College baseball: BYU hammers Utah, 16-6, to win season series – Salt Lake Tribune
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It took only one-and-a-half innings for the damage to be done.
With 11 hits in its first 18 at-bats, the BYU baseball team got to a roaring start in an eventual 16-6 win to top rival Utah on Tuesday night at Smith’s Ballpark. The victory clinched a 2-1 season series win for the Cougars, who scored at least five runs in the first, second and sixth innings.
Plenty of BYU batters did damage: Center fielder Brennon Lund and shortstop Hayden Nielsen each had four hits apiece, while designated hitter Colton Shaver finished 3 for 5 with 4 RBIs on the evening. Five Cougars had multiple runs.
It’s a promising performance for a BYU team still hoping to hold onto its fourth-place spot this weekend with four conference games to go with a spot in the West Coast Conference tournament on the line. Coach Mike Littlewood switched up his lineup recently, setting Shaver and Tanner Chauncey (3 RBIs) further back and moving Derrick Whitney up to the 2-spot.
Sixteen runs later, something seemed to work.
“I think we feel confident and comfortable where we’re at,” Littlewood said. “The guys are playing nice and relaxed, which is kind of nice this is a big game for us and the next four are huge for us.”
BYU bounced Nolan Stouder early, notching five singles off the Utah starter before he was replaced by Tanner Thomas in the top of the first. Utah ended up ceding a 5-0 lead before getting up to bat.
The Utes took four of the five runs back in the bottom of the frame, sending BYU starter Brady Corless to the dugout only five batters in. Replacement Keaton Cenatiempo didn’t have much more luck initially, hitting back-to-back Utah batters to send in runs.
But the Utes couldn’t stop the bleeding either in the second, surrendering 5 more runs on 6 hits, including a pair of doubles to cap the rally.
Thomas regained some control after the rugged start, carrying the load through five innings and adding three strikeouts. But the Utes had another letdown in the sixth, as BYU’s lineup batted around and hammered Thomas and Trenton Stoltz for six more runs.
The Utes had a spark in the fourth inning, as Biss Larsen and Josh Rose scored on back-to-back sac flies to narrow the gap to 10-6. But for the most part, BYU’s bullpen was lockdown good: Mason Marshall, James Lengal and Michael Rucker allowed only one base runner in the final four innings.
Twitter: @kylegoon
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Storylines
The Cougars pile up 16 runs on 19 hits.
» Both starters leave in the first inning.
» Brennon Lund finishes 4 for 6, Colton Shaver has 4 RBIs.
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