By Nicholas Cottle
The Cougars beat incredible odds Wednesday (May 24, 2006) when they overcame an 8-4 deficit in the bottom of the ninth, stealing the game away from their lifelong rival Utah winning 8-9.
A moment in BYU history not soon to be forgotten is when freshman Daniel Vargas stood coiled at the plate against a perched Ute defense with bases loaded, two outs, full count and the score tied at eights. Vargas sprang on the strike he new was coming, sending the ball into left field and Utah into the MWC loser”s bracket.
“We continue to play for 27 outs,” BYU head coach Vance Law said. “Our guys continue to battle and they believe in what we”re trying to do and in themselves. Boy was it a very sweet victory.”
The Cougars were not able to taste the sweet until after they endured the bitter, going scoreless in the first five innings while giving up seven.
The only good that came out of the first five innings was Jordan Muir”s team season high nine strikeouts, but he also gave up nine hits and six earned runs.
The Utes on the other hand were nearly unstoppable through five innings behind pitcher Lucas Trinnaman who gave up only two hits in the innings.
Veteran senior Marcos Villezcas finally got the bats cracking, leading the way by whooping out his stick and cracking a solo home run proving to his team that Trinnaman wasn”t untouchable.
Villezcas” hit put BYU back into the swing of things as they smacked 13 hits in the last four innings.
Player of the game Jeff Hiestand added two hits of his own, coming at clutch times as they both brought in crucial runs for the Cougs.
But no hits were more clutch and crucial then the six that were strung together by BYU in the bottom of the ninth.
“Our guys deserve all the credit,” said Law. “They work very hard. They put the ball in play the right way, hard on the ground … we just need to do that from the first innings on.”
The game ended just that way when the game climaxed at the nail-biting single by Vargas that was hit hard on the ground through the gap between third and short.
“What a great moment for BYU baseball,” said Hiestand.
The Cougars look to capitalize on all the great moments they have had throughout their five straight wins as they face the winner of the TCU-New Mexico game tomorrow at 4 p.m.
