Kyle McDonald | Sports Writer | @kylesportsbias
Led by two home runs from freshman Colton Shaver and a solo home run by Cole Wilstead, the BYU Cougars defeated the UVU Wolverines 10-7 at Brent Brown Ballpark on Tuesday night.
Shaver and Wilstead each hit home runs in the top of the second to help BYU (7-10) take the early lead. They added another run in the top of the third to make it 3-0 on a sacrifice fly by Dillon Robinson.
UVU (3-12) answered by scoring two runs in the bottom of the fifth on a single by Kade Andrus and a sacrifice fly by Mark Krueger.
The Cougars took the lead for good in the top of the eighth by scoring six runs on four hits, four walks and one error that made it 9-2.
“It’s just disappointing the way we give up so many extra outs,” UVU Head Coach Eric Madsen said.
UVU mounted a comeback in the bottom of the eighth. Jordan Schlehuber and Greyson Bogden each drove in two of the five runs scored in the inning to make it a 9-7 game. “Our guys, they’ll fight, they scramble, they do their stuff,” Madsen said. “We gotta find a way to win games, that’s plain and simple.” BYU pitcher Michael Rucker struck out UVU leadoff hitter Kade Andrus, who represented the tying run, to end the rally.
Jake Mayer took the loss on the mound as he allowed three runs on five hits while striking out one batter.
UVU goes on a 10 game road trip and start TD Ameritrade Park, home of the College World Series, in a four game series against Creighton starting on Friday followed by a mid-week game at Utah, their first conference series in Seattle, and finish it up with a three game series in Bakersfield.
