Stone Leads to Sweep of Utes

Salt Lake City (April 7, 2001)--Lefty Jeff Stone and Sam Swenson each put themselves in the record books for their respective schools Saturday as BYU defeated Utah, 11-2.

Stone, now 2-3, picked up his 23rd victory in his BYU career by throwing 96 pitches, scattering eight hits, and giving up two runs in seven innings, aided by gusty winds blowing from the South to contain Ute hitters. Swenson picked up his 202nd career hit in the seventh inning off Stone to become the all-time Utah batter.

The victory gave the Cougars a three-game sweep over the Utes and propelled BYU back into at least a tie for first place of the Mountain West Conference with a 10-7 league record. It also marked the sixth consecutive victory for BYU, who improved to 21-14 overall, while Utah fell to 17-19 and 6-9.

Kainoa Obrey's two-out, two-run single gave BYU a 3-0 advantage in the third inning. Obrey's check swing was appealed, but denied, giving him new life to take the 2-2 pitch to left field and score fellow Hawai`an Doug Jackson and Shane Belliston. Belliston's bunt drew in the pitcher and third baseman, leaving no one on the hot corner as Jackson rounded second.

Jackson, who led all Cougars with three RBI, knocked in the first run that inning, also to left field to score Michael Wirrick, who had singled into left and advanced on a wild pitch by Jason Wylie.

Wirrick scored again in the fourth inning when he was hit by a pitch and doubled in by Lars Birkeland. Birkeland stole third, causing the catcher to make a bad throw and scored BYU's fifth run.

BYU batted around in the six-run seventh off of six hits. Jackson, BYU's lead-off batter, was up twice with a pair of singles that inning, the second of which drove in the final two runs.

Meanwhile, Stone got double play help in the first, second and sixth innings. Utah got its two runs in the sixth when Adam Castleton and Nate Weese hit back-to-back singles.

"This is the best game Jeff Stone has thrown all year," said BYU Coach Vance Law.

"The wind helped keep a few balls in the park and I finally got some breaks from ground balls," said Stone, who steadily improves following an MRI, immobilization, and rehabilitation to his elbow in the off-season.

There were no rain delays in game three like there had been in the previous two days. The crew and Utes deserve a lot of credit for enduring the strain of the weather to have the immaculate conditions at Franklin Covey Field as the games were sandwiched in under the conditions.

Next, the Cougars finally get to open their home season in the long-awaited Miller Park this Thursday under the lights at 6 p.m. as they begin hosting New Mexico in a three-game series.

The Automated ScoreBook
                   Brigham Young Univ. at University of Utah
          Apr 07, 2001 at Salt Lake City, Utah (Franklin Covey Field)
Brigham Young Univ. 11 (21-14,10-5 MWC)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
JACKSON, Doug lf/cf......  4  2  3  3   0  1  3  0   0
BELLISTON, Shane cf......  4  2  2  0   0  1  1  0   1
 WHITLEY, Aaron ph/lf....  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0   0
CARSON, Matt rf..........  4  1  1  1   1  1  5  0   3
OBREY, Kainoa 3b.........  4  1  2  2   0  0  0  3   0
 COUGHLAN, Cameron 2b....  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
HIESTAND, Jeff dh........  2  1  0  1   2  0  0  0   2
 HAGUEWOOD, Ty ph........  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
KING, Seth ss............  3  0  0  1   0  2  2  3   1
 HALES, Brad ss..........  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  2   0
WIRRICK, Michael 1b......  2  2  1  0   1  0  7  0   0
 LAW, Tim 1b.............  1  0  0  0   0  0  4  0   0
BIRKELAND, Lars c........  4  2  1  1   1  1  2  1   0
PERRY, Tyler 2b/3b.......  4  0  1  1   1  0  2  3   0
STONE, Jeff p............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 DOXEY, Tom p............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 35 11 11 10   6  6 27 13   7
University of Utah 2 (17-19,6-9 MWC)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
SABA, Donnie lf..........  4  1  2  0   0  0  3  0   1
CASTLETON, Adam 2b.......  4  1  1  1   0  0  0  6   0
WEESE, Nate 1b...........  4  0  2  1   0  0 12  1   0
SHELTON, Chris dh........  4  0  2  0   0  0  0  0   0
SWENSON, Sam cf..........  3  0  1  0   1  0  2  0   2
PANNIER, Brit rf.........  4  0  1  0   0  2  2  0   0
WESTFALL, Mike 3b........  4  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   0
MAESTAS, Tommy ss........  4  0  0  0   0  0  1  3   1
HAWES, Donald c..........  4  0  1  0   0  0  6  0   3
WYLIE, Jason p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  1   0
 EBRIGHT, David p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 HEUSSER, Ben p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 LEWIS, Jon p............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 McAFEE, Matt p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 OVERHOLT, Sean p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 REISBECK, Ryan p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 35  2 10  2   1  3 27 11   7
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
Brigham Young Univ.. 003 200 600 - 11 11  2
University of Utah.. 000 002 000 -  2 10  3
-------------------------------------------
E - BELLISTON; CARSON; SABA; HAWES 2. DP - Cougars 3; Utes 1. LOB - Cougars
7; Utes 7. 2B - BIRKELAND; HAWES. HBP - JACKSON; WHITLEY; WIRRICK. SF -
KING. SB - BIRKELAND; PERRY; SABA.
Brigham Young Univ.    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
STONE, Jeff.........  7.0  8  2  2  1  2 26 27
DOXEY, Tom..........  2.0  2  0  0  0  1  9  9
University of Utah     IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
WYLIE, Jason........  6.0  5  5  4  4  6 21 27
EBRIGHT, David......  0.0  3  3  3  0  0  3  3
HEUSSER, Ben........  0.0  1  2  2  1  0  1  2
LEWIS, Jon..........  0.2  2  1  1  1  0  3  5
McAFEE, Matt........  0.1  0  0  0  0  0  1  2
OVERHOLT, Sean......  1.0  0  0  0  0  0  3  3
REISBECK, Ryan......  1.0  0  0  0  0  0  3  3
Win - STONE (2-3).  Loss - WYLIE (1-1).  Save - None.
WP - WYLIE. HB - WYLIE 2; McAFEE.
Umpires - Home:Terry Balser  1st:Dan Weikle  3rd:Blake Jensen
Start: 1:25   Time: 2:43   Attendance: 400
Game notes:
Game 3 of 3
EBRIGHT faced 3 batters in the 7th.
HEUSSER faced 2 batters in the 7th.