GREELEY -- Brandon Christiansen and Jake Wortham combined Wednesday for the win and a save, respectively, as BYU won for the second time in as many days at Northern Colorado, 8-4.

The senior and freshman pitchers set UNC down five innings in order to log the fifth consecutive loss for the Bears, who now fall to 14-27. Christiansen gave BYU another four-hitter to improve his record to 4-3, Wortham recorded his first save and the Cougars improved to 19-22.

The Bears were limited to six hits overall, three of which went to Devin Warner, who had a pair of doubles.

"These were two big wins for us and it brings us closer to .500," said BYU Coach Vance Law. "Our younger players are coming through for us in big ways and we've had some outstanding pitching from our starters."

Ben Saylor doubled the first of three BYU runs in the first inning. Saylor was singled across the plate by Jeff Hiestand, who in turn was driven in by Kent Walton's two-out double.

Colorado freshman catcher J.T. Musso hit his first collegiate home run, a solo in the fourth inning.

Hiestand knocked his seventh home run of the year in the fifth, extending a streak to 12 of the last 15 games where either he or Saylor have hit a homer. Saylor was aboard this time as the fellow seniors improved the score to 6-1.

Zach Harris hit his 10th home run to start a wild seventh inning when the Bears scored three runs to chase Christiansen from the game, flirting with two double plays. An errant BYU throw trying to complete a double play extended that inning as UNC loaded the bases. Substitute BYU third baseman Dan Vargas made the most of his seventh-inning appearance when he caught a line drive and dove to third base to snuff the Bears out with a double play.

Stetson Banks' two-run triple to the wall in the eighth extended the Cougar lead to 8-4. In the bottom of that frame, UNC Coach Kevin Smallcom tried to give the umpire a pair of glasses, then stomped on them to get ejected.

BYU returns to league action when it begins a three-game series against the Air Force Academy at the AAA Sky Sox Security Service Field in Colorado Springs. Thursday and Friday's games are at 2 p.m., while Saturday's finale begins at noon. All of the games will be broadcast live locally over KOVO Radio (960 AM).

