MORAGA, California (April 16, 2016)—Two bases-loaded situations in the last two innings went the way of No. 16 BYU baseball for a 5-4 win Saturday afternoon over Saint Mary’s.

The victory puts the Cougars (27-7) back in a tie for first place in the West Coast Conference with the Gaels (20-12), both having 10-5 league records.

With two out in the bottom of the ninth, reliever Keaton Cenatiempo coaxed a leftfield pop-up to end the game after he hit a Gael batter to load the bases. Cenatiempo was the fifth BYU pitcher of the game and earned his second save of the season.

"What a gutsy effort by our team today," BYU coach Mike Littlewood said.  "We battled and battled until the very last pitch. Our pen stepped up today in a big way."

While starter Connor Williams couldn’t get the win, the Cougar sophomore struck out six batters in his three innings, including four consecutively in the heart of the Gael order.

Williams was relieved by Bo Burrup in the fourth, who earned the win to improve his record to 3-2 in three innings. Closer Mason Marshall was in line for his 14th career save, striking out the first batter of the ninth before allowing two aboard as a run trickled across to make the score 5-4.

Marshall escaped the eighth frame when the Gaels loaded the bases after he recorded the first of his two strikeouts in two and two-thirds innings. Marshall also got defensive help in the seventh frame.

Jackson Cluff leaped to catch a smoking liner, then reached to tag out the diving Gael runner at third for an unassisted double play to end the seventh to minimize the damage with a 5-3 lead.

"We got great performances by two freshmen - offensively from Daniel (Schneemann), and defensively by Jack (Cluff)," Littlewood said.

Although hitless, senior Eric Urry came through several times for the Cougars, including twice offensively. Urry scored BYU’s final run, unearned in the seventh after he walked and was driven in by Colton Shaver. Urry helped Brennon Lund score on a safety squeeze bunt by in the third for a 3-1 lead after Daniel Schneemann scored BYU's second run on a wild pitch.

The next frame Schneemann got his second consecutive single in as many innings to plate fellow freshman Keaton Kringlen as the lead increased to 4-1.

Lund, who was 3-for-5 on the afternoon, gave the Cougars a 1-0 lead in the first inning when he led off with a double and scored on Urry’s ground out.

The Cougars end the week with a 2-2 record and now have a couple days off to prepare for a three-game non-conference series hosting Creighton on Friday and Saturday.

PROVO, Utah (April 11, 2016)--Conference co-frontrunners collide Tuesday when No. 16 BYU baseball of the West Coast Conference hosts a rematch against Utah of the Pac-12 Conference.

The Cougars, 25-5, and Utes, 11-17, meet in the second of three contests this season at 6 p.m. in Provo, but this time both are tied for first place in their respective conferences at 9-3 and 8-4.

Following the Utah game, BYU returns to WCC action in a three-game series at Saint Mary’s later in the week.

BYU is tied with Gonzaga, with Saint Mary’s a half-game behind, and Utah is tied with Cal.

“Utah has a good team,” BYU coach Mike Littlewood said. “To me they are always dangerous, there has been a ton of close games, and it’s a crazy series. We are a little dinged up right now.”

Out of the starting lineup is Brennon Anderson with a sprained thumb, likely replaced for Tuesday’s game by freshman Daniel Schneemann at second base.

The Cougars remain ranked No. 16 for the second week in a row in the Perfect Game poll, but dropped a couple spots in the USA Today/Baseball Coaches poll to No. 22. BYU moved up to No. 21 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers poll and dropped to No. 26 in Collegiate Baseball.

Getting the starting pitching nod for the Utah game is Cougar lefty Hayden Rogers (3-0, 3.86). The regular rotation will be intact for the Saint Mary’s series leading off with Michael Rucker (7-0, 2.21) and Maverik Buffo (6-1, 3.27) in Thursday and Friday’s games at 3 p.m. PDT, and Connor Williams (1-1, 3.74) in Saturday’s game at 1 p.m.

The Utah game will be televised live by BYUtv. ESPN Radio 960 AM will broadcast all of BYU’s games this week as will BYU Radio—Sirius Satellite 143, and TheW.tv will stream all of the games at Saint Mary’s.

BYU is ranked No. 1 in scoring (9.1) and doubles per game (2.70) in the latest NCAA rankings. The Cougars are No. 3 in batting average at.336 and slugging (.517), No. 4 in doubles and No. 6 in runs. Individually, Rucker is tied for No. 1 in the nation with a 7-0 record, Brennon Lund is No. 7 in doubles and No. 9 in hits, while Colton Shaver is No. 15 in slugging.

The Cougars have a leg up in the Deseret First Duel, having defeated Utah 6-0 last month.

For more detailed information, see multi-page PDF below