ARLINGTON, Texas -- A 12-run explosion in the fourth and fifth innings lifted UT Arlington to a 17-2 victory Thursday night over BYU's baseball team.
Behind the pitching of national pitcher of the week Jason Mitchell and the bat of preseason All-American Michael Choice, the Mavericks kept the Cougars at bay. Mitchell struck out six to pick up his first victory of the year.
Choice hit a three-run homer to right-center field in the seven-run fourth inning.
"We hit bullets the first four innings, but everything we hit went right at them and everything they hit went through," said BYU coach Vance Law. "We didn't pitch or play well. This is not in line with the tradition we've tried to establish and not an indication of the team we think we can become."
The Cougars got on the board first when Jonathan Cluff doubled down the left-field line with one out to drive in Brandon Relf in the first inning.
BYU's other run came when Sean McNaughton hit a two-out double to leftfield to score Chase Frampton, making the score 15-2.
The two teams play again tonight in the second of a three-game series.
• UVU baseball: At Surprise, Ariz., Utah Valley was edged 5-4 by undefeated Florida International to open the eighth annual Coca-Cola Classic baseball tournament in Surprise, Arizona.
The Wolverines (4-4) got a 4-for-4 night from Jace Brinkerhoff, who was on third with two outs in the ninth before FIU pitcher Bryam Garcia struck out Billy Burgess to end the game.
With the scored tied 2-2 through seven innings, the Panthers (7-0) scored three times in the top of the eighth to take a 5-2 lead. Wolverine reliever Blake Krahenbuhl retired the first two hitters in the inning before four consecutive singles gave FIU a 4-2 lead. After Brian Whatcott came in to pitch for UVU, an infield single pushed across what turned out to be a crucial run.
In the bottom of the ninth, Goose Kallunki singled to open the inning. An out later and after Kallunki moved to second on a wild pitch, Jake Rickenbach doubled him home to make it a 5-3 game. With two out in the inning, Brinkerhoff hit a double to left to plate Rickenbach and get the Wolverines within a run. Brinkerhoff eventually moved to third on a passed ball before Garcia got Burgess to end the game and pick up his first save.
Krahenbuhl (1-1) took the loss for the Wolverines, who got a strong seven inning performance from starter Kyle Beecher. Beecher allowed two runs on five hits while striking out a pair over 7.0 innings.
Kevin Arendse had an RBI single and Austin Heaps scored on a wild pitch to account for UVU's other runs.
The Wolverines face Cal Poly today at 4 p.m. MT. The Mustangs dropped a 12-9 game to No. 2 Arizona State in their opener despite four home runs.
• UVU softball: At Fort Collins, Colo., the Utah Valley University softball team will look to snap a three-game losing streak today when the Wolverines square off with Utah State at 11 a.m. in first-day action of the Colorado State Invitational
The Wolverines (3-5) will also play host Colorado State today at 3 p.m. before playing North Dakota State, a team that went to the NCAA Tournament last year, at 1 p.m. Saturday and South Dakota State at 3 p.m.
UVU closes out the invitational on Sunday with a single game with North Dakota State beginning at 11 a.m.
• BYU men's tennis: BYU junior Evan Urbina has been named the Mountain West Conference Men's Tennis Player of the Week. Urbina went 4-0 over the weekend to lead the now 23rd-ranked Cougars to a 2-0 record against San Francisco (W, 6-1) and No. 29 Boise State (W, 5-2). Against the Dons, he defeated Rainer Nachbauer (6-3, 6-2) at No. 2 singles, after teaming with partner Spencer Smith to down Nachbauer/William Schumacher (8-6) in doubles. Against Boise State, beat Vicente Joli in straight sets (6-4, 7-6 (14) at No. 2 singles after teaming with Smith to secure a victory over Joli/Filipp Pogostkin (8-4).
