ST. GEORGE, Utah — BYU scored in six of seven innings and broke the game open with a nine-run fourth inning as it run-ruled Utah Tech 19-1 on Tuesday evening at Bruce Hurst Field.
Each Cougar batter recorded a hit as BYU racked up 19 runs on 14 hits and no errors. The Trailblazers’ one run came on five hits with an error.
BYU (16-14) took a 6-1 lead into the top of the fourth and left no doubt as it sent 16 hitters to the plate in a nine-run inning on six hits, with the first eight runs scored before Utah Tech (15-17) recorded an out. The Cougars are now outscoring opponents 47-9 in the fourth inning this season.
BYU’s 19 runs tied a season-high with its 19-3 win at CSUN on Feb. 20. With its performance on Tuesday, BYU now has 10 games on the season with 10 or more runs scored. That’s the most for a Cougar team through 30 games since 12 double-digit scoring games through the first 30 in 2016.
“This was a good, all-around game,” said BYU head coach Trent Pratt. “We did a good job on the mound, were relentless on offense and we played great defense. It was a complete game.”
Six different pitchers took the hill for the Cougars with Brett Hansen getting the start and picking up his first BYU win with two strikeouts in two innings of action. Collectively, the Cougar pitching staff held the Trailblazers to just 23 at bats and allowed only one walk.
BYU Highlights
Cooper Vest: 2-5, 3 Runs, 4 RBI, 2 HR
Brock Watkins: 3-3, 3 Runs, 4 RBI, HR
Bryker Hurdsman: 2-3, 2 Runs, 2 RBI, 2 2B
Crew McChesney: 2-4, 2 Runs, 2 RBI, HR
Game Summary
St. George native Cooper Vest wasted no time making his presence felt in his homecoming game with a two-run homer that gave BYU an early 2-0 lead in the top of the first. The Cougars picked up in the second where they left off in innings one with Brock Watkins sending the first pitch he saw deep to left for a leadoff bomb and a 3-0 advantage.
Utah Tech used a triple and RBI single to score its lone run of the game in the bottom of the second but it wasn’t long before BYU widened the gap to a five-run lead with three runs on two hits in the top of the third.
Crew McChesney led off the inning with a solo shot over the centerfield wall, putting the Cougars up 4-1. After walks from Ryder Robinson and Luke Anderson, former Trailblazer Bryker Hurdsman doubled to left, scoring Robinson and sending Anderson to third for the 5-1 lead. Moments later, Watkins plated Anderson for the 6-1 lead with a sacrifice fly.
BYU opened its marathon, nine-run fourth inning with its third leadoff hit of the day as Easton Jones singled to right. The Cougars quickly had the bases loaded after a four-pitch walk of Parker Goff and bunt single from McChesney. BYU then capitalized on three consecutive Utah Tech mistakes to take a 9-1 lead. Robinson walked in Jones, Anderson was hit by pitch to score Goff and McChesney came home on a wild pitch.
Vest then reached on an RBI fielder’s choice, scoring Robinson and sending Anderson to third. A second straight RBI-double from Hurdsman pushed BYU ahead 11-1 with Anderson scoring and Vest taking third.
Watkins added two more for the visitors with a hit that dribbled past the pitcher’s mound and into no-man’s-land in center for a two-RBI single of Vest and Hurdsman. After Watkins took second on a wild pitch, Tate Gambill brought him home with an RBI-single to deep right. In his second at bat of the inning, McChesney capped the BYU scoring barrage with a sacrifice fly to score Gambill and give the Cougars a commanding 15-1 lead.
BYU tacked on two more runs on the top of the fifth with Hurdsman and Watkins walking to open the inning and Goff plating both on a two-RBI single.
The 17-1 lead became 19-1 for the Cougars in the top of the sixth as Robinson recorded a leadoff double and Vest his second two-RBI homer.
Up Next
BYU travels north to renew its rivalry with Utah in the first weekend series between the familiar foes in the Big 12. The Cougars and Utes open the weekend on Thursday at 6 p.m. MDT at Smith’s Ballpark in Salt Lake City. Watch live on ESPN+ or listen to live play-by-play on BYU Radio.