Box Score
PROVO, Utah --- The Brigham Young Cougars put up multiple runs during each of the first three innings and cruised to a 10-2 non-conference win over the Portland Pilots at Larry H. Miller Field on Thursday afternoon. BYU outhit the Pilots 13-6 to open the three-game series.
The loss evens Portland’s record at 2-2.
Jeremy Toole (1-1) picks up the win for BYU, which improves to 2-4 on the season. Toole scattered six hits in 7.0 innings, allowed two runs, struck out five and walked two. Marc Oslund didn’t allow a hit while striking out four during the last two innings.
Portland’s Mark Triolo (1-1) is saddled with the loss, his first of the season. The Cougars touched Triolo for eight runs, six earned, during 2.1 innings. The senior right-hander surrendered seven hits and struck out two.
After the Pilots threatened but came up empty in the top of the first, BYU plated two in the bottom half to take the early 2-0 lead. Alex Wolfe knocked in the first run with a sacrifice fly, while Steve Parker knocked in the second with an RBI single to center.
BYU then scored three in the bottom of the second inning and three more in the bottom of the third. All three second-inning runs came on a bases-loaded double by Sean McNaughton. The Cougars then tallied five hits during the third, with the RBI’s courtesy Brandon Relf, Michael Bowen and Andrew Law.
After the Cougars added two more in the bottom of the fifth to make it 10-0, the Pilots got on the board with a run in the top of the sixth. After leading off with a double, freshman SS Kris Kauppila advanced to third on a fly out from sophomore OF Craig Smith. Senior OF Bryant Kraus then knocked in Kauppila with a single to left field.
The Pilots scored in similar fashion in the top of the seventh. Junior OF Austin Pearce led off with a double before advancing to third on a ground out. Pearce then scored on a ground out by sophomore 3B Kevin Armijo.
Sophomores Ben Panther and Ben Pressler also took the hill for Portland. Panther relieved Triolo in the third and worked 3.2 innings. He gave up a pair of runs on four hits, while striking out two.
Pressler pitched 2.0 scoreless innings. He struck out one, didn’t walk a hitter and gave up two hits.
The Pilots and Cougars are next scheduled to play on Friday at 2:00 p.m.
