BYU pitcher Desmond Poulson and second baseman Trace Hansen helped the team to a 7-3 win over Seattle University yesterday at Bruce Hurst Field in St. George.
In the second inning, Hansen sparked BYU's momentum with an RBI triple. Both Hansen and catcher Jarrett Jarvis came home on wild pitches, giving the Cougars a 3-0 lead over the Redhawks.
'It was a great team win,' BYU coach Mike Littlewood said. 'Moving Trace to the nine-hole was the difference in the game. He did a nice job.'
BYU's Jarrett Jarvis connects with a pitch in a recent game. BYU beat Seattle 7-3 in St. George last night.
In the fifth inning, third baseman Dillon Robinson teamed up with Hansen to force Seattle's Chase Field out by a tag from shortstop Hayden Nielsen at second base. Robinson and Hansen also tagged catcher Brian Olson, who each grounded out.
Along with BYU's fielding, its pitching did well to formulate the victory. BYU pitcher Desmond Poulson got an inning-ending strikeout and then in the sixth, he picked off shortstop Cullen Hendrickson at first base.
'When Desmond couldn't find the zone, he found a way to get out of jams,' Littlewood said. 'It was nice to have Hayden (Rogers) and BK (Brandon Kinser) finish it off for us on the mound.'
Rogers, a left-handed freshman, served as a relief pitcher and struck out four Seattle batters. Kinser forced three Redhawks into groundouts by Nielsen at shortshop to finish the game.
This game was BYU's first 'home' game of the season. The Cougars (2-8) waited out a four-hour delay before it began to take down Seattle.
'There was a really good vibe in the dugout,' Littlewood said. 'The team kept their mindset that we were going to play in spite of the rain delays and did a great job of staying mentally focused.'
The two teams will continue their three-game series in a double-header today, weather permitting.