UVSC Fireworks Beat BYU

OREM -- A six-run fourth-inning offensive barrage by Utah Valley State was more than a two-run homer by Jeff Hiestand could overcome as BYU lost soundly Tuesday to its cross-town opponent, 13-6.

BYU (22-23) came right back from a 2-0 deficit in the top of the fourth when Hiestand tied the score with one swing on his home run to left center. Leading off in the top of the fourth, Ben Saylor had doubled off the wall in right center before scoring on the blast which made the score 2-2. The homer marked the 14th time in the last 18 games that either Saylor or Hiestand has homered. In the span Saylor has 11 dingers while Hiestand has seven.

The Wolverines (15-32) struck first with two outs in the bottom of the first on an RBI single by Canyon Vance. Chris Benson had reached on a walk and stole second before scoring on the hit which glanced off of Jake Wortham's glove and dribbled out of the reach of Stetson Banks into right field.

Kasey Ko led off the top of the second with a single, but was erased on a diving double play by third baseman Chris Benson on a grounder by Blake Crosby. A home run in the bottom half of the frame by Wolverine senior Reno Mendenhall put UVSC up 2-0.

The Cougars gave UVSC starter Kam Mikolio some trouble in the top of the third, getting two singles off the big righty, but were unable to score as they went down on a fielder's choice, a strikeout and a throw out at third. Mikolio (5-6) got the win as he pitched six and two-thirds innings while giving up five runs on 10 hits. He struck out six while walking just two.

"It was one of those games," said BYU Coach Vance Law after the game. "We gave away too many outs with our poor baserunning and didn't execute like we needed. Give those guys credit. Mikolio, he's a top-notch pitcher. They played better than we did and we didn't bring it to the yard tonight."

With Matt Jensen (1-5, 7.33) pitching for BYU in the fourth the Wolverines struck back with a two-run home run by Vance. The Wolverines combined for four more runs on three hits, an error and a passed ball against Jensen and Cortland Andrews before being retired with an 8-2 lead. Jensen got the loss for the Cougars who had their six-game winning streak snapped.

BYU couldn't get anything going in the top of the fifth but UVSC's bats kept sizzling in the Wolverine bottom half of the inning when it added four more runs on three doubles and a single. The Wolverines brought nine hitters to the plate in the inning as they extended their lead to 13-2.

Saylor led off the top of the sixth with a single for BYU before Ko came to bat with two outs. Ko worked a 2-2 count before swinging and missing on strike three. The big DH headed to first after the catcher lost the ball on the pitch. No one bothered to throw the ball to first and Ko was able to reach to put two men on with two outs. Kent Walton found himself in a similar situation to Ko's, but settled for a slow jog to the base.

After Casey Nelson reached on a dropped ball at first base in the top of the seventh with one out, Banks followed by drawing the Cougars' first walk of the night and Seth Johnson followed him with the second. With the bases juiced, Marcos Villezcas laced a double down the right field line that cleared everything. He tried to stretch for third but was cut down on a throw from right field. The runs pulled BYU to 13-5.

Nelson added a run in the top of the ninth for the Cougars, but his home run down the left field line was too-little too-late for BYU. The Cougars lead this season's series between the two local schools 2-1 with one more game scheduled for May 16th.

BYU will face Mountain West Conference foe New Mexico at home at Miller Park Thursday, Friday and Saturday starting at 7, 7, and 1 p.m., respectively.

