Miller Park
400 E University Parkway Provo UT 84604
PROVO -- Kainoa Obrey led Brigham Young's charge in a come-from-behind, 5-4 victory over San Diego State on Saturday to take sole possession of third place in the Mountain West Conference standings.
The Cougars' record improves to 24-21 overall, and 16-11 in the MWC, while the Aztecs fall to 23-3-, 15-12. It was the fourth one-run victory for the Cougars on the season in 15 tries, and the second in a row, bring applause from the 1,007 fans in attendance.
Obrey hit a souvenir to fans camped out on the grassy knoll in left field to tie the game 4-4 in the sixth. The Cougars completed the comeback in the inning when Cloward caught the Aztecs flat footed on a two-out, RBI bunt single to score Brock Jacobsen.
"I thought it had a chance of leaving right off the bat," Obrey said about his 420-foot home run after going 0-for-8 in the previous two games. "It was the first ball I've hit hard all series long."
A two-run double and a two-run home run by Garrett Cook and Curt Mendoza, respectively, gave the Aztecs a 4-0, first inning lead.
Casey Cloward leadoff the third inning with a single to extend his hitting streak to 15 games. Wiens followed that hit with his second double of the game, in as many at bats, to put BYU down 4-2.
Kenneth Gravley got himself out of bases loaded trouble in the fifth without giving up a run with a strike out and two short fly outs. Gravley had the Aztecs swatting air, striking out six hitters and scattering five hits in six scoreless innings. After throwing 114 pitches, Gravley was relieved by Michel Bergeron in a save opportunity.
"Kenny did a good job of maintaining his composure after giving up four runs in the first," BYU Head Coach Vance Law said. "In the dugout we talked about him working the corners with his fastball. He made the necessary adjustments, and that was the difference in the game."
Bergeron in relief struck out three hitters to record a rare save for the Cougars. It was Bergeron's second save of the season and the third for the Cougars.
The much-needed rain that the state of Utah has received the last couple of days has caused delays and postponements of BYU's baseball games. The third game started 20 minutes late because the grounds crew took extra precautions in preparing the wet field for play.
After a day off, BYU will host Southern Utah on Monday at 4 p.m. and on Tuesday at 7 p.m., to close the home season. Tuesday game marks senior night for Jackson, Mike Weingarten, Tyler Dabo, Jason Garcia and Jake Stubblefield.
San Diego State at Brigham Young UnivMay 10, 2003 at Provo, Utah (Larry H.Miller Field)
San Diego State 4 (23-30,15-12 MWC)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
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HALL lf.................. 2 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0
BURT lf................. 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1
GUERRERO ss.............. 4 1 3 0 1 1 3 1 0
GWYNN cf................. 5 0 1 0 0 2 5 0 0
COOK 1b.................. 5 1 2 2 0 1 6 1 1
MCLINTOCK rf............. 4 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 2
MENDOZA dh............... 4 1 1 2 0 1 0 0 3
CORONA 3b................ 3 0 1 0 1 1 0 3 0
WILSON 2b................ 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0
PERDUE c................. 3 0 0 0 0 1 3 0 1
ALLEN c................. 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1
COON p................... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
JENSON p................ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Totals................... 36 4 9 4 4 9 24 7 9
Brigham Young Univ 5 (24-21,16-11 MWC)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
JACKSON, Doug lf......... 4 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 2
CHAMBERS, Ryan rf........ 4 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 1
WIENS, Ranger ss......... 4 1 3 2 0 1 3 4 0
OBREY, Kainoa 3b......... 4 1 2 2 0 0 1 0 2
STUBBLEFIELD, Jake 1b.... 4 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 1
JACOBSEN, Brock cf....... 4 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 0
BILLS, Kevin dh.......... 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
CLOWARD, Casey c......... 4 1 2 1 0 0 10 0 0
VEST, Wade 2b............ 2 0 0 0 1 1 1 5 0
GRAVLEY, Kenneth p....... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
BERGERON, Michel p...... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
Totals................... 34 5 9 5 1 5 27 10 6
Score by Innings R H E
-------------------------------------------
San Diego State..... 400 000 000 - 4 9 2
Brigham Young Univ.. 002 003 00X - 5 9 4
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E - GUERRERO 2; OBREY 2; JACOBSEN; VEST. DP - BYU Cougars 3. LOB - SDSU 9;
BYU Cougars 6. 2B - GWYNN; COOK; WIENS 2. HR - MENDOZA(4); OBREY(8).
