Utah Game Suspended Until Friday Afternoon

Salt Lake City (April 5, 2001)--A pair of rain delays forced a suspended game Thursday to carry over to Friday at 4 p.m., with BYU leading Utah, 10-3, going into the bottom of the sixth inning.

"Conference rules say we must play every game out unless it is on a get-away day," said BYU Coach Vance Law. "The rule says we must play on the next available date. The umps are to be commended because they tried to get the game in."

The game's start was delayed nearly a half an hour because of rains at Franklin Covey Field. The infield was tarped before pregame warmups, then reapplied 45 minutes after the start of the game.

During those first three innings, BYU pitcher Nate Fernley had a no-hitter going. When play resumed an hour later with BYU leading 5-0, Fernley came back tight. He hit the first Ute batter, walked the second and then surrendered a home run to Nate Weese.

Home runs helped the Cougars build their 5-0 lead with Matt Carson hitting a towering, two-run homer in the first inning and Seth King getting a solo shot in the second. Jeff Hiestand hit a two-run double in the third to score Shane Belliston and Carson.

BYU scored four runs after the rain-delay in the fifth inning off five consecutive hits, capped by Birkeland's two-run double off the left field wall, scoring King and Michael Wirrick. The 10th run scored in the sixth after Belliston hit a lead-off triple to deep centerfield and was singled in by Hiestand.

Elapsed game time thus far was an hour and 44 minutes, but Fernley is done for the weekend. The senior pitched all five innings, giving up two hits, three runs, one walk, three strikeouts and throwing 71 pitches. Game two of the series will be played on Friday after the suspended game is completed. KSRR Radio (1400 AM) will carry the entire broadcast of Friday's action.

BYU   212   041--10 12 0
UU     000   30--3 2 0
Fernley and Birkeland.  Bailey