PROVO, Utah – BYU fell 4-2 to the Cincinnati Bearcats in game two of the season’s final home series at Miller Park on Friday night.
BYU starter Ben Hansen went a season-best 6.1 innings and 106 pitches thrown while striking out four and walking two.
Cooper Vest accounted for both Cougar runs, going 1-for-3 on the night with his ninth home run of the season, two runs and an RBI. Parker Goff went 3-for-4 at the dish with an RBI double in the fourth.
Player Highlights
- Parker Goff: 4-4, 2B, RBI
- Cooper Vest: 1-3, 2 R, HR, RBI
- Ben Hansen: Season-long 6.1 IP, 4 K, 8 H, 4 ER
After a Cincinnati single brought up the conference’s leader in RBI in the top of the first, Josh Kross lined out to Easton Jones, who threw to first for a double play to end the inning and the scoring threat.
Cincinnati led off the third with a double to right field, but the Cougars retired the next three batters, including the second double play of the night to end the inning.
Crew McChesney drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the third before Easton Jones beat the throw from the Bearcat shortstop to earn an infield hit and put runners on first and second. Kuhio Aloy moved the runners to second and third on an infield groundout but a flyout to center field ended the Cougars’ hopes of opening the scoring in the third.
In the top of the fourth, UC worked a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a balk. Ben Hansen jammed the next Cincinnati batter, forcing a pop-out to second before a Bearcat home run to take a 2-0 lead through four innings.
Cooper Vest worked a leadoff walk in the bottom of the fourth before Parker Goff roped a one-out double to the left-field corner, scoring Vest from first to cut the lead to 2-1.
With one out in the top of the fifth, the Bearcats recorded back-to-back singles followed by a hit-by-pitch to load the bases. A Cincinnati ground out drove in a run to extend the Cincinnati lead to 3-1. With runners on second and third, Hansen struck out UC’s Hunter Jessee to retire the side.
Cincinnati drew a leadoff walk in the top of the sixth before, a pop-out and a third inning-ending double play.
In the bottom of the sixth, Vest took the 2-1 pitch to deep left-center for his ninth home run of the year to draw the Cougars within one at 3-2. Goff came to the plate next and singled to left field followed by a Ryker Schow single to center which moved Goff into scoring position. Luke Anderson worked a five-pitch walk to load the bases with two outs bringing McChesney to the plate who struck out, stranding three in the sixth.
Cincinnati scored in the top of the seventh to retake a two-run advantage at 4-2. The Bearcats threatened again in the bottom of the eighth, loading the bases with one out before BYU turned its fourth inning-ending double of the game to escape unscathed.
Boston Mabeus retired the Bearcats in order in the top of the ninth to give the Cougars a chance in the bottom half of the inning, but the Cougars went down in order in the bottom of the ninth to fall 4-2 in game two of the series.
Up Next
The final home game of the 2024 season will be played at Miller Park on Saturday with the first pitch slated for 11:30 a.m. MDT. Five BYU seniors will be honored before the first pitch. Watch the Cougars and Bearcats in game three on Big 12 Now on ESPN+ or listen live on BYU Radio 107.9 FM/BYU Radio.org and the BYU Radio app.