Snow Ends BYU Rally, Huskies Prevail

PROVO -- Amidst falling snow starting to stick, the BYU baseball team (6-8) fell to Washington (7-7) 12-10 after six innings of play on Saturday.

“Even though we got off to a rough start in the first inning, I was really happy with the way our guys battled back,” said BYU head coach Vance Law. “The sixth inning was very exciting when we continued to pound out base hits. It was unfortunate that we had to call the game when we were doing so well.”

A seven-run sixth inning brought the Cougars within two before the game was called. Ryan Bernal led the team with three hits at three at-bats, also adding four RBI and two homeruns. Brandon Relf and Alex Wolfe each added two runs on the afternoon.

The Huskies batted around the first inning, knocking two homeruns and totaling five runs to put them up 5-0. The Cougars were unable to get a run in the first, the last batter being struck out with two left on.

After getting the first two Huskies on base, one advancing to second off a wild pitch, the fourth batter singled to centerfield, scoring two runs. In the bottom of the second, first baseman Bernal hit his first of two dingers on the day, off a full count, his third homer in two days. That made the score 7-1.

The third inning brought three more runs for Washington, the fourth batter hitting a base-clearing double to left field, expanding their lead, 9-1. The Huskies scored once more in the third to give them 10 runs. In the bottom of the third, Wes Guenther singled a grounder to right field, advancing Bryce Ayoso to second. Bernal next singled to second to earn a RBI, closing the gap, 10-2.

The Huskies started off the fourth with a homerun over the right field fence to put them up 11-2. The Cougars were retired in order in the quickest inning of the afternoon.

Light rain turned to heavy snow in the fifth, the second UW batter singled to centerfield, the third batter doubled up the alley for another RBI. Relf was the first batter up for the Cougars in the fifth, getting on base off of an error and Ayoso doubled to the centerfield fence to bring Relf home, narrowing the margin, 12-3.

Throwing 110 pitches in six innings, Washington’s Andrew Kittredge was taken out of the game after giving up three homeruns to Wolfe, Ayoso and Bernal. Adding four more runs to those homeruns, the Cougars came within two with a seven-run inning, 12-10. Dane Nielsen was thrown out at third after attempting to take an extra base in a controversial inning-ending call.

“I turned to the bench and told them, ‘We’ve got a chance to win this one guys, keep it up!’” said Law.

After a 37-minute snow delay, the game was called with the Huskies taking home their first win of the three-game series, 12-10.

The Cougars next travel to Gonzaga for a two-game series starting Monday at 6:30 p.m. and Tuesday at noon.

