PROVO, Utah — BYU baseball downed LMU 4-3 in 10 innings on Thursday evening at Miller Park to win the first of a three-game WCC series. It was the 10th win in the last 11 games for the Cougars.
“It wasn’t real pretty tonight, but we will take a win when we can get it,'' said BYU interim head coach Trent Pratt. “I was proud of the way we battled and played hard again tonight, and our pitching staff did a great job keeping the score low and giving us a chance to win.”
With two runs on four hits, LMU took an early 2-0 lead on the Cougars in the top of the second inning. Despite getting a runner on base, BYU was unable to answer in the bottom half of the inning.
After retiring LMU batters with three straight groundouts in the third, Collin Reuter led off the bottom of the inning with an infield single to shortstop. Brock Watkins then followed with a single of his own through the left side and Mitch McIntyre's single to second loaded the bases. Ryan Sepede's fly ball to high field brought Reuter home and cut the Lions lead to 2-1.
LMU had a lead-off double in the top of the fourth, but BYU pitcher Bryce Robison recorded three strikeouts to get out of the inning.
The Cougars took the lead in the bottom of the fifth with two runs on three hits. Reuter singled to left field and Ozzie Pratt lined a ball off the right-field wall to put two runners with no outs. McIntyre recorded an RBI single on a fielder's choice, bringing Retuter home for his second run of the night and tying the game at 2-2. Sepede then hit a one-hop double off the left-field wall that brought McIntyre around to score from first, putting the Cougars in the lead 3-2.
LMU tied the ballgame in the sixth at 3-3 with a double, a walk and a single.
After scoreless innings in the seventh and the eighth, BYU had a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth. Reuter opened the inning with his third hit of the night and Dawsen Hall came in to pinch run. When a throwing error by the LMU shortstop Benny Casillas on a ground ball by Watkins ended up in right field, both runners attempted to advance, but Hall was thrown out at the plate and Watkins was tagged out at third to end the threat and send the game to extra innings.
In the bottom of the tenth, LMU relief pitcher Quinn Lavelle issued back-to-back walks to both Sepede and Cole Gambill to put a runner in scoring position with just one out. Josh Cowden entered the game to pinch run for Sepede and Jacob Wilk was hit by a pitch to load the bases for the Cougars. The second pitch to Hayden Leatham was thrown in the dirt and went to the backstop allowing Cowden to score giving the Cougars a 4-3 walk-off win.
Player Highlights
Collin Reuter 3-4, 2 Runs
Ryan Sepede: 2-3, 2 RBI
Mitch McIntyre 1-5, Run, RBI
Bryce Robison: 5.1, 1 ER, 6 K