The BYU baseball team is currently on a four-game win streak after taking down Utah Valley University 11-7 in the UCCU Crosstown Clash on Tuesday. The Cougars have won 10-straight games against the Wolverines.
The game also acted as the Cougars' home opener, as fans returned to Miller Park for the first time in over a year.
BYU started things off in the first inning with a standup double from Andrew Pintar. Pintar then advanced to third on a Brock Watkins groundout and was sent home with a Mitch McIntyre single. The Cougars ended the first inning up 1-0.
The Cougars blew the lead wide open with five runs in the bottom of the second inning. Jacob Wilk scored the second run of the day on a single from Peyton Cole. Scores three and four were run in by Danny Gelalich and Cole on a Pintar triple. Watkins launched a home run over the center wall bringing in runs five and six.
Wilk scored with the second home run of the game in the third inning for the lone score of the inning, bringing the score to 7-0 BYU.
UVU began its comeback attempt in the fourth inning with a run in both the fourth and fifth innings, closing the gap to 7-2. The Wolverines came within one run as they dominated the sixth inning, scoring four runs and making the score 7-6.
BYU answered the Wolverine scoring spree with Watkins reaching home on a Pintar double, ending the two-inning scoring drought for BYU and extending the lead to 8-6.
The Cougars continued to bring the heat as they scored three more runs to put them in a comfortable advantage at the bottom of the eighth. Cole brought in the ninth run off a deep double from Pintar, followed up by Watkins’ walk after being hit by a pitch. Pintar and Watkins were brought home off a Cowden deep single to the right, putting the score at 11-6.
UVU put up a good fight, scoring early at the top of the ninth, but was unable to overcome the four-run deficit and ended the game on a strikeout. BYU and UVU both finished the game with 13 hits.
BYU will continue its homestand with a three-game series against San Francisco starting Thursday, March 25 as the Cougars resume West Coast Conference play.