Daily Herald | Posted: Tuesday, March 4, 2008 11:00 pm
STOCKTON, Calif. -- Sean McNaughton drove in Andrew Law in the two-run ninth inning Tuesday night to put BYU over the University of Pacific, 7-5.
The win was the first for southpaw Jake Wortham as the Cougars improved to 3-5 heading into a Wednesday evening rematch with the Tigers.
Wortham did not surrender a hit in his final three innings and teammate Jared Miller picked up his first save of the season.
Kent Walton extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a solo home run in the first inning. Walton gave BYU an insurance run in the ninth with a sacrifice fly to score McNaughton.
Cougar Jonathan Cluff hit off the left-field fence in the fourth, but the Tigers got a good relay throw to put Steve Parker out at home to preserve a 5-1 lead.
The Cougars loaded the bases in the fifth to chase starter Larry Holscher out of the game and Dan Vargas cleared the bases with a triple on the first offering from the Pacific reliever, making the score 5-4.
BYU tied the game, 5-5, when Cluff hit a one-out double and scored when Bryce Ayoso stayed alive on an error by the Tigers' shortstop.
Former Cougar Mike McKeever started in right field for Pacific and knocked in the first run for UoP and scored after a lead-off triple in the third.
• Cummard, Plaisted named NABC First-Team All-District: At Kansas City, Mo., BYU juniors Lee Cummard and Trent Plaisted were honored Tuesday by the National Association of Basketball Coaches as both were named to the NABC All-District 13 First Team. The dual honors marks the first time since 1988 that two Cougars were selected to the First Team in the same season.
In all, 150 student-athletes representing 15 districts were recognized as the nation's best men's collegiate basketball players as voted on by members of the NABC.
"Both Lee and Trent are very deserving of this honor," said BYU head coach Dave Rose. "They've worked really hard and greatly improved their respective games. They are a big part of the success of our team."
Cummard and Plaisted currently share team-high scoring honors as each posts 15.9 points per game. Cummard is second for the Cougars in rebounds (6.5) and assists (3.4) while leading the Mountain West Conference shooting 57.2 percent from the field. He has scored in double figures in 26 of 29 games while topping 20 or more points on nine occasions and posting three double-doubles on the year. The MWC Player of the Year candidate has tallied season highs of 27 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists.
Plaisted paces the Cougars with 8.0 rebounds per contest while racking up nine double-figure rebounding games. He is third in the MWC shooting 53.9 percent from the field and has scored in double figures in 23 games, including 10 outings with 20 or more points. The Cougars' go-to player in the post has tallied season highs of 27 points, 18 rebounds and five blocks.
Cummard and Plaisted are two of seven student-athletes to represent the MWC and two of four players from a Utah university to earn all-district accolades this season.
Joining the pair on the District 13 First Team are New Mexico's J.R. Giddens, Nevada's Marcelus Kemp and Boise State's Reggie Larry. District 13 Second Team members include Lorrenzo Wade of San Diego State, Stefon Jackson of UTEP, Kevin Bell of Fresno State, Brandon Ewing of Wyoming and Luke Nevill of Utah, both of whom also earned second-team honors last season. UNLV's Wink Adams was named to the District 15 Second Team, while Utah State's Jaycee Carroll was honored as a second-team member of District 14.
Student-athletes selected to the all-district teams are now eligible for the NABC Division I All-America teams to be announced at the conclusion of the 2007-08 NCAA regular season.
• BYU softball: At Provo, coming off two tough losses, the BYU women's softball team (11-7) travels to College Station, Texas, for the 2008 Aggie Classic Thursday through Saturday.
BYU is scheduled to play five games, beginning on Thursday with No. 3 Texas A&M at 6 p.m. On Friday the Cougars are slated against Illinois at 12:15 p.m. and the Aggies again at 5:15 p.m. The Cougars face off against Illinois again at 10 a.m. on Saturday, and then No. 22 Louisiana Lafayette at 12:15 p.m.
"We are working on maintaining longer stretches of quality play," BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. "We need to have solid pitching, good defense and strength at the plates for longer time periods."
• BYU tennis: At Provo, after spending the past month on the road, the BYU men's tennis team (6-5) returns home to host Cal Poly and Montana State in a doubleheader on Friday.
BYU's match against Cal Poly will begin at 12 p.m. and the match against Montana State will start at 5:30 p.m. Admission to all matches is free, along with pizza that will be provided for fans. BYU "Y Lot" parking is available to visitors after 4 p.m.