Utes Eliminated, 7-6

ALBUQUERQUE -- Another one-run game and fortunately, it was a one-run victory for BYU as Utah was eliminated Friday from the Mountain West Conference Baseball Tournament, 7-6.

Reliever Tyler Dabo, now 1-1, came in relief to put BYU, 30-23, in a Friday night rematch against San Diego State. But first, the Cougars had to eliminate the Utes for the seventh consecutive time this season. It was the sixth one-run victory for BYU in 17 games.

Utah's leadoff batter Jared Pena hit a ground rule double that hit the right field chalk line, then bounced into the stands. He was homered home by Ryan Khoury's belt to left field as the Utes took a 2-0 first inning lead.

After two routine infield ground outs, BYU got on the board when Kainoa Obrey knocked Jason Price's first offering just shy of the 400-foot sign in centerfield up the incline. That double drove home Ranger Wiens who had previously singled.

Cort Wilson took a page off the first pitch and began the second inning with a belt to left field. BYU's Doug Jackson, who stands 5-7, leaped up the eight-foot fence and gloved the hit, but dropped it on the way down. Wilson advanced to second on a ground out and died there as Ken Gravley struck out Tyler Kmetko and Obrey stopped Mike Basham's smash to third.

Obrey's slow roller trickled through Wilson's legs at third to start the fourth. He advanced to second on Jack Stubblefield's ground out and scored off Brock Jacobsen's deep single to left center to tie the game at two-all.

Pena got a double, his second of the game, with two out in the fifth, but was stranded when Khoury flew out to left.

BYU made a two-out threat in the fifth when Ryan Chambers and Wiens got on with a fielder's choice and a single, respectively. Obrey worked a full count, but ended up flying out to center.

Utah unleashed three consecutive hits each off the first pitch offered by Gravley, the last of which was an RBI double by Eric Chevalier. Chevalier extended his hitting streak to 23 games and his double scored Matt Ciaramella . Mike Westfall scored off Wilson's ground out to give the Utes a 4-2 advantage in the sixth.

Jacobsen got aboard on a throwing error by Pena which caused Westfall to jump off the base. Jacobsen then stole second and scored off Blair Lucas' single to center. Lucas tied the game when he scored off Adams Wilkes' deep double to left center. Law then made a key pinch hit when Clayton Carson stepped in for Wade Vest and prompting drilled the first pitch to left to score Wilkes. The Cougars took a 6-4 lead when Chambers singled to right to chase Price from the mound.

Utah tied the game with Pena's two-run homer in the seventh. The Utes then got a key double play with no outs in the bottom of that frame and Lucas was ruled out for touching his check-swing tap on the first baseline.

Gravley was removed from the game after giving up a pair of one-out singles in the eighth, the later of which came off a diving stab by Stubblefield from Wick Udy's bat which could have resulted in a double play or one out, but he couldn't recover in time. Enter Tyler Dabo on the mound, who got pinch hitter Brett Sundberg to pop up to Stubblefield. Mike Basham took Dabo to a full count before striking out swinging.

The Cougars loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth when Rob Itri pinch hit a high flying double which plopped in the middle of three converging Utes. Reliever Ben Buck then hit Jackson and Chambers' single loaded the bases, bringing in Brady Martinez to the mound. Wiens grounded out to third, but it was enough to score Itri for the go-ahead run, 7-6. Martinez then got Obrey out on a called third strike.

Dabo got three fly outs spaced in between a walk to Ciarmella in the ninth to seal his first victory of the season.

