TUCSON, Arizona — BYU defeated Arizona 8-4 Saturday afternoon at Hi Corbett Field to win the three-game series 2-1. On the year, the Cougars have now won four Big 12 series and are currently in sixth place in the conference standings.
BYU (22-20, 11-10) scored eight runs on 12 hits with two errors, while Arizona (16-26, 7-14) had four runs on 10 hits, with no errors. Cougar hurlers Cayson Bell, Nate Gray and Ashton Johnson combined to scatter 10 hits with six strikeouts for the win.
Highlights
Ryder Robinson: 2-4, 3 Runs, RBI, BB
Matt Hansen: 1-4, 2 Runs
Easton Jones: 2-4, 2 RBI, Run
Tu’alau Wolfgramm: 1-4, 2 RBI
Cayson Bell: 4.2 IP, 2 Runs, 3 Ks
Ashton Johnson: 1.2 IP, Save, 0 Runs
Summary
BYU got off to a hot start with three runs in the top of the first inning off Arizona’s starter Smith Bailey, the reigning NCBWA National Pitcher of the Week. Luke Anderson singled to leadoff the game, and moved to second on a walk by Ryder Robinson. A single by Easton Jones scored Anderson and advanced Robinson third, where he scored on a wild pitch. Jones then moved to third on a single by Bryker Hurdsman and scored on a single by Tu’alau Wolfgramm for a 3-0 lead.
After a scoreless second inning, the Cougars picked up another run in the third for a 4-0 advantage. Robinson ledoff the inning with a single and advanced to third on a Jones single to center. For the second time in the game, Robison then scored on a wild pitch.
BYU picked up another run in the top of the fifth. A lead-off single by Robinson combined with a double to left center by Bryker Hurdsman put runners on the corners with one out. Wolfgramm then scored Robinson on a sacrifice fly for a 5-0 lead.
Arizona got on the board in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run Caleb Danzeisen home run to cut the BYU lead to 5-2.
The Cougars answered with two more runs in the sixth to push the lead back to five. Back-to-back singles by Hansen and Ridge Erickson, followed by an Ezra McNaughton walk, loaded the bases with one out. Robinson then picked up an RBI being hit by a pitch and Jones walked to bring home Erickson for a 7-2 advantage.
The Wildcats got a run back in the bottom half of the sixth on a walk and two singles to make the score 7-3. After a scoreless seventh, UA picked up another run in the eighth with two singles and a sacrifice fly to close the gap to 7-4.
BYU responded with an insurance run in the top of the ninth, and Ashton Johnson held UA scoreless in the bottom half of the frame for an 8-4 win and his fourth save of the year. Gray, who came on in relief of Bell with two outs in the fifth, went 2.2 innings for the win, his Big 12-leading seventh win of the year.
Up Next
BYU will travel north to Phoenix to face Grand Canyon in a non-conference game on Monday, April 27 at 1 p.m. MT at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark. The game will be broadcast live on the MW Network and on the BYU Radio app, BYUradio.org, SiriusXM 143 and 107.9 FM in Utah County.