PROVO, Utah – BYU baseball fell 5-4 to No. 22 Arizona Friday evening at Miller Park, tying the three-game Big 12 series at 1-1.
BYU (19-17, 6-11 Big 12) scored four runs on 12 hits, while Arizona (27-11, 11-6) scored five runs on nine hits.
The Cougars scored one run in the first inning, two in the fourth and one in the fifth before being held scoreless in the last four innings to drop game two.
“We had a lot of chances, we just couldn’t execute down the stretch,” said head coach Trent Pratt. “We just need to flip the script tomorrow and win the series.”
BYU Highlights
Ryder Robinson: 3-5, Run, RBI, HR, 2B
Tate Gambill: 2-4, Run, RBI, 2B
Cooper Vest: 3-4, Run
Easton Jones: 2-4, RBI
Keoni Painter: 1-2, RBI
Game Summary
The Wildcats took an early lead in the top of the first, scoring a run on a pair of hits. Ryder Robinson quickly answered for the Cougars in the bottom of the inning, launching a solo home run to right field to tie the game at one apiece after the opening inning.
Arizona added another run in the top of the second, stringing together a two-out single and double to reclaim the lead.
After holding the Wildcats scoreless in the third and fourth innings, BYU took the lead in the bottom of the fourth, scoring two runs on three hits for a 3-2 lead. Tate Gambill doubled to left field, and Keoni Painter followed with a single to right, driving in Gambill. Easton Jones then singled to left, bringing home Parker Goff, who had reached base after being hit by a pitch.
The Wildcats retook the lead in the top of the fifth with a two-out, three-run home run. In the bottom half of the inning, the Cougars responded with a run of their own. With two outs, Cooper Vest and Brock Hurdsman each singled to left, followed by a Gambill single up the middle that brought Vest home to cut the Wildcat lead to 5-4.
Neither team scored in the final four innings and the Wildcats held on to win game two of the series, 5-4.
Up Next
BYU and Arizona will meet in the rubber match of the series on Saturday, April 19, at 11:30 a.m. MDT at Miller Park. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+ and the BYU Radio App.