PROVO -- Blake Torgerson went the distance to lead BYU in a 7-0 win Friday over the Air Force Academy in the second of a three-game series at Larry H. Miller Field.

Torgerson pitched one batter over the minimum, securing the third complete game of the season for the Cougars. The junior pitcher gave up two hits and one walk while striking out two Air Force hitters.

“It’s nice to have someone dominate the strike zone,” BYU coach Vance Law said. “Because Blake threw low strikes, it enabled us to play our good defense.”

The Cougars took the lead early, with Kent Walton’s one-run homer in the bottom of the first inning.

The BYU offense picked up in the third inning, scoring two runs. Chad Nacapoy doubled before scoring off a throwing error by the Air Force catcher. A base hit by Steve Parker brought in Sean McNaughton to give the Cougars a 3-0 lead.

Stetson Banks hit a single to start off the th inning for the Cougars. Banks extended his team best hitting streak to 11 games. A base hit in the eighth by Walton and a balk advanced the runners to second and third as Parker came up to bat. Another base hit brought Walton in, increasing BYU’s lead to 5-0.

Brandon Relf continued the offense for the Cougars, blasting a ball to center field for a double. Michael Bowen’s single scored both Parker and Relf. The Falcons trailed 7-0 to end the eighth.

A scoreless ninth inning sealed the win for BYU, a turnaround from Thursday’s 4-5 loss to Air Force.

“We’re good because we play hard and I emphasized that to our guys after the loss,” Law said. “We don’t people on talent alone.”

BYU, 19-13 overall and 6-5 in conference play, will close out the three-game series against Air Force, 11-21 and 2-6, Saturday at 1 p.m. at Miller Park.