San Diego State IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
COON................ 5.2 8 5 4 1 2 26 27
JENSON.............. 2.1 1 0 0 0 3 8 8
Brigham Young Univ IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
GRAVLEY, Kenneth.... 6.2 9 4 4 2 6 28 30
BERGERON, Michel.... 2.1 0 0 0 2 3 8 10
Win - GRAVLEY (4-1). Loss - COON (4-4). Save - BERGERON (2).
WP - BERGERON.
Umpires - HP: Mike Andrews 1B: Keith Bailey 3B: Kelly Gonzales
Start: 1:21 pm Time: 2:33 Attendance: 1007
Game notes:
Game 3 of 3 in Provo
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San Diego State at Brigham Young Univ - Play-by-Play
May 10, 2003 at Provo, Utah (Larry H.Miller Field)
Score by Innings R H E
-------------------------------------------
San Diego State..... 400 000 000 - 4 9 2
Brigham Young Univ.. 002 003 00X - 5 9 4
-------------------------------------------
San Diego State starters: 24/lf HALL; 1/ss GUERRERO; 2/cf GWYNN; 20/1b COOK;
15/rf MCLINTOCK; 28/dh MENDOZA; 18/3b CORONA; 13/2b WILSON; 14/c PERDUE;
38/p COON;
Brigham Young Univ starters: 13/lf JACKSON; 22/rf CHAMBERS; 8/ss WIENS;
32/3b OBREY; 33/1b STUBBLEFIELD; 3/cf JACOBSEN; 10/dh BILLS; 9/c CLOWARD;
5/2b VEST; 19/p GRAVLEY;
San Diego State - inning 1
HALL singled to right field. GUERRERO singled to left center; HALL
advanced to second. GWYNN popped up to c, bunt. COOK doubled to left
center, 2 RBI; GUERRERO scored; HALL scored. MCLINTOCK flied out to rf;
COOK advanced to third. MENDOZA homered to right center, 2 RBI; COOK
scored. CORONA struck out swinging. 4 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ - inning 1
JACKSON flied out to rf. CHAMBERS flied out to lf. WIENS doubled down the
rf line. OBREY popped up to c. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
San Diego State - inning 2
WILSON reached on a fielding error by 2b. PERDUE grounded into double
play 2b to ss to 1b; WILSON out on the play. HALL flied out to rf. 0
runs, 0 hits, 1 error, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ - inning 2
STUBBLEFIELD grounded out to 3b. JACOBSEN flied out to cf. BILLS fouled
out to 1b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
San Diego State - inning 3
GUERRERO struck out swinging. GWYNN doubled to right center. COOK struck
out swinging. MCLINTOCK fouled out to 1b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ - inning 3
CLOWARD singled to left field. VEST struck out swinging. JACKSON singled
to left field; CLOWARD advanced to second. CHAMBERS reached on a
fielder's choice; JACKSON out at second 1b to ss; CLOWARD advanced to
third. WIENS doubled to left field, 2 RBI; CHAMBERS scored; CLOWARD
scored. OBREY flied out to cf. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
San Diego State - inning 4
MENDOZA grounded out to ss. CORONA singled to left field. WILSON struck
out swinging. PERDUE struck out looking. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ - inning 4
STUBBLEFIELD flied out to rf. JACOBSEN flied out to rf. BILLS struck out
swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
San Diego State - inning 5
HALL walked. GUERRERO singled up the middle; HALL advanced to second.
GWYNN struck out swinging. COOK singled down the rf line; GUERRERO
advanced to second; HALL advanced to third. MCLINTOCK flied out to lf.
MENDOZA popped up to 2b. 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ - inning 5
BURT to lf for HALL. CLOWARD grounded out to ss. VEST flied out to cf.
