College baseball roundup: Aztecs stave off U. rally

SALT LAKE CITY — Despite a late comeback, the Utah baseball team fell to San Diego State, 14-8, on Saturday afternoon.

San Diego State held an 11-1 lead before the Utes began a comeback that would see Utah cut the lead to three runs. The rally began in the bottom of the seventh with back-to-back solo home runs from C.J. Cron and Shaun Cooper.

Utah continued its drive at the plate in the eighth. James Brooks hit a three-run home run before Michael Beltran, Cron and Cooper all reached base to load them for Cody Guymon, whose sacrifice fly scored Beltran. Cron scored on a Trey Nielsen single to cut the SDSU lead to 11-8 before reliever Bryan Crabb got Austin Shackelford to ground out and end the inning.

The Aztecs pulled back ahead in the ninth inning, adding three runs for a 14-8 lead.

Although Brooks had a two-out single in the bottom of the ninth, Crabb closed out the game for the Aztecs with a strikeout of Beltran..

BYU 10, SEATTLE 3: At Provo, Highlighted by four no-hit innings from freshman starter Desmond Poulson, BYU completed a series sweep of Seattle University with a 10-3 Senior Day victory Saturday at Larry H. Miller Field.

Junior center fielder Stephen Wells brought in the first three runs of the game with a sun-aided, bases-loaded double in the second inning. Seattle left fielder Doug Kincaid charged the high shot but lost it in the sun, allowing the ball to land safely over his head for Wells' team-leading 16th two-bagger of the season.

SUU 6-0, CENTENARY 5-6: At Shreveport, La., Southern Utah took a win and a loss at Centenary on Saturday as the Thunderbirds rallied to take the front end of the doubleheader by a final score of 6-5; the Gents then bounced back in the second game of the day for a 6-0 victory.

Jesse Hartle took control for SUU as the junior pitcher gave up just one hit while holding the Centenary offense scoreless over the final three innings to give the Thunderbirds the one run win. Hartle came on in relief for Justin Neubauer during the fourth inning. Neubauer gave up three runs on seven hits in first start since returning from injury.

The second game of the day belonged to the home team as Centenary built up an early lead and then held off Southern Utah for a 6-0 victory. Centenary put up two runs in both the first and second innings as four different batters recorded an RBI for the Gents.

UVU 9-6, TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN 6-5: At Edinburg, Texas, Each starting Utah Valley catcher hit a three-run home run in both ends of a doubleheader sweep, 9-6 and 6-5, at Texas-Pan American on Saturday.

Court Zollinger had an RBI double during a five-run second inning and hit a three-run shot to left, his first collegiate home run, during a four-run fifth in the opener. Then in the second game of the twin bill, Alex Exon's three-run home run gave the Wolverines a lead during a four-run fourth.

"Both of them did a great job getting a pitch they could drive. Those were the difference in both games," said head coach Eric Madsen. "We also had guys make some great pitches in huge situations."