PROVO, Utah – BYU took game one of a three-game series with San Diego, 11-7, on Thursday night at Miller Park. The Cougars scored 11 runs on 14 hits, the highest hits total of the year at home and third-best mark of the season.
"Our hitting was great tonight,” said BYU interim head coach Trent Pratt. "We did a great job of staying patient and hitting pitches in the strike zone. I was really proud of our approach at the plate."
San Diego (23-13, 9-7) scored first with two runs in the top of the first inning to take an early 2-0 lead, but BYU (21-14, 7-6) responded with four runs in the bottom of the second for a 4-2 advantage.
Singles by Ryan Sepede and Josh Cowden, along with a walk by Collin Reuter, set up an RBI ground ball by Dawsen Hall. Then back-to-back singles by Ozzie Pratt and Brock Watkins push the run total to four for the Cougars.
The Toreros responded with one run, off three hits, in the top of the third to cut the lead to one, but BYU starting pitcher Jack Sterner induced back-to-back ground-ball outs to get out of a jam and hold the score at 4-3.
The Cougars answered with consecutive hits by Mitch McIntyre and Jacob Wilk to open the top of the third, before Austin Deming doubled to center to bring them home and then advance to third on a wild pitch. Deming then scored on a Reuter sacrifice fly to center field for 7-3 lead.
BYU blew the game wide open in the bottom of the fifth with three runs off another double by Deming, an RBI single by Cowden and a two-run blast over the left-field wall by Reuter for a 10-3 Cougar advantage.
The Cougars picked up an insurance run in the seventh off a Sepede double and a Reuter sacrifice fly to center. San Diego scored a run in the eighth off a solo home run and three unearned runs in the ninth bringing the final tally to 11-7.
Sterner (4-2) surrendered three runs over six innings to record the win, his fourth victory of the season.
“Jack didn’t have his best stuff early in the game, but he just kept battling,” said Pratt. “He got some huge ground balls and let the defense help him. I though he just kept getting better and better as the game went along. We needed a solid performance from Jack tonight and he delivered.”
All nine offensive starters had at least one hit for BYU, with Jacob Wilk, Watkins, Deming, Sepede and Cowden collecting two. each.
BYU takes on USD in game two of the series Friday night at Miller Park at 6 p.m. MDT. The game will be broadcast live on BYUtv and the BYUtv App. BYU Sports Network—BYU Radio 107.9 FM, BYU Radio App, BYU Cougars App and BYUcougars.com—will also carry the game live.