PROVO, Utah – BYU baseball fell to Cal Baptist, 13-11, despite scoring nine runs behind three homers in the fifth inning at Miller Park on Thursday.
Cal Baptist (12-3) scored 13 runs on 20 hits while stranding 11 runners in the win. BYU (6-6) had 11 runs on 16 hits, while also stranding 11.
Highlights
• Luke Anderson: 3-6, RBI, Run
• Crew McChesney: 3-5, 3RBI, 2Runs, HR
• Easton Jones: 2-4, 2Runs, 3RBI, 2HR
• Bryker Hurdsman: 2-5, Run, 2RBI, HR
• Justis Reiser: 1.2 innings, 1Hit, 1K, No Runs
Summary
Cal Baptist jumped out to an early lead on its first at-bat with a double followed by a single to put the Lancers up 1-0. BYU ended the scoring threat on a strikeout and caught stealing double play.
After a scoreless second inning, Cal Baptist extended its lead in the third on six hits, including a three-run homer over the left field scoreboard to take a 6-0 lead.
After holding the Lancers scoreless in the fourth inning BYU got on the board with a solo home run to deep center field from Easton Jones to cut into the lead, 6-1.
CBU answered with a pair of its own solo homers in the top of the fifth inning to extend the lead to 8-1.
BYU bats got hot in the bottom of the fifth rolling up nine runs on nine hits for a 10-8 advantage. McChesney led off with a double followed by an RBI single from Matt Hansen to score McChesney. Hurdsman then drove a two-run homer over the centerfield wall to cut the deficit to 8-4.
Ridge Erickson then singled and Easton Jones hit the second home run of the inning, this one over the left field wall to pull the Cougars within two runs. Anderson and Ezra McNaughton joined in the fun with back-to-back singles before Robinson hit an RBI ground ball up the middle scoring Anderson from second base to bring BYU within one at 8-7.
McChesney then hit a towering home run over the videoboard in right field to score Robinson and McNaughton and give the Cougars an 10-8 lead. The nine run scoring onslaught, which required Cal Baptist to change pitchers three times to get out of the inning, is the most runs BYU has scored in a single inning all season.
After holding the Lancers scoreless in the top of the sixth inning, Cooper Jones doubled and Anderson singled him home to extend the BYU lead to 11-8.
Cal Baptist recorded three singles in the seventh, before a walk shrunk the Cougars lead to 11-9. The Lancers retook the lead for good in the top of the eighth with four runs off five hits for what would be the final score of 11-13.
Up Next
BYU and Cal Baptist will play game two of the series on Friday, March 6 at 3:00 p.m. MST at Miller Park. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Dave McCann and Greg Shiede on the call. The game will also be available on BYUradio.org and on the BYU Radio app with the call from Greg Wrubell, “the voice of the Cougars."