Daniel Schneemann hits the ball in the game against UVU. (Ari Davis)
BYU pulled ahead of UVU in the eighth inning on Tuesday night to win a 7-6 thriller in the final game at Miller Park this season.
'It was a tough game,' said BYU coach Mike Littlewood. 'They came and played really well. We played nine innings and made them make plays. We gutted it out tonight.'
BYU was the first to score after Brennon Anderson hit a ball to the fence and was successively hit home by Daniel Schneemann, ending the first inning 1-0.
UVU put two runs on the board in the top of the third, but BYU answered with two runs to pull ahead 3-2.
In the top of the fourth, the Wolverines regained the lead, scoring three runs to put themselves ahead 5-3.
After two scoreless innings, the Wolverines scored another run in the top of the seventh to extend their lead 6-3.
BYU responded in a big way with a home run by Brock Hale, his ninth of the season, for two runs to cut UVU's lead to one, 6-5.
The Cougars' defense helped save the game with a double play in the top of the eighth to keep BYU within one.
In the bottom of the eighth, with two outs on the board, Schneemann stepped up to bat.
Schneemann hit an in-field grounder that would have resulted in an out, but the ball was overthrown to first base. Ther error allowed Schneemann to get to second and Nate Favero to make it home, tying the game 6-6.
Tanner Chauncey followed and hit another grounder that snuck under the shortstop's glove, enabling Chauncey to make it to first and bring Anderson home for the winning run.
After a single followed by a walk for the Wolverines in the top of the ninth, the Cougars closed out the game with three-straight outs.
Mason Marshall came on in relief for BYU and earned his 15th career save.
'Something really cool about this team is that we just battle through all adversity,' Marshall said. 'All I have to do is trust in my guys and everything falls into place.'
Marshall's save tonight tied the all-time save record at BYU held by Ryan Hancock.
'Mason has incredible league numbers,' Littlewood said. 'To see him tie the career-saves leader is just awesome. It couldn’t be more fitting for the ending of that game.'
Tonight's win puts No. 18 BYU's season record at 33-15.
BYU plays at Gonzaga in its final regular-season series, which begins Thursday at 6 p.m. PDT. One win in Spokane would secure an outright conference title for the Cougars.