Falcons Split Doubleheader

PROVO -- More "firsts" came for BYU baseball as it split a doubleheader Saturday with the Air Force Academy, losing 6-2 in the opener and winning 4-2.

The Cougars, now 14-11 overall and 5-1 in the Mountain West Conference, lost their first home game and first league game of the season in a seven-inning tilt which produced the first BYU home run with the extended fences.

A three-run homer by Chris Humphrey in the first inning gave Air Force pitcher Michael Tufte the needed cushion to pitch his second complete game in as many years for another defeat over BYU in Provo. Humphrey also hit a solo homer in the seventh.

Tufte scattered seven hits and struck out six Cougars to improve his record to 3-4.

BYU starter Micah Mangrum took the loss and was spelled after he worked himself out of a fourth-inning jam when the Falcons loaded the bases after two outs. The Cougars didn't score until the sixth inning when Matt Carson singled in Michael Davies.

That run avoided a shutout for BYU, who hasn't been blanked since 1980 at home. Cougar Seth King belted BYU's first homer over the newly-extended fences with a centerfield blast in the seventh.

Carson, the newly-named MWC player of the week, continued to help the Cougars in the nightcap with a third-inning two-run triple.

"Carson seems to be a better hitter with men in scoring position," said BYU Coach Vance Law. "We took advantage of our breaks in the second game."

One of those breaks came in the seventh inning after AFA intentionally walked Nick Day with two outs, then hit Davies with a pitch and Carson's shot to third resulted in an error to score Nate Mathis.

In the sixth inning of the nightcap with a 3-2 lead, Law elected to bring in ace reliever Nate Fernley who closed the door on the Falcons. Fernley struck out five in four innings to earn his third save of the season to the delight of most of the 630 fans. He surrendered only two hits, both in the ninth inning.

"Nate is always tough," said Law. "He has a rubber arm and thorws the slider any time. He throws harder than people think."

With the 4-2 victory preserved, BYU won the three-game series with the Falcons, now with a 13-12 overall record and 1-4 in the MWC. The Cougars are next in action on Wednesday when they host Mesa State before the three-game series begins with Utah on Thursday in Provo.

