PROVO, Utah – BYU baseball used 13 hits to win 10-2 in game two of its four-game series against the Stetson Hatters on Thursday evening at Miller Park.
Led by Crew McChesney, Easton Jones and Brock Watkins with two runs each, the Cougars improved to 8-5 on the season while the Hatters fell to 8-6.
“It was good to jump out on a lead,” head coach Trent Pratt said. “To have a starter like Payton [Gubler] get some strikeouts was great too. Today feels good heading into conference play next week.”
With the 10-2 win over Stetson, BYU (8-5) now has five games on the season with 10 or more runs. The Cougars have outhit opponents in nine of 13 games on the season with six double-digit hit games, including four consecutive.
BYU Highlights
Brock Watkins: 2-3, 2 Runs, 4 RBI, HR
Luke Anderson: 3-4, 2 Runs, RBI, 2B
Easton Jones: 2-4, 2 Runs, RBI, 2B
Crew McChesney: 2-3, 2 Runs
Cooper Vest: 1-4, Run, 2 RBI
Payton Gubler: 6 IP, 1 H, 8 SO, Win (3-1)
Game Summary
After a quiet first inning, Anderson sparked the offense with a double and advanced to third off of a hit from Ezra McNaughton. Watkins then launched a two-run homer, driving in both himself and Anderson to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second.
In the bottom of the third, Jones sent a double into the right-field gap, driving in McChesney and extending the BYU lead to 3-0. Cooper Vest kept the rally going with a double of his own, bringing Jones home. Anderson then singled to left field, sending Vest across the plate for BYU’s third and final run of the inning, pushing the lead to 5-0.
Gubler kept the Hatters scoreless after the top of the fourth with his sixth strikeout of the game. Gubler would finish his outing after six innings with eight strikeouts, just one short of tying his career high.
Stetson put runners on the corners in the top of the sixth with a two-out walk and single to center. BYU kept the Hatters scoreless and stranded two more with an unassisted putout by Watkins at second base.
Reliever Justis Reiser entered the game and quickly got a strikeout and a flyout to keep BYU’s advantage of 5 going into the bottom of the seventh. Reiser finished the day with three strikeouts in two innings pitched.
Despite two quick outs in the bottom of the seventh, BYU nearly doubled its lead with four runs scored over the final third of the inning.
Jones reached base on a single to center then headed to second on an Anderson walk. McNaughton loaded the bases with a second walk as Watkins stepped to the plate. Down 0-2 in the count, Watkins fired off a 2-RBI single to center, scoring Jones and Anderson while McNaughton moved to second.
Both Watkins and McNaughton were brought home in short order with Parker Goff doubling to left field and giving the Cougars a 9-1 lead.
Stetson took advantage of a BYU error to find its first run of the game in the eighth. The Cougars replied with their final run of the game in the bottom of the eighth. McChesney led off the inning with a double to center and came home on sacrifice fly from Vest that gave BYU a 10-1 lead.
A second Stetson run in the top of the ninth cut into BYU's winning score at 10-2.
Up Next
BYU continues its four-game series with Stetson on Friday at 3 p.m. MST. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and BYU Radio.