May 5, 2007
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – BYU’s Kent Walton broke the 2-2 tie in the seventh with a RBI grounder to short and then scored an insurance run on Steve Parker’s double, leading the Cougars to a 5-3 win to clinch the series in Albuquerque for the second straight time. The Lobos, now 22-25 overall and 8-10 in the Mountain West Conference, possessed a 2-0 lead but stuggled to get on base after the first.
With runners at second and third and just one out, last night’s hero, Daniel Stovall, belted a fly ball to left for the sacrifice as Matt Foote tagged up and scored. In the next at bat, Matt Hibbitts singled to left, plating Adam Courcha from second for a 2-0 lead.
Apana Nakayama got the Cougars on the scoreboard in the third, belting a triple to right center with two outs and a runner at first.
Walton tied the game in the sixth, getting plunked to lead off the sixth and scoring with two outs on a single from Chase Frampton.
The Lobos had a chance in the ninth as the Cougars went to their closer, Matt Jensen, who was tagged with the loss last night. On his third pitch, he hit Hibbitts, which got the 320 fans roaring with excitement.
Jensen settled in, striking out the next two batters and quieting the crowd. Derek Pilkington laced a single to left, putting runners and first and second and bringing the fans back into the game. But Jensen fought tough and got Scott Gracey swinging on a full-count pitch.
BYU starter Jake Wortham earned the win, allowing three runs (one earned) on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Jensen earned his second save. Lobo starter Jacob Norton suffered the loss, allowing four runs on eight hits and two walks with four strikeouts. The loss snapped a three-game win streak for Norton.
The Cougars out-hit New Mexico 12-7, led by Nakayama’s 4-for-5 performance, posting a RBI and scoring a run. Walton was 1-for-4, scoring two and driving in two. Seven Lobo hitters pounded out a hit while three each recorded a run scored or drove in a RBI.
New Mexico concludes it’s home season this week, hosting UNLV for a three-game series starting Thursday. The teams play all three games at noon.