Belliston, Fernley Help Break Five-Game Skid

U.S.A.F. ACADEMY -- Reliever Nate Fernley picked up his sixth save of the season Friday to lead BYU to an 8-6 victory over the Air Force Academy and break a five-game skid.

Fernley took the mound in the sixth inning after Shane Belliston's double to center field drove in two runs to break a five-all deadlock. Belliston's double was the third consecutive hit of that inning which scored Nate Mathis and Aaron Whitley.

When Fernley relieved Jeff Stone, there was one out with men on the corners. Steve Jones hit Fernley's first pitch back to the mound and he fielded it to start a double play.

With the bases loaded, Jones grounded into his second double play again with second baseman Mathis again in the middle in the eighth inning when Seth King fielded a slow hopper to end that inning.

"Fernley did an outstanding job in a tough spot with men on first and third," said BYU Coach Vance Law. "Jeff (Stone) didn't have his best stuff, but he competed."

"We went right out swinging the bats trying to establish the offense first and let them know we are here to score. I've had to be patient with Shane (Belliston) and we think that he's in a good spot right now. I've lowered him in the batting order to take pressure off him."

Belliston led all players, going four-of-five with three RBI. Teammate Craig Peterson added an insurance run with a seventh-inning solo homer. Stone improved his record to 8-4 in striking out five in five and one-third innings.

The Cougars, now 23-20 overall and 11-8 in the Mountain West Conference, play a noon doubleheader on Saturday at Air Force, now 18-23 and 3-14.

The Automated ScoreBook
Brigham Young at Air Force Academy
Apr 21, 2000 at Air Force Academy,CO (Falcon Field)
Brigham Young 8 (23-20,11-8 MWC)
Player  AB      R       H       RBI     BB      SO      PO      A       LOB
WHITLEY, Aaron dh       4       1       2       1       0       0       0       0       0
 GREENE, Nick ph        1       0       0       0       0       0       0       0       0
BELLISTON, Shane cf     5       1       4       3       0       1       2       0       0
DAY, Nick lf    4       0       1       0       1       0       1       0       0
DAVIES, Michael c       4       0       1       1       1       1       7       0       2
CARSON, Matt rf 4       1       1       0       0       0       0       0       3
OBREY, Kainoa 3b        4       1       0       0       1       1       1       2       0
PETERSON, Craig 1b      4       2       2       1       0       0       9       1       1
 HAGUEWOOD, Ty ph       1       0       0       0       0       1       0       0       1
KING, Seth ss   4       0       1       1       0       0       1       2       0
MATHIS, Nate 2b 4       2       2       1       0       0       4       3       1
STONE, Jeff p   0       0       0       0       0       0       2       1       0
 FERNLEY, Nate p        0       0       0       0       0       0       0       1       0
Totals......    39      8       14      8       3       4       27      10      8
Air Force Academy 6 (18-23,3-14 MWC)
Player  AB      R       H       RBI     BB      SO      PO      A       LOB
Thiessen cf     5       2       3       1       0       0       0       1       0
Shannon 2b      5       2       3       1       0       0       3       3       0
Phifer rf       2       1       2       1       1       0       4       0       0
Humphrey 1b     4       0       2       3       0       1       10      1       3
Jones 3b        5       0       0       0       0       2       0       0       3
Goldsberry lf   4       0       2       0       1       0       2       0       0
Gornick dh      5       0       1       0       0       1       0       0       2
Murphy c        4       0       0       0       0       2       4       2       0
 Kasel ph       1       0       0       0       0       1       0       0       0
LaBasco ss      5       1       1       0       0       0       3       3       4
Kaercher p      0       0       0       0       0       0       1       1       0
 Bashore p      0       0       0       0       0       0       0       0       0
Totals......    40      6       14      6       2       7       27      11      12
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
Brigham Young....... 131 002 100 -  8 14  3
Air Force Academy... 210 201 000 -  6 14  1
-------------------------------------------
E - OBREY; KING; STONE; Jones. DP - Cougars 2. LOB - Cougars 8; Falcons 12.
2B - BELLISTON; CARSON; KING; MATHIS; Shannon; Humphrey; Goldsberry. HR -
PETERSON(3). HBP - CARSON; Phifer 2; Humphrey. CS - BELLISTON; DAY.
Brigham Young           IP      H       R       ER      BB      SO      AB      BF
STONE, Jeff     5.1     11      6       5       2       5       27      31
FERNLEY, Nate   3.2     3       0       0       0       2       13      14
Air Force Academy       IP      H       R       ER      BB      SO      AB      BF
Kaercher        5.1     13      7       6       1       0       28      30
Bashore 3.2     1       1       1       2       4       11      13
Win - STONE (8-4).  Loss - Kaercher (5-5).  Save - FERNLEY (6).
WP - STONE; Kaercher 2. HB - STONE 2; FERNLEY; Kaercher. PB - Murphy.
Umpires - Home:Rick Castorena  1st:Bill Speck  3rd:Terry Balser
Start: 2:00   Time: 2:35   Attendance: 226
Game: BYU43
Game notes:
Mountain West Conference Game
First game of three-game series