Fernley, Stone and Obrey Lead to Sweep at AFA

COLORADO SPRINGS -- Nate Fernley improved his bid to remain the NCAA's winningest pitcher Monday as BYU swept the Air Force Academy, 10-4 and 10-0.

The sweep gives BYU a two-and-one-half game lead for first place in the Mountain West Conference after the doubleheader had been postponed from last Saturday. Game three of the series is lost to the weather, but the teams likely will meet again next week in the first round of the MWC Tournament at San Diego, Calif., on May 16 at either 11 a.m. or 3 p.m., PDT. The Cougars improve to 32-18 overall and 19-7, while AFA drops to 22-29 and 7-19.

The shutout was the first given up by AFA at home since 1998 against Grand Canyon College and the first registered by BYU at Air Force since 1991.

Fernley recorded eight strikeouts with no walks, four hits and one run in game one to improve his record to 13-2 and lower his ERA to 3.34.

The big hit in game one was a two-run triple in the five-run second inning by Seth King. Kainoa Obrey belted a solo homers in the fourth of game one and in the first of game two for his 10th and 11th blasts of the season. King had a solo homer in the third inning of game two.

Shane Belliston doubled in both games and had a triple in game two to extend his hitting streak to 23 consecutive games. Belliston was nine-of-10 in the two games with six RBI. AFA struck out 13 Cougars in game two.

Jeff Stone, now 4-4, had a no-hitter through two innings until he gave up a single in the third and one in fifth in game two. Stone had a two-hitter going through his five complete innings, giving up one walk and striking out two. The victory was Stone's 25th in his college career, tying him in sixth place with Axle Hardy (1977-79) and placing him fourth among lefties in school history.

Stone was replaced by several Cougar relievers, starting with Jake Chrisman, who recently announced his decision to redshirt the upcoming basketball season.

BYU hosts UNLV beginning this Thursday at 6 p.m., when it could clinch the league title in the final home games at Miller Park. Friday's game with UNLV has been changed to 7 p.m., because of a post-game fireworks show. And Saturday's 1 p.m., game is preceded by a luncheon for Cougar Club members.