The Automated ScoreBook
               Air Force Academy at Brigham Young Univ. (Game 2)
                   Mar 18, 2000 at Provo, Utah (Cougar Field)
Air Force Academy 6 (13-11,1-3 MWC)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
THIESSEN, Mike cf........  3  0  0  0   1  1  3  0   0
SHANNON, Brendan 2b......  4  1  2  0   0  0  2  3   3
GOLDSBERRY, Gerremy lf...  4  2  2  0   0  0  0  0   0
HUMPHREY, Chris dh.......  4  2  3  4   0  1  0  0   0
CARVILLE, Ryan 1b........  4  1  1  0   0  0  5  2   1
PHIFER, Josh rf..........  4  0  1  1   0  1  2  0   0
LABASCO, Brian ss........  3  0  0  0   0  1  1  1   0
JONES, Steve 3b..........  2  0  1  0   1  0  0  1   0
MURPHY, Jim c............  3  0  2  0   0  0  6  0   0
TUFTE, Michael p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  2  1   0
Totals................... 31  6 12  5   2  4 21  8   6
Brigham Young Univ. 2 (14-11,4-1 MWC)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
BELLISTON, Shane cf......  4  0  1  0   0  1  0  0   2
PETERSON, Craig 1b.......  4  0  1  0   0  0  7  1   0
DAY, Nick lf.............  3  0  0  0   1  1  1  1   0
DAVIES, Michael dh/c.....  3  1  0  0   0  1  3  0   2
OBREY, Kainoa 3b.........  3  0  1  0   0  1  0  3   2
CARSON, Matt rf..........  3  0  1  1   0  1  3  0   0
PERRY, Tyler 2b..........  3  0  1  0   0  0  2  2   2
KING, Seth ss............  3  1  1  1   0  0  2  3   0
CLOWARD, Casey c.........  1  0  1  0   0  0  2  0   0
 WHITLEY, Aaron ph.......  1  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   0
 ROCK, David ph..........  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
MANGRUM, Micah p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0   0
 OPDAHL, Jordan p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 29  2  7  2   1  6 21 10   8
Score by Innings                  R  H  E
-----------------------------------------
Air Force Academy... 400 010 1 -  6 12  3
Brigham Young Univ.. 000 001 1 -  2  7  2
-----------------------------------------
E - LABASCO; JONES; TUFTE; PERRY; CLOWARD. DP - Falcons 1; BYU Cougars 2.
LOB - Falcons 6; BYU Cougars 8. 2B - GOLDSBERRY; CARVILLE; PERRY. HR -
HUMPHREY 2(5); KING(3). HBP - DAVIES. SB - GOLDSBERRY.
Air Force Academy      IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
TUFTE, Michael......  7.0  7  2  2  1  6 29 31
Brigham Young Univ.    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
MANGRUM, Micah......  4.0  8  4  4  1  1 19 20
OPDAHL, Jordan......  3.0  4  2  2  1  3 12 13
Win - TUFTE (3-4).  Loss - MANGRUM (4-3).  Save - None.
WP - TUFTE. HB - TUFTE.
Umpires - Home:Bruce Bayne  1st:Ron Ramirez  3rd:Blake Jensen
Start: 12:07   Time: 1:57
Game: 2 of 3
Game notes:
Tufte also pitched a complete game for a victory over BYU in Provo in 99
                            The Automated ScoreBook
                    Air Force Academy at Brigham Young Univ.
                   Mar 18, 2000 at Provo, Utah (Cougar Field)
Air Force Academy 2 (13-12,1-4 MWC)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
THIESSEN, Mike cf........  4  0  0  0   1  1  2  0   2
SHANNON, Brendan 2b......  3  1  1  0   1  1  1  2   0
GOLDSBERRY, Gerremy rf/lf  3  1  2  0   1  0  2  0   0
HUMPHREY, Chris 1b.......  4  0  1  1   0  2  9  0   1
GORNICK, Brian dh........  4  0  1  1   0  2  0  0   2
JONES, Steve 3b..........  3  0  0  0   0  2  2  2   0
 HOWES, Adam ph..........  1  0  1  0   0  0  0  0   0
LABASCO, Brian ss........  3  0  0  0   1  0  1  2   0
MURPHY, Jim c............  3  0  0  0   0  1  7  0   0
 CARVILLE, Ryan ph.......  1  0  1  0   0  0  0  0   0
BERG, Sonje lf...........  2  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   3
 PHIFER, Josh ph/rf......  2  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   0
FISHER, Erik p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2   0
Totals................... 33  2  7  2   4 10 24  8   8
Brigham Young Univ. 4 (15-11,5-1 MWC)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
BELLISTON, Shane cf......  4  0  0  0   0  0  4  0   3
HAGUEWOOD, Ty 1b.........  3  0  0  0   0  2  4  1   0
 PETERSON, Craig ph/1b...  1  0  0  0   0  0  1  0   0
DAY, Nick lf.............  2  2  1  0   2  0  2  0   0
DAVIES, Michael c........  3  1  2  1   0  1 10  1   0
CARSON, Matt rf..........  4  0  1  2   0  0  2  0   2
WHITLEY, Aaron dh........  4  0  1  0   0  1  0  0   3
PERRY, Tyler 3b..........  3  0  1  0   1  2  1  1   1
 COUGHLAN, Cameron pr....  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 OBREY, Kainoa 3b........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
KING, Seth ss............  4  0  0  0   0  0  1  3   0
MATHIS, Nate 2b..........  4  1  1  0   0  1  1  1   0
RAY, James p.............  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  2   0
 FERNLEY, Nate p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 32  4  7  3   3  7 27  9   9
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
Air Force Academy... 000 200 000 -  2  7  4
Brigham Young Univ.. 102 000 10X -  4  7  2
-------------------------------------------
E - SHANNON; HUMPHREY; JONES; MURPHY; KING 2. DP - Falcons 1. LOB - Falcons
8; BYU Cougars 9. 2B - MATHIS. 3B - CARSON. HBP - DAVIES. SH - BELLISTON. SB
- DAY 2. CS - LABASCO.
Air Force Academy      IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
FISHER, Erik........  8.0  7  4  2  3  7 32 37
Brigham Young Univ.    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
RAY, James..........  5.0  5  2  2  4  5 19 23
FERNLEY, Nate.......  4.0  2  0  0  0  5 14 14
Win - RAY (2-2).  Loss - FISHER (4-2).  Save - FERNLEY (3).
HB - FISHER.
Umpires - Home:Ron Ramirez  1st:Blake Jensen  3rd:Bruce Bayne
Start: 2:41   Time: 2:16   Attendance: 630
Game: 3 of 3