JACKSON singled to left field. CHAMBERS grounded out to 3b. 0 runs, 1
hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
San Diego State - inning 6
CORONA flied out to cf. WILSON walked. PERDUE reached on a fielding error
by 3b; WILSON advanced to second. WILSON advanced to third on a throwing
error by 3b. BURT grounded into double play 2b to ss to 1b; PERDUE out on
the play. 0 runs, 0 hits, 2 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ - inning 6
ALLEN to c for PERDUE. WIENS singled, bunt. OBREY homered to left field,
2 RBI; WIENS scored. STUBBLEFIELD grounded out to 3b. JACOBSEN reached on
a fielding error by ss. JACOBSEN advanced to second on a fielding error
by ss. BILLS flied out to cf; JACOBSEN advanced to third. CLOWARD
singled, bunt, RBI; JACOBSEN scored, unearned. VEST walked; CLOWARD
advanced to second. JENSON to p for COON. JACKSON grounded out to p. 3
runs, 3 hits, 2 errors, 2 LOB.
San Diego State - inning 7
GUERRERO singled to left field. GWYNN grounded into double play 2b to ss
to 1b; GUERRERO out on the play. BERGERON to p for GRAVLEY. COOK reached
on a fielding error by cf. MCLINTOCK grounded out to 2b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 1
error, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ - inning 7
CHAMBERS popped up to ss. WIENS struck out swinging. OBREY singled up the
middle. STUBBLEFIELD reached on a fielder's choice; OBREY out at second
2b to ss. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
San Diego State - inning 8
MENDOZA struck out looking. CORONA walked. WILSON grounded out to p;
CORONA advanced to second. ALLEN lined out to 3b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0
errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ - inning 8
JACOBSEN struck out swinging. BILLS struck out swinging. CLOWARD flied
out to cf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
San Diego State - inning 9
BURT struck out swinging. GUERRERO walked. GUERRERO advanced to second on
a wild pitch. GWYNN struck out swinging. COOK grounded out to 2b. 0 runs,
0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Former major leaguers Tony Gwynn and Vance Law lead their teams on a collision course this week in Provo with hopes for second place in the Mountain West Conference.
Law's BYU Cougars, now 20-22 and 14-10 in the MWC, host Gwynn's San Diego State Aztecs, 22-27 and also 14-10, in a three-game series which starts Thursday.
Thursday's game will also be televised live by KBYU-TV channel 11 and BYU-TV nationally, starting at 7 p.m., with Jay Monsen and Gary Sheide calling the action.
"Our series could determine who ends up in second place, depending on what happens this weekend with UNLV at New Mexico," said Law. "Our games with San Diego State could determine our destiny depending on how well we play this week. It helped to get back on track with our play last week against Utah. We know our situation to go to a regional depends on winning the league tournament."
BYU and SDSU are six games out of first place, but only two behind New Mexico. With two weeks left in the regular season before the tournament at Albuquerque, this week's play is important.
Scheduled to start on the mound for BYU Thursday is Jeff Mousser (5-5, 5.38). Paul Jacinto (7-5, 4.01) is the probable BYU starter for Friday's game at 7 p.m. And southpaw Ken Gravley (3-1, 4.92) is the projected starter for Saturday's game which begins at 1 p.m.
In the latest NCAA statistics through May 4, BYU's Kainoa Obrey is ranked 27th in RBI at 1.22 per game and tied for 15th in doubles with teammate Ranger Wiens at 0.46 average a game. BYU's Doug Jackson is tied for fourth in triples. The Cougars are ranked 24th in batting average at .322 and 17th in runs scored at 8.2. San Diego State is not mentioned in any of the NCAA rankings.
The Aztecs hosted UC Riverside on Tuesday night before readying to come to Provo. SDSU won two of the three games earlier this season in San Diego in Gwynn's first year at the helm.
All of the BYU-SDSU games will be carried live locally over KOVO Radio 960 AM and live on the Internet through links on www.byucougars.com.
The BYU-SDSU games are the final home league games for the Cougars, who host Southern Utah on Monday and Tuesday in non-conference games to close the home season at Miller Park. The Cougars close the MWC season next week at the Air Force Academy.