Univ. of Washington at BYU
Mar 13, 2010 at Provo, Utah (Larry H.Miller Field)
Univ. of Washington 12 (7-7)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Boyer, Bradley lf........  4  2  0  0   1  1  0  1   2
Brown, Caleb cf..........  4  1  2  0   0  1  1  0   0
Scott, Troy 1b...........  4  3  2  2   0  0  3  0   2
Rankin, Pierce rf........  4  2  2  2   0  1  1  0   0
Lamb, Jacob dh...........  4  2  3  4   0  0  0  0   0
Russell, Aaron 3b........  3  1  2  2   1  0  2  1   0
Cherry, Doug 2b..........  2  0  0  0   1  0  3  0   1
Kizer, Miles c...........  3  1  1  1   1  0  8  0   1
Bentrott, David ss.......  4  0  2  1   0  0  0  0   3
Kittredge, Andrew p......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 Cimber, Adam p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 32 12 14 12   4  3 18  2   9
BYU 10 (6-8)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
McNAUGHTON, Sean lf......  5  0  1  1   0  2  0  0   1
RELF, Brandon ss.........  4  2  1  0   0  1  1  3   0
WOLFE, Alex 3b...........  3  2  1  3   1  1  0  1   0
AYOSO, Bryce dh..........  4  1  3  2   0  0  0  0   0
GUENTHER, Wes c..........  4  1  2  0   0  2  2  2   2
BERNAL, Ryan 1b..........  3  2  3  4   1  0  9  0   0
CLUFF, Jonathan rf.......  4  1  1  0   0  1  4  0   2
NIELSEN, Dane 2b.........  4  0  1  0   0  0  1  4   3
WELLS, Stephen cf........  4  1  2  0   0  2  1  0   0
NYBERG, Chunner p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 ANDERSON, Mark p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 SLOAN, Kevin p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 BIRCH, Nick p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 35 10 15 10   2  9 18 10   9
Score by Innings                  R  H  E
-----------------------------------------
Univ. of Washington. 523 110 0 - 12 14  3
BYU................. 011 017 X - 10 15  2
-----------------------------------------
E - Russell(1); Kizer(1); Kittredge(1); RELF(6); NIELSEN(3). DP - Cougars 1.
LOB - WASH 9; Cougars 9. 2B - Rankin(7); Russell(2); AYOSO 2(5). HR -
Scott(1); Lamb(1); Kizer(1); WOLFE(3); AYOSO(2); BERNAL 2(4). HBP - Scott;
Cherry. SH - C. Brown(2). SB - Boyer(1).
Univ. of Washington    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Kittredge, Andrew...  5.1 12  9  8  2  8 31 33
Cimber, Adam........  0.2  3  1  1  0  1  4  4
BYU                    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
NYBERG, Chunner.....  0.2  4  5  5  3  0  5  9
ANDERSON, Mark......  1.1  3  2  2  1  1  8  9
SLOAN, Kevin........  2.1  4  4  2  0  1 12 13
BIRCH, Nick.........  1.2  3  1  1  0  1  7  8
Win - Kittredge (3-1).  Loss - NYBERG (0-2).  Save - Cimber (4).
WP - ANDERSON(2); SLOAN(1). HBP - by SLOAN (Scott); by BIRCH (Cherry).
Umpires - HP: Jeff Richardson  1B: Blake Jensen  3B: Randy Upton
Start: 1:04 pm   Time: 2:27   Attendance: 353
Weather: 38 degrees, cloudy, rainy, snow
Game notes:
37-minute snow delay at the end of the game.
Univ. of Washington 1st - Boyer walked. C. Brown grounded out to c, SAC,
bunt; Boyer advanced to second. Scott homered to center field, 2 RBI; Boyer
scored. Rankin singled to shortstop. Lamb homered to center field, 2 RBI;
Rankin scored. Russell walked. Cherry lined out to ss. Kizer walked; Russell
advanced to second. Bentrott singled to center field, RBI; Kizer advanced to
third; Russell scored. ANDERSON to p for NYBERG. Boyer flied out to rf. 5
runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
BYU 1st - McNAUGHTON fouled out to 1b. RELF struck out swinging, reached
first on a throwing error by c. WOLFE flied out to cf. AYOSO doubled to right
center; RELF advanced to third. GUENTHER struck out swinging. 0 runs, 1 hit,
1 error, 2 LOB.
Univ. of Washington 2nd - C. Brown singled to left center. Scott singled
to right field; C. Brown advanced to third. Scott advanced to second on a wild
pitch. Rankin struck out swinging. Lamb singled to left center, 2 RBI; Scott
scored; C. Brown scored. Russell grounded out to 2b; Lamb advanced to second.
Cherry walked. Kizer reached on a fielder's choice; Cherry advanced to second
on a fielding error by 2b; Lamb advanced to third. Bentrott flied out to rf.
2 runs, 3 hits, 1 error, 3 LOB.
BYU 2nd - BERNAL homered to right field, RBI. CLUFF struck out looking.
NIELSEN lined out to 2b. WELLS singled to right field. McNAUGHTON struck out
swinging. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Univ. of Washington 3rd - SLOAN to p for ANDERSON. Boyer reached on a
throwing error by ss. C. Brown flied out to cf. Boyer stole second. Scott hit
by pitch. Rankin doubled to left field, 2 RBI; Scott scored; Boyer scored,
unearned. Lamb grounded out to 2b; Rankin advanced to third. Russell singled to
right field, RBI; Rankin scored, unearned. Cherry grounded out to ss. 3
runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.
BYU 3rd - RELF flied out to 2b. WOLFE walked. AYOSO popped up to 2b.
GUENTHER singled to right field; WOLFE advanced to second. BERNAL singled to
second base, RBI; GUENTHER advanced to third; WOLFE scored. CLUFF flied out to
rf. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Univ. of Washington 4th - Kizer homered to right field, RBI. Bentrott
singled up the middle. Bentrott advanced to second on a wild pitch. Boyer flied
out to rf; Bentrott advanced to third. C. Brown struck out looking. Scott
grounded out to 3b. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
BYU 4th - NIELSEN popped up to 3b. WELLS struck out swinging. McNAUGHTON
grounded out to 1b unassisted. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Univ. of Washington 5th - Rankin grounded out to ss. BIRCH to p for
SLOAN. Lamb singled to center field. Russell doubled to left center, RBI; Lamb
scored. Cherry hit by pitch. Kizer grounded into double play ss to 2b to 1b;
Cherry out on the play. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
BYU 5th - RELF reached on a fielding error by p. WOLFE struck out
swinging. AYOSO doubled to left center, RBI; RELF scored, unearned. GUENTHER
struck out swinging. BERNAL walked. CLUFF reached on a fielding error by 3b;
BERNAL advanced to second; AYOSO advanced to third. NIELSEN grounded out to 3b.
1 run, 1 hit, 2 errors, 3 LOB.
Univ. of Washington 6th - Bentrott flied out to rf. Boyer struck out
swinging, out at first c to 1b. C. Brown singled to center field. Scott
grounded out to 2b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
BYU 6th - WELLS singled up the middle. McNAUGHTON struck out swinging.
RELF singled up the middle; WELLS advanced to third. WOLFE homered to center
field, 3 RBI; RELF scored; WELLS scored. AYOSO homered to left field, RBI.
GUENTHER singled, bunt. BERNAL homered to center field, 2 RBI; GUENTHER scored.
Cimber to p for Kittredge. CLUFF singled down the rf line. NIELSEN singled to
left field; CLUFF advanced to second. WELLS struck out swinging. McNAUGHTON
singled down the lf line, RBI; NIELSEN advanced to second, out at third lf to
3b; CLUFF scored. 7 runs, 9 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Univ. of Washington 7th - We are currently in a snow-delay. 0 runs, 0
hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.