PHOENIX — Despite jumping out to a 2-0 advantage in the top of the first, BYU baseball was unable to hold the lead as Arizona State responded with six unanswered runs and went on to defeat the Cougars 8-3 on Thursday night at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
BYU’s early lead was undone with a throwing error, free bases, Sun Devil double and homer in the third and fourth innings. The Cougars cut into the deficit, 6-3, with a sacrifice fly from Bryker Hurdsman in the top of the fifth but came up without a game-changing hit down the stretch with 16 strikeouts on the night.
ASU scored eight runs, two unearned, on nine hits with no errors and eight left on base. The Cougars’ three runs came on eight hits with three errors and eight stranded.
“We didn’t play good baseball tonight,” said BYU head coach Trent Pratt. We were our own worst enemy. We couldn’t get a big hit to punch back and it’s just a matter of throwing strikes in those middle innings. Our only choice is to come back and play better tomorrow.”
BYU Highlights
Ryder Robinson: 1-4, 2 R, 1 2B
Cooper Vest: 2-4, RBI
Bryker Hurdsman: 1-2, RBI
Game Summary
BYU struck first with two runs on three hits in the top of the first. Robinson opened the hitting for the Cougars with a one-out double and trotted to third moments later, on a Luke Anderson single. Vest recorded BYU’s third hit in as many at bats with a single to right that scored Robinson and sent Anderson to third. The Cougars added a second run with Brock Watkins reaching on a fielder’s choice scoring Anderson.
ASU answered the early BYU lead with six straight runs in the bottom of the first, third and fourth innings. A leadoff single turned into an RBI single for the Sun Devils in the bottom of the first. ASU then took the lead, 3-2, in the bottom of the third with a sac fly and Cougar fielding error. An RBI double and two-run homer in the fourth tacked on three more as the Sun Devils pulled ahead 6-2.
BYU came within three with a run on a hit in the top of the fifth. Robinson and Anderson earned walks on each of the Cougars’ first two at bats in the half inning. Vest then singled to right to load the bases with Robinson at third. Hurdsman then came to the plate and notched a sacrifice fly to score Robinson and bring the deficit to 6-3. A pair of stranded runners prevented BYU from climbing back further.
ASU put the game away with an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh on a Cougar throwing error and a two-out single in the eighth.
Up Next
BYU continues its three-game weekend conference series at Arizona State on Friday at 6:30 p.m. PDT with live coverage on ESPN+ and BYU Radio.