Brian Hsu hit a two-run blast in the seventh inning to break a tie and give BYU a 6-4 win on ESPNU in the first of a three-game set against Gonzaga on Thursday night at Larry H. Miller Field.
"The guys came out fighting tonight," BYU head coach Mike Littlewood said. "To get this win was really good, and it should make us come out relaxed and ready to play tomorrow (Friday)."
The Cougars (11-9, 1-3 West Coast Conference) got their first league win as the Bulldogs fell to 11-9 and 2-2 in the WCC.
Gonzaga put its first batter on after a BYU throwing error. He came around to score to give the Bulldogs an early one-run lead.
Keaton Kringlen singled to lead off the bottom of the second. A walk and a sacrifice bunt gave way to Jarrett Perns’ sacrifice fly to center field that pushed Kringlen across to tie the game.
Both teams scored a run in the third inning. For the Cougars, Daniel Schneemann lined a single over third base to drive home Brennon Anderson from second base.
In the fifth, BYU took the lead when Anderson doubled to the left-center gap to score Perns, who led off the inning with a single. Schneemann blooped one into shallow center field to bring Anderson around and make it 4-2 for the Cougars.
BYU starter Jordan Wood surrendered two runs in the sixth to square the score at 4-4 before escaping.
Hsu launched a home run just inside the left foul pole to make it a 6-4 Cougar lead in the bottom of the seventh. Anderson, who had walked, scored his third run of the game on the shot.
Wood (2-1) was replaced on the mound after 7.1 innings and 117 pitches. He allowed eight hits and three earned runs while fanning six Bulldogs.
Drew Zimmerman came on for BYU and recorded five outs without any Gonzaga hits or walks for his second save of the season. Casey Jacobsen, who was brought on as a defensive replacement at third base in the ninth, made a diving play for the second out.
The Cougars also host the Bulldogs on Friday and Saturday.