Pitchers Help Take Series

ALBUQUERQUE -- Full count, two-on, two-out in the ninth went Matt Jensen's way as he saved the game Saturday for BYU for a 5-3 victory over New Mexico.

Jensen bounced back for his second save after taking the loss in the ninth inning a day earlier, but Jake Wortham picked up the victory with his sixth victory against four losses. With the comeback victory in windy conditions, BYU improves to 28-17 and 12-6 in the Mountain West Conference, while UNM falls to 22-25 and 8-10.

"We didn't have a whole lot of determination yesterday, but our pitching has been good," said BYU Coach Vance Law. "To hold New Mexico to three runs is an accomplishment. (Jake) Wortham pitched well and Michael Ward helped shut the door, too."

To take the series, Law shook up his lineup and got runners aboard in each inning.

Apana Nakayama's first inning double went for naught as did Kasey Ko's second inning triple. Ko hit a one-out 400-foot shot to left-center field for a standup triple in the second, but a pickoff of Chase Frampton eliminated a sac-fly possibility.

After surrendering a pair of runs in the first inning, BYU rebounded from a hole as Steve Parker was able to turn a doubleplay to end the second.

Then Nakayama made the Lobos pay with a standup two-out triple to deep right-center which scored Stephen Wells to close the gap, 2-1, in the third.

Jake Wortham kept BYU in the game, retiring the side in order in the second, third, fifth, sixth

Frampton hit a two-out single to left in the sixth to score Kent Walton and tie the game at two-all. Walton was the third consecutive Cougar to have gotten aboard being hit by a pitch.

Consecutive singles in the seventh drove Jacob Norton off the mound for UNM. Walton then came to the plate and drove in Wells for the go-ahead run, 3-2, beating out a fielder's choice. Parker, who had been struggling, extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a big two-out double to right field. Walton churned around from first, ending up sliding safely at home with his hands to put BYU up 4-2.

The Lobos closed that gap, 4-3, with a one-run double by Max Willett in the seventh, scoring Drew McDonald who got aboard on a unique single which caromed off Wortham's leg and went high to Danny Vargas at shortstop.

The Cougars came up empty when Leon Johnson pinch-ran for Frampton, who had a lead-off single in the eighth. Johnson advanced to second on J.T. Musso's sac-bunt, but was stranded.

Michael Ward relieved Wortham to start the eighth, easily retiring the first two batters, before walking a Lobo. Ward was saved when Wells made a diving inning-ending catch in centerfield.

Nakayama hit a one-out double in the ninth to right field and scored off Walton's single to left, putting BYU up 5-3. Jarrad Watkins then became the second Lobo reliever of the game and shut down the Cougars. BYU countered with Matt Jensen relieving Ward in the bottom of the frame. Jensen struck out the second, third and fifth batters of the inning to preserve the victory.

The Cougars are next in action on Tuesday when they hosts Southern Utah at 6 p.m.

