Utah Baseball Team Falls to Brigham Young, 7-6

Friday, May 23

Albuquerque, N.M.

3:00 PM

University of Utah

24-32

BYU

30-23

University of Utah

Brigham Young Univ.

5/23/2003 12:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

May 23, 2003

Box Score

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - The Utah baseball team lost its seventh game of the season to Brigham Young tonight, falling 7-6 in the third round of the Mountain West Conference Championship, thus ending its season. The Utes finish the year 24-32 overall.

Junior Ben Buck suffered the loss on the mound, falling to 1-3 on the year. He threw 1 2/3 innings, giving up one run on four hits.

Utah's starter, freshman Jason Price, pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up six runs, three of which were earned, on nine hits. He struck out two.

The Utes got off to an early start. Junior Jared Pena led off with a ground-rule double. Freshman Ryan Khoury followed with a home run over the left field fence, quickly making it 2-0.

BYU answered in the bottom of the first on an RBI-double to center field. The Cougars then tied things up in the bottom of the fourth on a one-run single.

Utah plated two in the top of the sixth when junior Eric Chevalier hit an RBI-double down the right field line and Cort Wilson drove in another run on a ground out to the short stop, making it 4-2.

The Cougars scored four runs off five hits and an error in the bottom of the sixth to go ahead 6-4.

The Utes tied things back up in the seventh when Pena hit a two-run homer deep into left field.

Then, in the eighth, BYU loaded the bases with one out. Utah managed to get out of the inning, allowing just one run, but it was enough to make a difference - it happened to be the game-winning run.

Pena went 3-for-5 on the day with two runs and two RBI, while Ciaramella and Wilson both went 2-for-4. Wilson also drove in a run.

Chevalier, who had one hit and drove in one run, extended his hitting streak to 23 games.