BYU at Northern Colorado
Apr 26, 2006 at Greeley, Colo. (Jackson Field)
BYU 8 (19-22)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
JOHNSON, Seth cf.........  5  1  2  0   0  2  1  0   1
VILLEZCAS, Marcos ss.....  4  0  0  0   1  1  1  2   0
SAYLOR, Ben rf...........  5  2  2  1   0  2  5  0   2
HIESTAND, Jeff 1b........  5  2  2  3   0  2  6  0   0
KO, Kasey dh.............  3  0  0  0   0  2  0  0   0
 CARTER, Austin pr.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
WALTON, Kent lf..........  4  0  2  1   0  1  2  0   0
CROSBY, Blake 3b.........  3  0  0  0   0  1  2  0   2
 VARGAS, Daniel 3b.......  1  1  1  0   0  0  3  2   0
MUSSO, J.T. c............  4  2  2  1   0  1  5  0   0
BANKS, Stetson 2b........  4  0  2  2   0  1  1  2   0
CHRISTIANSEN,Brandon p...  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  1   0
 WOOLF, Mitch p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 WORTHAM, Jake p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 38  8 13  8   1 13 27  7   5
Northern Colorado 4 (14-27)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Seth Tartler cf..........  3  0  1  2   0  0  2  0   0
Nate Saylor lf...........  4  0  0  0   0  0  1  0   3
Brennan Garr 3b..........  4  0  1  0   0  1  0  2   0
Zach Harris dh...........  4  1  1  1   0  1  0  0   0
John Ray c...............  3  0  0  0   1  1 12  3   0
Kevin Sandberg 1b........  4  1  0  0   0  2  7  0   1
Adam Symons ss...........  3  1  0  0   0  0  0  2   0
Devin Warner rf..........  4  1  3  1   0  0  3  0   0
Jeff Horn 2b.............  3  0  0  0   1  0  2  1   1
Chris Johns p............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 Tyler Pearson p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 32  4  6  4   2  5 27  8   5
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
BYU................. 300 120 020 -  8 13  0
Northern Colorado... 001 000 300 -  4  6  0
-------------------------------------------
DP - BYU 1; N. Colorado 1. LOB - BYU 5; N. Colorado 5. 2B - SAYLOR(9);
WALTON 2(7); Warner 2(3). 3B - BANKS(1). HR - HIESTAND(7); MUSSO(1);
Harris(10). HBP - KO; Tartler; Symons. CS - BANKS(1).
BYU                    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
CHRISTIANSEN,Brandon  6.0  4  3  3  1  3 22 23
WOOLF, Mitch........  0.1  1  1  1  1  0  2  5
WORTHAM, Jake.......  2.2  1  0  0  0  2  8  8
Northern Colorado      IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Chris Johns.........  4.2 10  6  6  1  7 23 24
Tyler Pearson.......  4.1  3  2  2  0  6 15 16
Win - CHRISTIANSEN (4-3).  Loss - Johns (3-7).  Save - WORTHAM (1).
HBP - by WOOLF (Symons); by WOOLF (Tartler); by Pearson (KO). BK - WORTHAM(1).
Umpires - HP: Jeff Maxey  1B: Doug Graham  3B: Ted Bergquist
Start: 2:05 pm   Time: 2:27   Attendance: 74
BYU at Northern Colorado - Play-by-Play
Apr 26, 2006 at Greeley, Colo. (Jackson Field)
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
BYU................. 300 120 020 -  8 13  0
Northern Colorado... 001 000 300 -  4  6  0
-------------------------------------------
BYU starters: 26/cf JOHNSON, S.; 10/ss VILLEZCAS; 25/rf SAYLOR; 32/1b HIESTAND;
33/dh KO; 9/lf WALTON; 30/3b CROSBY; 22/c MUSSO; 3/2b BANKS; 31/p CHRISTIANSEN;
Northern Colorado starters: 18/cf Tartler; 14/lf Saylor; 8/3b Garr; 22/dh Harris;
5/c Ray; 28/1b Sandberg; 3/ss Symons; 23/rf Warner; 2/2b Horn; 32/p Johns;
BYU 1st - JOHNSON, S. singled to second base, advanced to second. VILLEZCAS
flied out to rf; JOHNSON, S. advanced to third. SAYLOR doubled to center field, RBI;
JOHNSON, S. scored. HIESTAND singled to right field, RBI; SAYLOR scored. KO flied
out to cf. WALTON doubled to left center, advanced to third on the throw, RBI;
HIESTAND scored. CROSBY grounded out to ss. 3 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Northern Colorado 1st - Tartler lined out to p. Saylor flied out to rf. Garr
struck out looking. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BYU 2nd - MUSSO struck out swinging. BANKS struck out swinging, out at first
c to 1b. JOHNSON, S. singled through the left side. VILLEZCAS walked; JOHNSON, S.
advanced to second. SAYLOR flied out to lf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Northern Colorado 2nd - Harris grounded out to p. Ray flied out to rf.
Sandberg struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BYU 3rd - HIESTAND struck out looking. KO struck out looking. WALTON grounded
out to 3b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Northern Colorado 3rd - Symons flied out to rf. Warner doubled to left
center. Horn grounded out to 2b; Warner advanced to third. Tartler singled to right
field, RBI; Warner scored. Saylor flied out to cf. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1
LOB.
BYU 4th - CROSBY struck out swinging. MUSSO homered to left field, RBI. BANKS
singled to third base. JOHNSON, S. struck out swinging, hit into double play c to
2b; BANKS out on the play, caught stealing. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Northern Colorado 4th - Garr grounded out to ss. Harris lined out to 3b. Ray
fouled out to 3b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BYU 5th - VILLEZCAS grounded out to 3b. SAYLOR singled to right field.
HIESTAND homered to left field, 2 RBI; SAYLOR scored. KO struck out looking. WALTON
doubled to left field. Pearson to p for Johns. CROSBY grounded out to 2b. 2 runs,
3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Northern Colorado 5th - Sandberg struck out swinging. Symons flied out to lf.
Warner singled through the right side. Horn flied out to rf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0
errors, 1 LOB.
BYU 6th - MUSSO flied out to cf. BANKS popped up to 2b. JOHNSON, S. flied out
to rf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Northern Colorado 6th - Tartler flied out to rf. Saylor lined out to lf. Garr
lined out to ss. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BYU 7th - VILLEZCAS struck out looking. SAYLOR struck out swinging. HIESTAND
flied out to rf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Northern Colorado 7th - VARGAS to 3b for CROSBY. Harris homered to center
field, RBI. Ray walked. WOOLF to p for CHRISTIANSEN. Sandberg reached on a fielder's
choice; Ray out at second ss to 2b. Symons hit by pitch; Sandberg advanced to
second. Warner doubled to right field, RBI; Symons advanced to third; Sandberg
scored. Horn walked. Tartler hit by pitch, RBI; Horn advanced to second; Warner
advanced to third; Symons scored. WORTHAM to p for WOOLF. Saylor lined into double
play 3b unassisted; Warner out on the play. 3 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
BYU 8th - KO hit by pitch. CARTER pinch ran for KO. CARTER out at first c to
1b, picked off. WALTON struck out swinging. VARGAS singled to shortstop. MUSSO
singled to right field; VARGAS advanced to third. BANKS tripled to right center, 2
RBI; MUSSO scored; VARGAS scored. JOHNSON, S. struck out looking. 2 runs, 3 hits,
0 errors, 1 LOB.
Northern Colorado 8th - CARTER to dh. Garr singled up the middle. Harris
struck out swinging. Ray struck out looking. Garr advanced to second on a balk.
Sandberg grounded out to 3b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
BYU 9th - VILLEZCAS grounded out to ss. SAYLOR struck out looking. HIESTAND
struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Northern Colorado 9th - Symons grounded out to 2b. Warner grounded out to 3b.
Horn popped up to 3b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