Brigham Young Univ. at Utah Valley State
May 02, 2006 at Orem, Utah (Wolverine Stadium)
Brigham Young Univ. 6 (22-23)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
JOHNSON, Seth cf.........  4  1  0  0   1  2  2  0   0
VILLEZCAS, Marcos ss.....  4  0  2  3   0  1  4  6   0
SAYLOR, Ben rf...........  4  1  2  0   0  0  2  0   0
HIESTAND, Jeff 1b........  3  1  1  2   1  1  8  1   1
KO, Kasey dh.............  4  0  2  0   0  1  0  0   0
WALTON, Kent lf..........  4  0  0  0   0  2  0  0   2
CROSBY, Blake 3b.........  3  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 VARGAS, Daniel 3b.......  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
NELSON, Casey c..........  4  2  3  1   0  0  5  1   0
BANKS, Stetson 2b........  3  1  1  0   1  1  3  4   0
WORTHAM, Jake p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2   0
 JENSEN, Matt p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 ANDREWS, Cortland p.....  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 PLATT, James p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 SU`A, Justin p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 34  6 11  6   3  8 24 14   4
Utah Valley State 13 (15-32)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Brad Hales 2b............  4  1  1  1   0  0  3  3   0
Nick Connor cf...........  4  0  3  1   1  0  4  0   0
Eli Slesk ss.............  4  1  1  1   1  0  1  1   1
Chris Benson 3b..........  5  2  4  1   0  1  5  2   0
Canyon Vance lf..........  5  1  1  2   0  0  1  0   3
Dan Bulow 1b.............  4  2  2  0   0  1  7  3   0
Cory Newton c............  4  2  1  2   0  2  6  3   0
Reno Mendenhall dh.......  4  2  3  1   0  1  0  0   0
Kade Boyer rf............  4  2  2  2   0  0  0  2   0
Kam Mickolio p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 Brett Guerrero p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 38 13 18 11   2  5 27 14   4
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
Brigham Young Univ.. 000 200 301 -  6 11  1
Utah Valley State... 110 650 00X - 13 18  2
-------------------------------------------
E - BANKS; Bulow; Newton. DP - BYU Cougars 2; Wolverines 2. LOB - BYU
Cougars 4; Wolverines 4. 2B - VILLEZCAS; SAYLOR; Benson; Bulow 2; Newton;
Boyer. HR - HIESTAND(8); NELSON(4); Vance(4); Mendenhall(1). SF - Hales. SB
- Slesk. CS - HIESTAND; BANKS; Connor; Slesk.
Brigham Young Univ.    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
WORTHAM, Jake.......  3.0  4  2  2  1  2 11 12
JENSEN, Matt........  0.1  4  5  3  0  1  6  6
ANDREWS, Cortland...  1.0  7  6  5  0  0  9  9
PLATT, James........  2.2  2  0  0  0  2  8  9
SU`A, Justin........  1.0  1  0  0  1  0  4  5
Utah Valley State      IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Kam Mickolio........  6.2 10  5  4  2  6 27 29
Brett Guerrero......  2.1  1  1  1  1  2  7  8
Win - Mickolio (5-6).  Loss - JENSEN (1-5).  Save - None.
WP - PLATT. PB - NELSON.
Umpires - HP: Terry Balser  1B: Blake Jensen  3B: Blyden Loutensock
Start: 7:10 pm   Time: 2:38   Attendance: 1274
Game notes:
Game 3 of 4
Brigham Young Univ. at Utah Valley State - Play-by-Play
May 02, 2006 at Orem, Utah (Wolverine Stadium)
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
Brigham Young Univ.. 000 200 301 -  6 11  1
Utah Valley State... 110 650 00X - 13 18  2
-------------------------------------------
Brigham Young Univ. starters: 26/cf JOHNSON, S.; 10/ss VILLEZCAS; 25/rf SAYLOR;
32/1b HIESTAND; 33/dh KO; 9/lf WALTON; 30/3b CROSBY; 8/c NELSON; 3/2b BANKS; 16/p
WORTHAM;
Utah Valley State starters: 10/2b Hales; 20/cf Connor; 2/ss Slesk; 1/3b Benson; 8/lf
Vance; 21/1b Bulow; 26/c Newton; 11/dh Mendenhall; 6/rf Boyer; 27/p Mickolio;
Brigham Young Univ. 1st - JOHNSON, S. grounded out to ss. VILLEZCAS singled
through the right side. SAYLOR flied out to lf. HIESTAND struck out swinging. 0
runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Utah Valley State 1st - Hales grounded out to ss. Connor singled to right
center. Connor out at second p to 1b to ss, caught stealing. Slesk walked. Slesk
stole second. Benson singled to right center, RBI; Slesk scored. Vance grounded out
to p. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 2nd - KO singled to left center. WALTON struck out
looking. CROSBY grounded into double play 3b to 2b to 1b; KO out on the play. 0
runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Utah Valley State 2nd - Bulow struck out swinging. Newton struck out
swinging. Mendenhall homered to right center, RBI. Boyer grounded out to 2b. 1
run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 3rd - NELSON singled up the middle. BANKS singled, bunt;
NELSON advanced to second. JOHNSON, S. reached on a fielder's choice, bunt; BANKS
advanced to second; NELSON out at third 1b to 3b. VILLEZCAS struck out swinging.
BANKS out at third c to 3b, caught stealing. 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Utah Valley State 3rd - Hales grounded out to 2b. Connor singled to right
center. Slesk grounded into double play 2b to ss to 1b; Connor out on the play. 0
runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 4th - SAYLOR doubled to right field. HIESTAND homered to
center field, 2 RBI; SAYLOR scored. KO singled to right field. WALTON flied out to
cf. CROSBY lined into double play 2b to 1b; KO out on the play. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0
errors, 0 LOB.
Utah Valley State 4th - JENSEN to p for WORTHAM. Benson doubled down the lf
line. Vance homered to right field, 2 RBI; Benson scored. Bulow doubled down the lf
line. Newton reached on a fielding error by 2b, advanced to second; Bulow scored.
Mendenhall struck out swinging. Boyer doubled to right field, RBI; Newton scored,
unearned. ANDREWS to p for JENSEN. Hales singled down the rf line; Boyer advanced to
third. Connor flied out to cf. Hales advanced to second; Boyer scored on a passed
ball, unearned. Slesk singled to center field, RBI; Hales scored, unearned. Slesk
out at second c to ss, caught stealing. 6 runs, 6 hits, 1 error, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 5th - NELSON singled, out at second rf to 2b. BANKS
grounded out to 3b. JOHNSON, S. struck out swinging, grounded out to c unassisted.
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Utah Valley State 5th - Benson singled up the middle. Vance flied out to rf.
Bulow doubled down the lf line; Benson advanced to third. Newton doubled to center
field, 2 RBI; Bulow scored; Benson scored. Mendenhall singled to left field; Newton
advanced to third. Boyer singled to center field, RBI; Mendenhall advanced to
second; Newton scored. PLATT to p for ANDREWS. Boyer advanced to second; Mendenhall
advanced to third on a wild pitch. Hales flied out to rf, SF, RBI; Boyer advanced to
third; Mendenhall scored. Connor singled through the right side, RBI; Boyer scored.
Slesk flied out to cf. 5 runs, 6 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 6th - VILLEZCAS grounded out to 2b. SAYLOR singled to
right center. HIESTAND fouled out to 3b. KO struck out swinging, reached first on an
error by c; SAYLOR advanced to second. WALTON struck out swinging, out at first c to
1b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 error, 2 LOB.
Utah Valley State 6th - Benson struck out swinging. Vance grounded out to ss.
Bulow popped up to ss. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 7th - CROSBY flied out to cf. NELSON reached on a
fielding error by 1b. BANKS walked; NELSON advanced to second. JOHNSON, S. walked;
BANKS advanced to second; NELSON advanced to third. VILLEZCAS doubled, out at third
rf to 1b to 3b, 3 RBI; JOHNSON, S. scored; BANKS scored; NELSON scored, unearned.
Guerrero to p for Mickolio. SAYLOR fouled out to 3b. 3 runs, 1 hit, 1 error, 0
LOB.
Utah Valley State 7th - VARGAS to 3b for CROSBY. Newton struck out swinging.
Mendenhall singled to shortstop. Boyer grounded into double play ss to 2b to 1b;
Mendenhall out on the play. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 8th - HIESTAND walked. HIESTAND out at second c to 1b to
ss, caught stealing. KO flied out to cf. WALTON flied out to cf. 0 runs, 0 hits,
0 errors, 0 LOB.
Utah Valley State 8th - SU`A to p for PLATT. Hales lined out to 1b. Connor
walked. Slesk reached on a fielder's choice; Connor out at second ss to 2b. Benson
singled to left field; Slesk advanced to second. Vance reached on a fielder's
choice; Benson out at second ss to 2b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 9th - VARGAS grounded out to 1b unassisted. NELSON
homered to left field, RBI. BANKS struck out swinging. JOHNSON, S. struck out
looking. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.