PROVO, Utah — BYU defeated Pepperdine, 13-7, in game one of a three-game series at Miller Park on Thursday evening behind four home runs, including a grand slam by Cole Gambill in the eighth inning.
The Cougars tallied 11 hits as Gambill and Austin Deming recorded two apiece. With the victory, BYU improves to 23-27 (12-13 WCC) on the year as Pepperdine falls to 18-29 (7-18 WCC).
“We had to come out and win,” said BYU third baseman Deming. “And that’s what we did tonight. It’s always good to have a few insurance runs no matter what the score is. We had some big swings today.”
Game Summary
- BYU went 11-35 at the plate, while Pepperdine was 9-34
- The Cougars recorded 13 runs on 11 hits to the Waves 7 runs on 9 hits
BYU Highlights
- Austin Deming: 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2B
- Cole Gambill: 1-4, HR, 4 RBI
- Jacob Wilk: 1-4, HR, 2 RBI
- Ozzie Pratt: 1-4, HR, 1 RBI
The Waves got on the board first with two runs in the top of the first inning off two doubles and two singles.
BYU responded in the bottom the first as Deming hit his 22nd double of the year to score Ozzie Pratt. Ryan Sepede then singled to third base and Deming scored to even the score. A Cooper Vest sacrifice fly scored Gambill as the Cougars took a 3-2 advantage. Jacob Wilk then homered for the seventh time on the year scoring two more runs. Dawson Hall kept the inning going with a single, then scored on a Parker Goff triple for a 6-2 lead.
After a scoreless second inning, a Cougar error in the top of the third frame allowed Pepperdine a run to trim BYU’s lead to 6-3.
With two outs in the top of the fifth inning and runners on second and third, Pepperdine’s Lincoln Orellana singled through the left side to cut the Cougars advantage to 6-5.
BYU held the Waves scoreless in the top of the sixth and seventh innings.
The Cougar bats came alive in the bottom of the seventh as Pratt blasted a solo homer to left center, followed by another solo home run by Deming to extend the lead to 8-5.
A two-run home run by the Waves third baseman Jack Basseer in the top of the eighth cut the Cougar lead once again to just one run at 8-7.
BYU responded in a big way in the bottom half of the inning. Following two walks by Goff and Pratt, Luke Anderson singled through the left side scoring Goff. With two outs and runners on the corners, Pepperdine intentionally walked WCC RBI leader Deming to load the bases. Facing a 2-1 count, Gambill blasted a towering grand slam over the right-field wall for a commanding 13-7 advantage that would prove to be the final score. The grand slam marked Gambill’s first of his BYU career and his 14th home run of the year.
The Cougars will resume the three-game series with the Waves on Friday at 6 p.m. MDT at Miller Park. The game will be broadcast live on BYUtv, the BYUtv app, and BYU Radio (107.9).