PROVO, Utah — Kuhio Aloy's walk-off RBI single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning gave BYU a 5-4 win over Utah on Tuesday evening at Miller Park. The Cougar victory also completed a 2-0 season sweep over rival Utah.
"It was a good night," BYU head coach Trent Pratt said. "Anytime you win and come back to win, it's really good for us. Everyone did their job tonight and that's what it's going to take going forward—guys coming in and competing like crazy. It was a total team effort."
The Cougars last swept Utah in 2003, going 7-0 on the year. The last time BYU won the season series in consecutive seasons was in 2015 and 2016.
Runs in the eighth and ninth innings helped propel the Cougars' comeback, completing the final nonconference contest between the two teams before they match up in the Big 12 next season. The Tuesday evening comeback marked the first time this season that BYU won after trailing in the eighth inning.
Cougar starting pitcher Payton Gubler struck out a career-high five batters, jumpstarting the BYU pitching staff's total of 14 strikeouts in the game.
Player Highlights
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Kuhio Aloy: 1-5, Wining RBI
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Brock Watkins: 2-3, 2 2B, RBI
- Parker Goff: 2-4, 2B
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Stone Cushing: (W, 1-0), 0.1 IP
- Payton Gubler: 3.1 IP, 3 H, 5 SO, 4 ER
BYU scored one run on no hits in the bottom of the first inning. A one-out walk to Easton Jones and back-to-back stolen bases put him on third before a walk to Cooper Vest put runners at first and third with two outs. A balk by Utah pitcher Jaden Harris allowed Jones to score, giving BYU a 1-0 lead heading into the second inning.
A leadoff walk to Brock Watkins and a double to left field by Parker Goff put runners on second and third with no outs in the second. A wild pitch scored Watkins and moved Goff to third, extending BYU's lead to 2-0 before the top of the third.
Utah responded in the fourth inning, scoring four runs on two hits to take a 4-2 lead.
In the bottom of the fourth, a base hit up the middle by Luke Anderson, followed by a stolen base and a Utah error, put runners on first and third for BYU with one out. A wild pitch scored Anderson, cutting BYU's deficit to 4-3.
After several scoreless innings, BYU rallied in the eighth. Vest led off with a base hit, and an RBI double by Watkins tied the game at 4-4.
In the ninth, Ryker Schow singled to right field and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Anderson. An intentional walk to Jones put runners on first and second. Vest was hit by a pitch, loading the bases with two outs. Aloy then delivered a walk-off RBI single to left, scoring Schow and clinching a 5-4 victory for BYU.
The Cougars return to action in a three-game road series beginning Thursday, April 25 at No. 19 Oklahoma State at 6 p.m. CDT in Stillwater. The game will be broadcast live on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ and streamed on BYU Radio 107.9/BYU Radio App.