SAN JOSE -- In his first-ever collegiate at-bat, SJSU freshman pinch-hitter John Shaffer hit a walk-off homerun Friday to beat BYU 4-3.

The first batter in the bottom of the ninth, Shaffer had not yet collected an official at-bat this season for the Spartans, who improve to 6-3. He ended the game on an 0-1 pitch over the rightfield fence off BYU reliever Matt Jensen

Still looking for their first win, the Cougars, who now drop to 0-5, saw a chance to move ahead with two outs in the top of the ninth BYU when fleet-footed freshman Kent Walton reached base on a throwing error, but he was caught on a pickoff to end the inning with the teams still tied up 3-3.

Walton put the Cougars up early in the fourth inning with a double to left, scoring Jeff Hiestand. Then with Walton on second and Kasey Ko on third, Ben Saylor singled to left on a 1-2 pitch to score both runners and make it 3-0 BYU. The Cougars held the 3-0 lead into the eighth inning.

In his second start of the season, Patrick Wells (0-1, 8.00) looked sharp, allowing only two runs on five hits while striking out six and walking just one in six innings of work. Spartan starter Loren Moneypenny (0-2, 5.59) also pitched well, going eight innings while allowing three runs on five hits with nine strikeouts and only one walk.

After allowing to runners to reach base in the seventh with no outs, Wells was relieved by righty Jensen. The Spartans then evened the game, scoring three in the bottom of the inning before being retired. The win was picked up by Spartan reliever Chris Batalico (1-0, 4.50).

The Cougar starters continue to eat up innings as this marks the fourth time in five games that the BYU starting pitching has given the team a quality start.

The teams will play the final game of the three-game series Saturday afternoon.