Air Force Academy at BYU
Apr 10, 2009 at Provo, Utah (Larry H.Miller Field)
Air Force Academy 0 (11-21,2-6 MWC)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
RANDHAWA, K.J. ss........  3  0  1  0   0  0  2  1   0
 KESSLER, Blair ph.......  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
GENTRY, Addison 1b.......  2  0  0  0   1  0  4  1   0
ALEXANDER, Matt dh.......  3  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   0
AUSBUN, Ben lf...........  3  0  0  0   0  0  1  1   1
WALKER, Daniel cf........  3  0  0  0   0  0  3  1   0
LUPO, Jack c.............  3  0  0  0   0  1  7  1   0
McMAHON, Jon 2b..........  3  0  1  0   0  0  5  3   0
ROBERTS, Blair 3b........  3  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
CARTER, Nathan rf........  3  0  0  0   0  0  1  0   0
TRUESDALE, Alex p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  2   0
 PINGEL, Brad p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 RUVOLO, Michael p.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
Totals................... 27  0  2  0   1  2 24 12   1
BYU 7 (19-13,6-5 MWC)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
McNAUGHTON, Sean lf......  3  1  1  0   1  1  1  0   1
BANKS, Stetson cf........  4  1  2  0   0  1  3  0   0
WALTON, Kent dh..........  4  2  2  1   0  1  0  0   1
PARKER, Steve 3b.........  4  1  2  2   0  1  0  3   0
RELF, Brandon ss.........  4  1  1  0   0  2  3  7   2
BOWEN, Michael rf........  4  0  3  2   0  0  3  0   0
KO, Kasey 1b.............  3  0  0  0   0  0 11  1   0
 BILLS, Thomas 1b........  0  0  0  0   0  0  2  0   0
NACAPOY, Chad c..........  4  1  2  0   0  0  2  0   0
LAW, Andrew 2b...........  4  0  1  0   0  1  1  5   1
TORGERSON, Blake p.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  1   0
Totals................... 34  7 14  5   1  7 27 17   5
Score by Innings                    R  H  E
-------------------------------------------
Air Force Academy... 000 000 000 -  0  2  1
BYU................. 102 000 04X -  7 14  0
-------------------------------------------
E - LUPO(5). DP - Cougars 2. LOB - AF 1; Cougars 5. 2B - McNAUGHTON(8);
RELF(5); NACAPOY(2); LAW, An.(9). HR - WALTON(8). HBP - KO. SB -
McNAUGHTON(4). CS - BOWEN(3); NACAPOY(1).
Air Force Academy      IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF  NP
--------------------------------------------------
TRUESDALE, Alex.....  7.0 11  5  5  1  7 29 30 112
PINGEL, Brad........  0.0  1  1  1  0  0  1  1   3
RUVOLO, Michael.....  1.0  2  1  1  0  0  4  5  17
BYU                    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF  NP
--------------------------------------------------
TORGERSON, Blake....  9.0  2  0  0  1  2 27 28  98
Win - TORGERSON.  Loss - TRUESDALE.  Save - None.
WP - PINGEL(1). HBP - by RUVOLO (KO). BK - PINGEL(1). PB - LUPO(4).
Pitches/strikes: TRUESDALE 112/79; PINGEL 3/1; RUVOLO 17/12; TORGERSON 98/70.
Umpires - HP: Bradley Hungerford  1B: Glen Ballangao  3B: Rich Padilla
Start: 7:07 pm   Time: 2:13   Attendance: 1233
Weather: 56 degrees, scattered showers
TRUESDALE faced 2 batters in the 8th.
PINGEL faced 1 batter in the 8th.
Play-by-Play
Air Force Academy 1st - RANDHAWA singled through the left side (0-1).
GENTRY grounded into double play 2b to ss to 1b (0-0); RANDHAWA out on the
play. ALEXANDER grounded out to 2b (0-1). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0
LOB.
BYU 1st - McNAUGHTON flied out to cf (0-2). BANKS struck out swinging
(1-2). WALTON homered to center field, RBI (1-0). PARKER struck out swinging
(1-2). 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Air Force Academy 2nd - AUSBUN flied out to rf (3-2). WALKER grounded
out to 3b (2-2). LUPO grounded out to ss (0-0). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0
LOB.
BYU 2nd - RELF fouled out to 2b (1-1). BOWEN singled to left field
(0-2). BOWEN out at second c to ss, caught stealing. KO grounded out to 2b
(2-2). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Air Force Academy 3rd - McMAHON grounded out to ss (1-2). ROBERTS out at
first 1b to p (1-2). CARTER grounded out to ss (2-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0
errors, 0 LOB.
BYU 3rd - NACAPOY doubled down the lf line (0-1). LAW, An. struck out
swinging (2-2). NACAPOY advanced to third on a passed ball, scored on a
throwing error by c. McNAUGHTON walked (3-2). BANKS singled to left field
(1-1); McNAUGHTON advanced to second. WALTON struck out swinging (1-2);
McNAUGHTON stole third. PARKER singled up the middle, RBI (0-0); BANKS advanced
to third; McNAUGHTON scored. RELF struck out swinging (1-2). 2 runs, 3 hits,
1 error, 2 LOB.
Air Force Academy 4th - RANDHAWA flied out to cf (2-1). GENTRY grounded
out to 2b (2-2). ALEXANDER struck out swinging (1-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0
errors, 0 LOB.
BYU 4th - BOWEN singled up the middle, out at second cf to ss to 2b
(3-2). KO popped up to p (1-2). NACAPOY singled to right field (0-1). NACAPOY
out at second p to 1b to ss, caught stealing. 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0
LOB.
Air Force Academy 5th - AUSBUN flied out to cf (0-0). WALKER grounded
out to ss (0-0). LUPO grounded out to 2b (1-2). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0
LOB.
BYU 5th - LAW, An. grounded out to p (0-0). McNAUGHTON doubled to center
field (0-0). BANKS flied out to cf (2-1); McNAUGHTON advanced to third. WALTON
flied out to rf (1-2). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Air Force Academy 6th - McMAHON singled to second base (2-2). ROBERTS
grounded into double play p to ss to 1b (0-0); McMAHON out on the play. CARTER
lined out to ss (1-2). 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BYU 6th - PARKER grounded out to 2b (1-2). RELF struck out swinging
(2-2). BOWEN flied out to cf (0-1). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Air Force Academy 7th - RANDHAWA grounded out to 2b (0-2). GENTRY walked
(3-2). ALEXANDER flied out to cf (0-1). AUSBUN reached on a fielder's choice
(0-0); GENTRY out at second ss to 2b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
BYU 7th - KO grounded out to 2b (2-1). NACAPOY popped up to 2b (2-1).
LAW, An. doubled down the lf line (0-0). McNAUGHTON struck out swinging (0-2).
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Air Force Academy 8th - WALKER flied out to rf (0-1). LUPO struck out
swinging (2-2). McMAHON flied out to rf (1-0). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0
LOB.
BYU 8th - BANKS singled to left field (0-0). WALTON singled to left
field (3-2); BANKS advanced to second. PINGEL to p for TRUESDALE. WALTON
advanced to second; BANKS advanced to third on a balk. WALTON advanced to
third; BANKS scored on a wild pitch. PARKER singled up the middle, RBI (2-0);
WALTON scored. RUVOLO to p for PINGEL. RELF doubled to right center (2-1);
PARKER advanced to third. BOWEN singled, out at second lf to p to 2b, 2 RBI
(0-0); RELF scored; PARKER scored. KO hit by pitch (1-0). NACAPOY reached on a
fielder's choice (0-1); KO out at second 3b to 2b. LAW, An. flied out to lf
(2-2). 4 runs, 5 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Air Force Academy 9th - BILLS to 1b for KO. ROBERTS grounded out to 3b
(1-0). CARTER grounded out to 3b (2-2). KESSLER pinch hit for RANDHAWA. KESSLER
flied out to lf (0-1). 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.

First place could be within reach of BYU's baseball team as it hosts the Air Force Academy in a three-game series starting Thursday.

The Cougars, 18-12 overall and in a tie for second place with a 5-4 record in the Mountain West Conference. The Cougars are tied with New Mexico with a 5-4 mark, while TCU and San Diego State are tied for first place with 6-3 league records.

While BYU hosts the Falcons, UNM is playing Utah in Ogden, SDSU hosts UNLV and TCU is playing a non-conference opponent this weekend.

The probable pitchers for BYU are Jeremy Toole (5-2, 3.74) and Blake Torgerson (3-2,6.92) in games Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. Cougar freshman Adam Miller (2-2, 4.50) will start Saturday's game at 1 p.m.

A couple of BYU seniors are starting to make some noise nationally. Kent Walton is batting .465 and ranks No. 5 in the nation in that category. Walton has a 16-game hitting streak. Teammate Jordan Muir has recorded seven saves, three away from breaking the school record set by Ryan Hancock in 1992.