University of Utah vs Brigham Young Univ
May 23, 2003 at Albuquerque, N.M. (Isotopes Park)
University of Utah 6 (23-32)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
PENA, Jared 2b...........  5  2  3  2   0  0  1  3   0
KHOURY, Ryan ss..........  5  1  1  2   0  0  2  3   1
CIARAMELLA, Matt cf......  4  1  2  0   1  0  4  0   0
WESTFALL, Mike 1b........  5  1  1  0   0  0  8  0   2
CHEVALIER, Eric rf.......  4  0  1  1   0  0  2  0   0
WILSON, Cort 3b..........  4  0  2  1   0  1  1  3   0
UDY, Wick c..............  4  0  1  0   0  1  4  0   0
KMETKO, Tyler dh.........  3  0  0  0   0  2  0  0   1
 SUNDBERG, Brett ph......  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
BASHAM, Mike lf..........  4  1  1  0   0  1  2  0   3
PRICE, Jason p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2   0
 BUCK, Ben p.............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 MARTINEZ, Brady p.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 39  6 12  6   1  5 24 11   7
Brigham Young Univ 7 (30-23)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
JACKSON, Doug lf.........  4  0  1  0   0  0  4  0   0
CHAMBERS, Ryan rf........  5  0  2  1   0  0  6  0   0
WIENS, Ranger ss.........  5  1  3  1   0  0  0  2   0
OBREY, Kainoa 3b.........  5  1  1  1   0  1  1  1   6
STUBBLEFIELD, Jake 1b....  3  0  1  0   1  0  7  1   0
JACOBSEN, Brock cf.......  4  1  1  1   0  0  2  0   2
LUCAS, Blair dh..........  4  1  1  1   0  0  0  0   0
WILKES, Adam c...........  3  1  1  1   0  0  5  0   1
 ITRI, Rob ph............  1  1  1  0   0  0  0  0   0
 CLOWARD, Casey c........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
VEST, Wade 2b............  2  0  0  0   0  2  0  1   0
 CARSON, Clayton ph/2b...  2  1  1  1   0  0  0  0   0
GRAVLEY, Kenneth p.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  2  0   0
 DABO, Tyler p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 38  7 13  7   1  3 27  5   9
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
University of Utah.. 200 002 200 -  6 12  2
Brigham Young Univ.. 100 104 01X -  7 13  0
-------------------------------------------
E - PENA; WILSON. DP - Utah Utes 1. LOB - Utah Utes 7; BYU Cougars 9. 2B -
PENA 2; CIARAMELLA; CHEVALIER; WILSON; OBREY; WILKES; ITRI. HR - PENA(7);
KHOURY(5). HBP - JACKSON. SB - JACOBSEN; CARSON.
University of Utah     IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
PRICE, Jason........  5.2  9  6  3  1  2 28 29
BUCK, Ben...........  1.2  4  1  1  0  0  8  9
MARTINEZ, Brady.....  0.2  0  0  0  0  1  2  2
Brigham Young Univ     IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
GRAVLEY, Kenneth....  7.1 12  6  6  0  4 34 34
DABO, Tyler.........  1.2  0  0  0  1  1  5  6
Win - DABO (1-1).  Loss - BUCK (1-3).  Save - None.
HBP - by BUCK (JACKSON).
Umpires - HP: Kevin Daugherty  1B: Joe Burleson  2B: Jim Paronto  3B: Ray
Belfiore  Start: 3:05 pm   Time: 2:39   Attendance:
Game notes:
Game 3 @ MWC Tournament, loser is eliminated, winner plays SDSU
Friday night at 7 p.m.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
University of Utah vs Brigham Young Univ - Play-by-Play
May 23, 2003 at Albuquerque, N.M. (Isotopes Park)
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
University of Utah.. 200 002 200 -  6 12  2
Brigham Young Univ.. 100 104 01X -  7 13  0
-------------------------------------------
University of Utah starters: 3/2b PENA; 2/ss KHOURY; 25/cf CIARAMELLA; 6/1b
   WESTFALL; 5/rf CHEVALIER; 16/3b WILSON; 17/c UDY; 18/dh KMETKO; 23/lf
   BASHAM, M.; 12/p PRICE;
Brigham Young Univ starters: 13/lf JACKSON; 22/rf CHAMBERS; 8/ss WIENS;
   32/3b OBREY; 33/1b STUBBLEFIELD; 3/cf JACOBSEN; 6/dh LUCAS; 24/c WILKES;
   5/2b VEST; 19/p GRAVLEY;
University of Utah - inning 1
   PENA doubled down the rf line. KHOURY homered to left field, 2 RBI; PENA
   scored. CIARAMELLA out at first 1b to p. WESTFALL flied out to lf.
   CHEVALIER grounded out to ss. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ - inning 1
   JACKSON grounded out to 3b. CHAMBERS grounded out to 2b. WIENS singled to
   left field. OBREY doubled to center field, RBI; WIENS scored.
   STUBBLEFIELD walked. JACOBSEN grounded out to p. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors,