BYU at NEW MEXICO
May 05, 2007 at Albuquerque, N.M. (Isotopes Park)
BYU 5 (28-17,12-6)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
FANNING, Collin rf.......  4  0  0  0   0  0  1  0   1
WELLS, Stephen cf........  4  2  2  0   0  0  6  0   0
NAKAYAMA, Apana lf.......  5  1  4  1   0  0  1  0   2
WALTON, Kent 2b..........  4  2  1  2   0  0  2  1   2
PARKER, Steve 3b.........  4  0  1  1   0  2  0  2   0
KO, Kasey 1b.............  4  0  1  0   1  1  9  1   2
FRAMPTON, Chase dh.......  3  0  2  1   1  0  0  0   0
MUSSO, J.T. c............  3  0  1  0   0  0  7  0   1
VARGAS, Dan ss...........  4  0  0  0   0  3  1  2   2
WORTHAM, Jake p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  4   0
 WARD, Michael p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 JENSEN, Matt p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 35  5 12  5   2  6 27 10  10
NEW MEXICO 3 (22-25,8-10)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
FOOTE cf.................  4  1  1  0   0  1  5  0   0
COURCHA rf...............  3  1  0  0   0  0  2  0   0
 RUSSELL ph/lf...........  1  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   0
PACHECO 2b...............  2  0  0  0   1  0  3  2   0
STOVALL 1b...............  3  0  0  1   0  0  8  2   1
HIBBITTS dh..............  3  0  1  1   0  0  0  0   0
HOLLICK 3b...............  4  0  1  0   0  2  1  1   0
MCDONALD c...............  3  1  1  0   1  1  6  0   2
WILLETT lf/rf............  3  0  1  1   0  0  1  0   1
 PILKINGTON ph...........  1  0  1  0   0  0  0  0   0
GRACEY ss................  4  0  1  0   0  2  1  3   2
NORTON p.................  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2   0
 SKELTON p...............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 WATKINS p...............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 31  3  7  3   2  7 27 11   6
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
BYU................. 001 001 201 -  5 12  1
NEW MEXICO.......... 200 000 100 -  3  7  0
-------------------------------------------
E - VARGAS(11). DP - BYU 2; LOBOS 1. LOB - BYU 10; LOBOS 6. 2B - NAKAYAMA
2(13); PARKER(12); WILLETT(8). 3B - NAKAYAMA(3); KO(2). HBP - FANNING;
WELLS; WALTON; HIBBITTS. SH - PARKER(3); MUSSO(5); PACHECO(4). SF -
STOVALL(3). CS - FRAMPTON(2).
BYU                    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
WORTHAM, Jake.......  7.0  6  3  1  1  3 24 27
WARD, Michael.......  1.0  0  0  0  1  1  3  4
JENSEN, Matt........  1.0  1  0  0  0  3  4  5
NEW MEXICO             IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
NORTON..............  6.1  8  4  4  2  4 24 30
SKELTON.............  2.0  4  1  1  0  2  9 10
WATKINS.............  0.2  0  0  0  0  0  2  2
Win - WORTHAM (6-4).  Loss - NORTON (4-7).  Save - JENSEN (2).
HBP - by NORTON (FANNING); by NORTON (WELLS); by NORTON (WALTON); by JENSEN
(HIBBITTS).
Umpires - HP: Ryan West  1B: Jason Rogers  3B: Gus Rodriguez
Start: 1:03 pm   Time: 2:55   Attendance: 320
Game notes:
BYU starters: 17/rf FANNING; 1/cf WELLS; 24/lf NAKAYAMA; 9/2b WALTON; 5/3b PARKER;
22/1b KO; 16/dh FRAMPTON; 10/c MUSSO; 13/ss VARGAS; 28/p WORTHAM;
NEW MEXICO starters: 12/cf FOOTE; 2/rf COURCHA; 1/2b PACHECO; 34/1b STOVALL; 15/dh
HIBBITTS; 10/3b HOLLICK; 19/c MCDONALD; 18/lf WILLETT; 7/ss GRACEY; 17/p NORTON;
BYU 1st - FANNING flied out to cf. WELLS grounded out to 2b. NAKAYAMA doubled
to left center. WALTON reached on a fielder's choice; NAKAYAMA out at third 3b
unassisted. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
NEW MEXICO 1st - FOOTE singled through the left side. COURCHA reached on an
error by ss; FOOTE advanced to second. PACHECO out at first p to 2b, SAC, bunt;
COURCHA advanced to second; FOOTE advanced to third. STOVALL flied out to lf, SF,
RBI; FOOTE scored, unearned. HIBBITTS singled to left field, RBI; COURCHA scored,
unearned. HOLLICK singled through the right side; HIBBITTS advanced to second.
MCDONALD flied out to rf. 2 runs, 3 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB.
BYU 2nd - PARKER struck out swinging. KO tripled to left center. FRAMPTON
walked. FRAMPTON out at second p to 1b to ss, caught stealing. MUSSO flied out to
cf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
NEW MEXICO 2nd - WILLETT flied out to cf to right center. GRACEY singled to
left field. FOOTE grounded into double play 3b to 2b to 1b; GRACEY out on the play.
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BYU 3rd - VARGAS flied out to cf. FANNING grounded out to 3b. WELLS singled
to left field. NAKAYAMA tripled to right center, RBI; WELLS scored. WALTON popped up
to 1b. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
NEW MEXICO 3rd - COURCHA grounded out to p. PACHECO grounded out to ss.
STOVALL flied out to cf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BYU 4th - PARKER struck out looking. KO walked. FRAMPTON grounded into double
play ss to 2b to 1b; KO out on the play. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
NEW MEXICO 4th - HIBBITTS flied out to cf. HOLLICK struck out looking.
MCDONALD walked. WILLETT grounded out to p, bunt. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1
LOB.
BYU 5th - MUSSO flied out to rf. VARGAS struck out swinging. FANNING hit by
pitch. WELLS hit by pitch; FANNING advanced to second. NAKAYAMA flied out to rf.
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
NEW MEXICO 5th - GRACEY struck out swinging. FOOTE struck out looking.
COURCHA grounded out to p. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BYU 6th - WALTON hit by pitch. PARKER grounded out to p, SAC, bunt; WALTON
advanced to second. KO popped up to 1b. FRAMPTON singled to left center, RBI; WALTON
scored. MUSSO singled to left field; FRAMPTON advanced to second. VARGAS struck out
swinging. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
NEW MEXICO 6th - PACHECO flied out to cf to right center. STOVALL flied out
to cf to left center. HIBBITTS fouled out to 1b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0
LOB.
BYU 7th - FANNING grounded out to ss. WELLS singled up the middle. NAKAYAMA
singled through the right side; WELLS advanced to third. SKELTON to p for NORTON.
WALTON reached on a fielder's choice, RBI; NAKAYAMA out at second ss to 2b; WELLS
scored. PARKER doubled to right field, RBI; WALTON scored. KO struck out swinging.
2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
NEW MEXICO 7th - HOLLICK grounded out to ss. MCDONALD singled to pitcher.
WILLETT doubled to right center, RBI; MCDONALD scored. GRACEY lined into double play
1b to ss; WILLETT out on the play. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BYU 8th - FRAMPTON singled to left field. MUSSO out at first 1b to 2b, SAC,
bunt; FRAMPTON advanced to second. VARGAS struck out swinging. FANNING flied out to
lf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
NEW MEXICO 8th - WARD to p for WORTHAM. FOOTE grounded out to 3b. RUSSELL
pinch hit for COURCHA. RUSSELL struck out swinging. PACHECO walked. STOVALL flied
out to cf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
BYU 9th - RUSSELL to lf. WILLETT to rf. WELLS grounded out to p. NAKAYAMA
doubled to right field. WALTON singled to left field, RBI; NAKAYAMA scored. WATKINS
to p for SKELTON. PARKER flied out to cf to left center. KO flied out to cf to left
center. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
NEW MEXICO 9th - JENSEN to p for WARD. HIBBITTS hit by pitch. HOLLICK struck
out swinging. MCDONALD struck out swinging. PILKINGTON pinch hit for WILLETT.
PILKINGTON singled to left field; HIBBITTS advanced to second. GRACEY struck out
swinging. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.