Photos by Jacob Farrar
MORGANTOWN, W.V. — BYU baseball split a doubleheader with West Virginia on Friday, wining game one, 4-1, before dropping the nightcap, 2-0, at Monongalia County Ballpark in Morgantown.
With the doubleheader split, BYU wins its first Big 12 Conference baseball game and is now 7-7 (1-2 in the Big 12) on the year, while West Virginia goes to 9-7 (2-1).
“I thought we pitched it lights out today,” said BYU head coach Trent Pratt. “We couldn’t have scripted the pitching much better. Bryce (Robison) and Mason (Olson) were awesome in the first game, then Cutter (Clawson) pitched great, giving us 6 and 1/3 innings in game two. The diference was the first game we got some timely hits but in the second we just weren’t able to get it done. It’s hard to sweep a double header, and we had our chances, but I liked the way we competed today.”
GAME ONE
BYU took an early lead in game one, scoring runs in both the fourth and fifth innings to go up 2-0. With two outs in the fourth, Cooper Vest doubled to right center then advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error by the WVU catcher.
In the fifth inning Brock Watkins walked, then moved to second on a ground ball and scored on a Keoni Painter single to right field.
WVU answered with a run in the sixth inning off a solo home run that puled the Mountaineers within a run at 2-1.
After a scoreless seventh inning, BYU scored an insurance run in the top of the eighth on a single by designated hitter Parker Goff that scored Collin Reuter who had been hit by a pitch earlier in the inning. The Cougars then tacked on another run in the ninth on a single by Reuter to right center that scored Painter who had singled to lead off the inning.
Cougar starting pitcher Bryce Robison (2-1) picked up the win, going 6.1 innings while surrendering just one earned run and striking out four. The victory is Robison’s 24th of his career, tying him with Jeff Dusek (1970-72) for seventh place all-time at BYU. Lefty reliever Mason Olson went 2.2 innings allowing just one hit, while striking out six for his first save.
BYU scored four runs on eight hits for its first Big 12 Conference win, while WVU scored one run on six hits.
Player Highlights
– Bryce Robison: 6.1 IP, W, 1 ER, 4 Ks
– Mason Olson: 2.2 IP, S, 0 ER, 6 Ks
– Keoni Painter: 2-4, RBI, Run
– Collin Reuter: 1-4, RBI, Run
– Cooper Vest: 1-4, Run 2B
GAME TWO
The Cougars lost a tough pitching duel in the second game of the doubleheader. The Mountaineers picked up a run in the second inning on a walk and two hits for a 1-0 lead. After five-straight scoreless innings, WVU added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth on three walks and a single for the 2-0 win.
The Cougars had runners in scoring position in each of the final four innings but couldn’t deliver a key base hit to capitalize.
Player Highlights
– Cutter Clawson: 6.1 IP, 1 ER, 5 Ks
– Easton Jones: 2-4, RBI, Run
BYU heads home to play four games in Utah next week. On Tuesday, the Cougars will travel 42 miles north to take on the Utes in the first of three midweek games between the two rivals. The game will be played at Smith's Ballpark in Salt Lake City with the first pitch schedule for 6 p.m. MDT. The game will be broadcast live on the Pac-12 Network and can be heard on the BYU Radio App and locally on BYU Radio 107.9 FM.
The Cougars then host Houston in the first-ever Big 12 home series at Miller Park. The Thursday and Friday games are set for 6 p.m. MDT, with the Saturday game scheduled for 11:30 a.m. All three games will air live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and can also be heard on the BYU Radio App and locally on BYU Radio 107.9 FM.