Five games in Colorado this week represent BYU's final road trip outside Utah during the regular baseball season.

Three Cougars making the trip are graduating this week, but are passing up walking in the convocation and graduation exercises. Brandon Christiansen (3-3, 6.94, graduating in sociology) is scheduled to start on the mound Wednesday, while Patrick Wells (4-4, 5.33, graduating in community health) is scheduled to start on Saturday. Relief pitcher Cortland Andrews, who graduated last December in construction management and has been accepted to BYU Law School this Fall, made the Colorado trip. Fellow reliever Anthony Bingham did not make the trip and will be graduating this week in political science.

The Cougars, 17-22 overall and 4-6 in the Mountain West Conference, play a pair of non-league games on Tuesday and Wednesday at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley at 2 p.m. BYU boards the bus again, traveling a couple hours south to play Air Force in contests which have been moved from the Academy to the AAA Sky Sox Security Service Field in Colorado Springs. The games will all be at 2 p.m., with the exception of Saturday's game, which will see the first pitch at noon.

Matt Jensen (0-4, 7.91) will be BYU's starting pitcher on Tuesday. Jordan Muir (4-0, 2.00) gets the starting nod on Thursday and Jesse Craig (3-6, 4.43) will take the hill for BYU on Friday.

Northern Colorado is 14-25, while Air Force is 10-23 and 1-9. BYU won two of three earlier this season in Provo against UNC. This is the first meeting of the year against AFA, the only league team BYU did not meet in the Preseason Tournament at San Diego last month.

"I am pleased with our offensive approach and our competitive at bats," said BYU Coach Vance Law. "If we play 27 outs we are going to give ourselves an opportunity."

In 10 of BYU's last 13 games either Ben Saylor or Jeff Hiestand have homered. Saylor has hit seven homers in that span, while Hiestand has hit five. At the start of this month they both homered in the same game.

The games at UNC will be carried live via audiostream, as will Saturday's game at AFA. All of the AFA games will be on the Internet with livestats. Links to these sites are available at www.byucougars.com. All of the AFA games will be broadcast live locally by KOVO Radio (960 AM).

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