Grant Hodges takes batting practice. (Natalie Stoker)
The BYU baseball team took three out of four games against Samford University improving their overall record to 7-1 - the best start in BYU history.
The series began on Thursday, Feb. 25 as second baseman Brennon Anderson's fourth inning grand slam was the key hit in the 7-1 win for BYU.
Sophomore third baseman Nate Favero added to the Cougar lead with a seventh inning solo home run.
'That's the beauty of our lineup- every guy will grind out at bats until we see an opening,' said head coach Mike Littlewood. 'Today our seven and nine hitters had home runs so that's nice to see.'
Right-handed pitcher Michael Rucker's seven innings of work earned him his second victory of the season.
'Mike threw a gem,' Littlewood said. 'He was sharp with all three pitches and as always, brought that 'bulldog' mentality.'
The series continued with a doubleheader on Friday. The first game was a tight one as the teams were tied at three after nine innings. Colton Shaver hit a one-out double in the top of the 10th inning for BYU. He was replaced by pinch runner Court Iorg who scored the winning run after Brennon Anderson singled him home.
'What an incredible win,' Littlewood said. 'We made Samford's pitching staff work for every out they got. Brennon (Anderson) came up big with the two-out RBI in the 10th.'
The second game featured a grand slam from left fielder Eric Urry, but it wasn't enough for BYU as they were handed their first loss of the season 10-5.
The series concluded on Saturday with a 6-4 Cougar victory. Catcher Bronson Larsen had a three-run homer in the win. It took five BYU pitchers to secure the victory over the Bulldogs. Sophomore left-hander Riley Gates was credited with the win.
'Today was the consummate team win,' Littlewood said. 'We got great pitching by five different guys, we played great defense and we hit the ball throughout the lineup.'
BYU took the series 3-1 and their 7-1 record is the best in program history.
The Cougars look to continue their dominance as they travel to Lawrence, Kansas to take on the University of Kansas in a three-game series beginning on Thursday, March 3.