   2 LOB.
University of Utah - inning 2
   WILSON doubled to left field. UDY grounded out to 1b unassisted; WILSON
   advanced to third. KMETKO struck out swinging. BASHAM, M. grounded out to
   3b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ - inning 2
   LUCAS flied out to cf. WILKES grounded out to ss. VEST struck out
   looking. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
University of Utah - inning 3
   PENA flied out to lf. KHOURY flied out to rf. CIARAMELLA doubled to
   center field. WESTFALL flied out to lf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ - inning 3
   JACKSON lined out to 3b. CHAMBERS flied out to lf. WIENS flied out to lf.
   0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
University of Utah - inning 4
   CHEVALIER grounded out to 2b. WILSON struck out swinging. UDY struck out
   swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ - inning 4
   OBREY reached on a fielding error by 3b. STUBBLEFIELD grounded out to 3b;
   OBREY advanced to second. JACOBSEN singled to left center, RBI; OBREY
   scored, unearned. LUCAS flied out to rf. WILKES grounded out to p. 1 run,
   1 hit, 1 error, 1 LOB.
University of Utah - inning 5
   KMETKO flied out to rf. BASHAM, M. flied out to rf. PENA doubled to right
   center. KHOURY flied out to lf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ - inning 5
   VEST struck out looking. JACKSON singled to right field. CHAMBERS reached
   on a fielder's choice; JACKSON out at second 2b to ss. WIENS singled to
   left field; CHAMBERS advanced to second. OBREY flied out to cf. 0 runs, 2
   hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
University of Utah - inning 6
   CIARAMELLA singled to right field. WESTFALL singled to left field;
   CIARAMELLA advanced to second. CHEVALIER doubled through the right side,
   RBI; WESTFALL advanced to third; CIARAMELLA scored. WILSON grounded out
   to ss, RBI; CHEVALIER advanced to third; WESTFALL scored. UDY fouled out
   to 3b. KMETKO struck out swinging. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ - inning 6
   STUBBLEFIELD flied out to cf. JACOBSEN reached on a throwing error by 2b.
   JACOBSEN stole second. LUCAS singled to center field, RBI; JACOBSEN
   scored, unearned. WILKES doubled to left center, RBI; LUCAS scored.
   CARSON pinch hit for VEST. CARSON singled to left center, RBI; WILKES
   scored. CARSON stole second. JACKSON flied out to rf; CARSON advanced to
   third. CHAMBERS singled to right field, RBI; CARSON scored, unearned.
   BUCK to p for PRICE. WIENS singled, bunt; CHAMBERS advanced to second.
   OBREY reached on a fielder's choice; WIENS out at second ss to 2b. 4
   runs, 5 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB.
University of Utah - inning 7
   CARSON to 2b. BASHAM, M. singled up the middle. PENA homered to left
   field, 2 RBI; BASHAM, M. scored. KHOURY flied out to rf. CIARAMELLA flied
   out to rf. WESTFALL popped up to p. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ - inning 7
   STUBBLEFIELD singled to right field. JACOBSEN grounded into double play
   2b to ss to 1b; STUBBLEFIELD out on the play. LUCAS grounded out to c
   unassisted. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
University of Utah - inning 8
   CHEVALIER grounded out to 1b unassisted. WILSON singled to left field.
   UDY singled to first base; WILSON advanced to second. DABO to p for
   GRAVLEY. SUNDBERG pinch hit for KMETKO. SUNDBERG popped up to 1b. BASHAM,
   M. struck out swinging. 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ - inning 8
   ITRI pinch hit for WILKES. ITRI doubled to center field. CARSON flied out
   to cf. JACKSON hit by pitch. CHAMBERS singled to right field; JACKSON
   advanced to second; ITRI advanced to third. MARTINEZ to p for BUCK. WIENS
   grounded out to 3b, RBI; CHAMBERS advanced to second; JACKSON advanced to
   third; ITRI scored. OBREY struck out looking. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2
   LOB.
University of Utah - inning 9
   CLOWARD to c for ITRI. PENA flied out to rf. KHOURY flied out to cf.
   CIARAMELLA walked. WESTFALL flied out to cf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1
   LOB.