for an 8-2 advantage. 

In the bottom of the sixth, Gambil led off with a single up the middle and advanced to second on a passed ball. With two outs, Wilk singled to center field to score Gambill and make it an 8-3 ball game. Then Parker Goff was hit by a pitch that moved Wilk to second. Goff and Wilk advanced to second and third respectively on a wild pitch and Chad Call delivered a two-run double down the right-field line to draw within three, 8-5.

USF blew the game open in the seventh on a Christian Stapleton grand slam over the center field wall for a 12-5 lead. The Dons tacked on an insurance run in the seventh and two more in the eighth to capture game-two of the series, 15-5.

BYU and San Francisco will meet Saturday in the series rubber match at 1 p.m. MDT. 

The game will be broadcast live on the BYU Radio App and simulcast on 107.9 in the northern Utah market with the Voice of the Cougars, Greg Wrubell on the call. The game will also air live on the BYUtv App and online at BYUtv.org with Dave McCann and Gary Sheide providing play-by-play and analysis.