The Automated ScoreBook
                           BYU at Air Force (Game 1)
              May 07, 2001 at Air Force Academy,CO (Falcon Field)
BYU 10 (31-18,18-7 MWC)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
JACKSON, Doug lf.........  3  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   0
 LAW, Tim lf.............  0  0  0  0   0  0  2  0   0
 HAGUEWOOD, Ty pr/1b.....  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
BELLISTON, Shane cf......  5  1  4  2   0  0  1  0   0
CARSON, Matt rf..........  3  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   1
 WHITLEY, Aaron rf.......  2  0  0  0   0  2  0  0   0
OBREY, Kainoa 3b.........  2  2  1  1   0  1  0  0   0
 COUGHLAN, Cameron 2b....  2  0  0  0   0  0  0  2   2
HIESTAND, Jeff dh........  2  1  0  0   2  1  0  0   3
KING, Seth ss............  2  1  1  2   1  0  0  0   0
 HALES, Brad ss..........  0  0  0  1   0  0  0  0   0
WIRRICK, Michael 1b/lf...  2  2  1  1   2  0  8  1   0
BIRKELAND, Lars c........  4  2  2  1   0  1  9  0   3
PERRY, Tyler 2b/3b.......  4  1  2  2   0  0  0  1   0
FERNLEY, Nate p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  1   0
 ADAMS, Ryan p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
Totals................... 31 10 11 10   5  7 21  6   9
Air Force 4 (22-28,7-18 MWC)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
ROLLEG cf................  3  0  0  0   0  1  1  0   1
 LIEGL cf................  0  1  0  0   1  0  0  0   0
SHOCKLEY rf..............  2  0  1  0   0  1  1  0   0
 PHIFER rf...............  2  0  0  0   0  0  1  0   0
THIESSEN dh..............  4  1  2  2   0  1  0  0   1
GOLDSBERRY lf............  2  1  1  0   0  0  2  0   0
 ROSE lf.................  2  0  1  1   0  1  0  0   1
PARAMORE 3b..............  2  0  0  0   0  2  0  1   0
 KASEL 3b................  1  0  1  0   0  0  0  0   0
LABASCO 2b...............  3  0  1  1   0  1  2  4   0
FROST 1b.................  2  0  1  0   0  1  5  0   0
 HOWES 1b................  1  0  0  0   0  0  1  1   2
PROUTY ss................  3  0  0  0   0  0  1  2   1
ELLIS c..................  2  0  0  0   0  1  5  2   0
 CHAPADOS c..............  0  0  0  0   1  0  1  0   0
 WOLFRAM pr..............  0  1  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
KAERCHER p...............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 KOEGEL p................  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 BASHORE p...............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 WERNER p................  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0   0
Totals................... 29  4  8  4   2  9 21 10   6
Score by Innings                  R  H  E
-----------------------------------------
BYU................. 053 101 0 - 10 11  0
Air Force........... 010 001 2 -  4  8  2
-----------------------------------------
E - PARAMORE; KASEL. DP - Falcons 1. LOB - BYU 9; Falcons 6. 2B - BELLISTON
2(11); WIRRICK(2); THIESSEN(14); LABASCO(11); FROST(4). 3B - KING(2). HR -
OBREY(10). HBP - LAW 2; OBREY. SF - HALES. SB - SHOCKLEY(9). CS - LAW.
BYU                    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
FERNLEY, Nate.......  5.0  4  1  1  0  8 19 19
ADAMS, Ryan.........  2.0  4  3  3  2  1 10 12
Air Force              IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
KAERCHER............  2.2  8  8  8  2  3 17 20
KOEGEL..............  2.1  1  1  1  1  1  6  8
BASHORE.............  1.0  1  1  0  2  2  4  7
WERNER..............  1.0  1  0  0  0  1  4  5
Win - FERNLEY (13-2).  Loss - KAERCHER (4-6).  Save - None.
WP - KAERCHER 2. HB - KAERCHER; KOEGEL; WERNER. PB - BIRKELAND.
Umpires - Home:Rick Castorena  1st:Dan Weikle
Start: 11:00   Time: 2:20   Attendance: 55
                            The Automated ScoreBook
                           BYU at Air Force (Game 2)
              May 07, 2001 at Air Force Academy,CO (Falcon Field)
BYU 10 (32-18,19-7 MWC)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
JACKSON, Doug lf.........  6  1  3  1   0  0  0  0   0
BELLISTON, Shane cf......  5  1  3  3   0  1  1  0   1
 HALES, Brad ss..........  1  0  0  0   0  0  1  1   0
CARSON, Matt rf..........  4  1  0  0   2  4  2  0   2
OBREY, Kainoa 3b.........  4  1  1  1   1  3  0  2   4
KING, Seth ss............  4  1  1  1   0  2  2  3   2
 WHITLEY, Aaron ph.......  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
DAVIES, Michael c........  5  0  0  0   0  1  6  0   0
 HIESTAND, Jeff c........  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0   0
HAGUEWOOD, Ty 1b.........  5  2  3  0   0  1 11  1   1
COUGHLAN, Cameron dh.....  5  2  2  1   0  1  0  0   0
PERRY, Tyler 2b..........  3  1  2  0   1  0  3  3   1
STONE, Jeff p............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 CHRISMAN, Jake p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 KOFFMAN, Scott p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 WARD, Matt p............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 SU'A, Justin p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 43 10 15  7   4 13 27 12  11
Air Force 0 (22-29,7-19 MWC)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
THIESSEN cf..............  3  0  0  0   1  0  2  0   0
SHOCKLEY rf..............  3  0  0  0   0  2  1  0   2
 LIEGL cf................  1  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   2
GOLDSBERRY lf............  4  0  1  0   0  1  0  0   0
FROST 1b.................  3  0  0  0   0  0  3  0   0
 KASEL 1b................  1  0  1  0   0  0  3  1   0
BASHORE 3b...............  4  0  1  0   0  0  1  0   0
LABASCO 2b...............  4  0  1  0   0  2  2  3   2
ROSE dh..................  2  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 PHIFER ph...............  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
PETRO c..................  2  0  1  0   0  0 12  0   0
 CHAPADOS ph.............  0  0  0  0   1  0  1  0   0
WOLFRAM ss...............  2  0  0  0   0  1  1  3   0
 HOWES ph................  1  0  1  0   0  0  0  0   0
TUFTE p..................  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 FISHER p................  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 DIEHL p.................  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 CORNELL p...............  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0   0
Totals................... 31  0  6  0   2  7 27  9   6
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
BYU................. 331 021 000 - 10 15  0
Air Force........... 000 000 000 -  0  6  3
-------------------------------------------
E - BASHORE 2; WOLFRAM. DP - BYU 2. LOB - BYU 11; Falcons 6. 2B -
BELLISTON(12); HAGUEWOOD(8). 3B - BELLISTON(3). HR - OBREY(11); KING(7). HBP
- PERRY. SB - JACKSON 2.
BYU                    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
STONE, Jeff.........  5.0  2  0  0  1  2 16 17
CHRISMAN, Jake......  1.0  0  0  0  0  2  3  3
KOFFMAN, Scott......  1.0  1  0  0  0  1  4  4
WARD, Matt..........  1.0  1  0  0  1  1  4  5
SU'A, Justin........  1.0  2  0  0  0  1  4  4
Air Force              IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
TUFTE...............  5.0 13  9  8  1  7 28 29
FISHER..............  2.0  1  1  0  2  5  8 11
DIEHL...............  1.0  0  0  0  0  0  3  3
CORNELL.............  1.0  1  0  0  1  1  4  5
Win - STONE (4-4).  Loss - TUFTE (8-7).  Save - None.
WP - TUFTE. HB - FISHER.
Umpires - Home:Dan Weikle  1st:Rick Castorena
Start: 1:45   Time: 2:55
Game notes:
Mountain West Conference Game
Second Game of Doubleheader