Brigham Young at San Jose State
Feb 17, 2006 at San Jose, Calif. (Municipal Stadium)
Brigham Young 3 (0-5)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Carter, Austin dh........  4  0  1  0   0  1  0  0   0
Villezcas, Marcos ss.....  4  0  0  0   0  0  1  4   1
Johnson, Chris 3b........  4  0  0  0   0  3  0  1   0
Hiestand, Jeff lf........  3  1  1  0   1  1  2  0   0
Ko, Kasey 1b.............  4  1  1  0   0  1  8  0   0
Walton, Kent cf..........  4  1  1  1   0  0  4  0   0
Saylor, Ben rf...........  3  0  1  2   0  0  1  0   1
Nelson, Casey c..........  3  0  0  0   0  1  6  1   0
Banks, Stetson 2b........  2  0  0  0   0  2  2  2   1
 Wortham, Jake ph........  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 Vargas, Dan 2b..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
Wells, Patrick p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 Jensen, Matthew p.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 32  3  5  3   1  9 24  9   3
San Jose State 4 (6-3)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Hall, Sam cf.............  3  0  0  0   0  1  2  0   2
 Chase, Brian ph.........  1  0  1  1   0  0  0  0   0
 Costa, Casey pr.........  0  1  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 Shaffer, John ss........  1  1  1  1   0  0  1  0   0
Pierson, David 2b........  3  0  0  0   1  1  2  2   0
Angel, Ryan lf/cf........  4  0  1  1   0  1  4  0   0
Prieto, Brett dh.........  3  0  1  1   0  0  0  0   1
Loewenthal, Aaron rf.....  4  0  1  0   0  0  3  0   3
Epidendio, Nick 3b/1b....  4  0  1  0   0  0  3  2   2
Fromm, Brandon 1b........  2  0  0  0   0  2  4  0   0
 Sauceda, Ricky ph/3b....  2  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Campos, Raul ss..........  2  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 Williammee, Chris ph/lf.  1  1  1  0   1  0  0  0   0
Massman, Brody c.........  1  0  0  0   1  1  8  1   0
 Fyfe, Greg ph...........  0  1  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 Santich-Hughes, J. c....  1  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   1
Moneypenny, Loren p......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 Balatico, Chris p.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2   0
Totals................... 32  4  7  4   3  7 27  8   9
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
Brigham Young....... 000 300 000 -  3  5  2
San Jose State...... 000 000 301 -  4  7  1
-------------------------------------------
E - Johnson, C.; Nelson; Shaffer. LOB - BYU 3; SJSU 9. 2B - Walton(1);
Epidendio(2). HR - Shaffer(1). HBP - Prieto; Fyfe. SB - Saylor; Pierson;
Williammee. CS - Walton.
Brigham Young          IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF  NP
--------------------------------------------------
Wells, Patrick......  6.0  5  2  2  1  6 24 27 105
Jensen, Matthew.....  2.0  2  2  2  2  1  8 10  35
San Jose State         IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF  NP
--------------------------------------------------
Moneypenny, Loren...  8.0  5  3  3  1  9 29 30 112
Balatico, Chris.....  1.0  0  0  0  0  0  3  3  11
Win - Balatico (1-0).  Loss - Jensen (0-2).  Save - None.
WP - Moneypenny. HBP - by Wells (Prieto); by Wells (Fyfe). Pitches/strikes:
Wells 105/65; Jensen 35/21; Moneypenny 112/73; Balatico 11/9.
Umpires - HP: Greg Charles  1B: Jason Venzon  3B: Kevin Gillmore
Start: 6:02 pm   Time: 2:25   Attendance: 313
Game notes:
John Shaffer, a freshman out of Archbishop Mitty High School, hits a walk-
off solo home run in his first collegiate at-bat to complete the come-from-
behind win for the Spartans, their fourth straight.
Second game of a three-game non-conference series.
Wells faced 2 batters in the 7th.
Jensen faced 1 batter in the 9th.
Brigham Young at San Jose State - Play-by-Play
Feb 17, 2006 at San Jose, Calif. (Municipal Stadium)
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
Brigham Young....... 000 300 000 -  3  5  2
San Jose State...... 000 000 301 -  4  7  1
-------------------------------------------
Brigham Young starters: 6/dh Carter; 10/ss Villezcas; 5/3b Johnson, C.; 32/lf
Hiestand; 33/1b Ko; 9/cf Walton; 25/rf Saylor; 8/c Nelson; 3/2b Banks; 4/p
Wells;
San Jose State starters: 7/cf Hall; 1/2b Pierson; 4/lf Angel; 33/dh Prieto;
44/rf Loewenthal; 8/3b Epidendio; 25/1b Fromm; 13/ss Campos; 15/c Massman; 16/p
Moneypenny;
Brigham Young 1st - Carter lined out to 2b (1-1). Villezcas grounded out
to 2b (2-2). Johnson, C. struck out swinging (0-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0
errors, 0 LOB.
San Jose State 1st - Hall popped up to ss (3-2). Pierson reached on a
fielding error by 3b (2-2). Angel struck out swinging (3-2); Pierson stole
second, advanced to third on a throwing error by c. Prieto hit by pitch (1-2).
Loewenthal flied out to cf (3-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 2 errors, 2 LOB.
Brigham Young 2nd - Hiestand singled up the middle (2-1). Hiestand
advanced to second on a wild pitch. Ko struck out swinging (2-2). Walton flied
out to 2b (2-1). Saylor flied out to rf (1-1). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1
LOB.
San Jose State 2nd - Epidendio doubled to left field (2-2). Fromm struck
