PHOENIX — Six Arizona State home runs and 14 strikeouts proved too much to overcome as BYU stumbled in a 12-4 defeat to the Sun Devils on Friday night at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
The Cougars opened the game with a leadoff homer but ASU was quick to respond and poured on five runs with three shots out of the park in the bottom of first for a 5-1 lead. BYU tacked on another run in the second but drew no closer as the Sun Devils steadily bolstered their lead with three crooked innings to win 12-4.
BYU’s four runs came on three hits with five runners left aboard. ASU scored its 12 runs on 13 hits with two errors and six stranded.
BYU Highlights
Crew McChesney: 1-4, RBI, HR
Cooper Vest: 1-4, 2 RBI, HR
Bryker Hurdsman: 1-4, R, 2B
Game Summary
BYU jumped out to a 1-0 lead with McChesney sending his third pitch over the right field wall for a leadoff solo shot. ASU used a walk and single to put two runners on the bases, then brought them both home with a three-run homer. A solo shot on each of the Sun Devils’ next two at bats quickly ballooned their bottom-first lead to 5-1.
The Cougars tacked on their second run on one hit but were left wanting with three runners stranded in the top of the second. Hurdsman led off the inning with a double to deep left field. A fielder’s choice to Keoni Painter and Brock Watkins walk loaded the bases before an Ezra McNaughton walk scored Hurdsman from third. BYU would draw no closer than 5-2 in the top of the second with a pair of strikeouts and a groundout stranding the bases loaded.
After an outburst in the first, the Sun Devils remaining seven runs continued to trickle in over the final eight innings with two in the second, one in the third and fourth along with three in the seventh.
ASU used an RBI double and RBI single to plate two runs and take a 7-2 lead in the bottom of the second. A solo homer and RBI groundout in the third and fourth innings, respectively, pushed the Sun Devils ahead 9-2. Another solo shot followed by a two-run homer concluded the ASU scoring for the night with three more runs.
BYU got two more on the board in the top of the eighth with Luke Anderson earning a two-out walk and Vest homering over the right field wall for the two RBI shot.
Up Next
BYU concludes its three-game weekend conference series at Arizona State on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. PDT with live coverage on ESPN+ and BYU Radio.