By BRENDAN BURKE
Home runs abounded and batting averages soared as BYU won its three-game series against the University of Utah Friday and Saturday in Provo. The Cougars won the first two games, 19-18 and 12-10, but lost the third 16-10.
Sophomore left fielder Spencer Oborn smacked a three-run homer in the first inning, a grand slam in the third and a two-run homer in the fifth for BYU during Friday’s series opener.
Oborn had nine RBI’s in the game and has seven home runs this season.
Junior second baseman Ryan Pond helped the Cougars’ cause by hitting two solo home runs in the second and fourth innings. Senior first baseman Brad Winget hit one out in the fifth and junior shortstop Chris Circuit had one in the seventh.
However, Utah didn’t let the Cougars have all the fun. Catcher Nate Forbush hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning and a solo in the eighth. Utes Jarod Larsen, John Summers, Ryan Hilts, Sam Swenson and Mike Wood each knocked one out to give both teams a total of 14 home runs in the game.
“Our ballpark in known as a hitter’s ballpark,” said BYU head coach Gary Pullins. “The ball carries well here.”
Pullins said he didn’t know if the high scores and many home runs could be directly attributed to great hitting or poor pitching.
“It’s like the question, ‘Which came first? The chicken or the egg?’ Both teams were very offensive but were struggling on the mound,” Pullins said. “It was as if they were serving it up (to the batters).”
Oborn’s first homer chased Utah pitcher Lance Eriksen from the game in the first inning after he walked the first three batters and threw three wild pitches.
The heavy hitting continued into the first game of Saturday’s double header as Winget and Utah’s Eric Wallace hit two home runs each.
Two more Cougars, sophomore centerfielder Troy McNaughton and freshman catcher Mike Tejada, each knocked one out Saturday.
Winget’s second homer of the game was a two-run shot off his former BYU roommate Brett McDermaid. The homer helped to lift the Cougars in the bottom of the seventh inning.
McDermaid became a Ute this year after spending two years in a Cougars’ uniform.
Wallace hit a two-run shot in the first and a solo in the third inning. BYU senior right-hander Marc Kenner (2-0) was the game’s winning pitcher
Utah took it to BYU in the nightcap when Wallace had a two-run homer in the fifth inning of a 16-10 Utah victory.
Utah first baseman John Summers had seven RBI’s in the game, including a bases loaded double in the fifth inning and a three-run homer in the seventh.
McNaughton, Tejada and Winget chalked up a homer apiece for the Cougars in the nightcap.
Pullins said although the team is making more mistakes than is wanted, the Cougars are moving in the right direction.
“We have a young ballclub,” Pullins said. “Good teams learn from their mistakes and make adjustments.”
BYU’s record moves to 20-15 overall and 6-9 in the WAC. Utah is 12-23 overall and 2-11 in the WAC. The Cougars are on the road this weekend to play three league games at Grand Canyon University.
“It’s going to be a dogfight in our division, everyone is beating everyone,” Pullins said. “We welcome the challenge.”