out swinging (1-2). Campos lined out to 2b (2-0). Massman walked (3-1). Hall
reached on a fielder's choice (1-0); Massman out at second ss to 2b. 0 runs,
1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Brigham Young 3rd - Nelson grounded out to 3b (0-0). Banks struck out
looking (1-2). Carter singled up the middle (1-2). Villezcas flied out to cf
(0-0). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
San Jose State 3rd - Pierson struck out swinging (2-2). Angel grounded
out to 2b (1-0). Prieto singled to right field (1-1). Loewenthal singled
through the left side (2-2); Prieto advanced to second. Epidendio flied out to
cf (1-0). 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Brigham Young 4th - Johnson, C. struck out swinging (2-2). Hiestand
walked (3-1). Ko singled to left field (1-0); Hiestand advanced to third.
Walton doubled to left field, RBI (2-0); Ko advanced to third; Hiestand scored.
Saylor singled to left field, 2 RBI (1-2); Walton scored; Ko scored. Nelson
struck out swinging (1-2). Saylor stole second. Banks struck out swinging
(0-2). 3 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
San Jose State 4th - Fromm struck out looking (2-2). Campos flied out to
lf (1-0). Massman struck out swinging, out at first c to 1b (0-2). 0 runs, 0
hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young 5th - Carter struck out swinging, out at first c to 1b
(1-2). Villezcas flied out to cf (0-0). Johnson, C. struck out swinging (3-2).
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
San Jose State 5th - Hall struck out swinging (0-2). Pierson grounded
out to 2b (0-2). Angel singled up the middle (0-2). Prieto flied out to lf
(1-0). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young 6th - Hiestand struck out looking (0-2). Ko grounded out
to 1b unassisted (0-0). Walton flied out to lf (3-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0
errors, 0 LOB.
San Jose State 6th - Loewenthal grounded out to ss (3-1). Epidendio
flied out to cf (0-0). Sauceda pinch hit for Fromm. Sauceda flied out to cf
(2-0). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young 7th - Epidendio to 1b. Sauceda to 3b. Saylor flied out to
rf (0-1). Nelson flied out to lf (2-1). Wortham pinch hit for Banks. Wortham
grounded out to p (1-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
San Jose State 7th - Vargas to 2b for Wortham. Williammee pinch hit for
Campos. Williammee singled up the middle (0-2). Fyfe pinch hit for Massman.
Fyfe hit by pitch (0-2); Williammee advanced to second. Chase pinch hit for
Hall. Jensen to p for Wells. Chase singled through the left side, RBI (0-1);
Fyfe advanced to second; Williammee scored. Costa pinch ran for Chase. Pierson
walked (3-0); Costa advanced to second; Fyfe advanced to third. Angel grounded
out to 3b, RBI (2-2); Pierson advanced to second; Costa advanced to third; Fyfe
scored. Prieto grounded out to ss, RBI (0-1); Pierson advanced to third; Costa
scored. Loewenthal grounded out to ss (0-1). 3 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1
LOB.
Brigham Young 8th - Shaffer to ss for Costa. Angel to cf. Williammee to
lf. Santich to c for Fyfe. Carter lined out to 1b (1-2). Villezcas flied out to
cf to right center (3-2). Johnson, C. flied out to rf (2-1). 0 runs, 0 hits,
0 errors, 0 LOB.
San Jose State 8th - Epidendio grounded out to 2b (0-1). Sauceda flied
out to rf (1-2). Williammee walked (3-2). Williammee stole second. Santich
struck out looking (3-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young 9th - Balatico to p for Moneypenny. Hiestand flied out to
cf (0-2). Ko out at first p to 2b to 1b (0-2). Walton reached on a throwing
error by ss (0-0). Walton out at second p to 1b to ss, caught stealing. 0
runs, 0 hits, 1 error, 0 LOB.
San Jose State 9th - Shaffer homered to left field, RBI (0-1). 1 run,
1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

For the second week in a row BYU's baseball team plays in California in search of its first victory.

The Cougars, 0-3, fly to San Jose for a Thursday contest which starts a three-game series with the Spartans, who began the week at 3-3.

BYU will keep its starting lineup intact, including the pitching rotation of Jesse Craig (0-1, 3.00 earned run average) for Thursday, Patrick Wells (0-1, 27.00) for Friday and Brandon Christiansen (0-0, 2.57) for Saturday. Thursday and Friday's games will be at 6 p.m., while Saturday's contest is at 1 p.m.

"Our situational hitting was not up to standard," said BYU Coach Vance Law. "Our pitching was solid and we could have won two of the three games, but unfortunately we did not come up with the big two-out hit when needed, so that will be our focus this week."

SJS won its home opener two weeks ago against Cal Poly and won its three-game series last weekend on the road at Cal Santa Barbara. The Spartans play on Tuesday at San Francisco before hosting the Cougars.

The games will not be broadcast over the Internet, but will be available to read through live webcasting on links at www.byucougars.com.

For more information on BYU's baseball team for this week, click on the PDF link at the top of this page.