Echoing the sentiments of Hall of Famer Ernie Banks' "Let's play two," Utah and BYU eagerly hooked up in a doubleheader Saturday at Spring Mobile Ballpark, where BYU swept the Utes in both games, 12-7 and 3-2, winning the Deseret First Duel five games to one in baseball.

Even though the first game featured 14 hits by each team and the second game totaled 24 hits, they were as different as night and day.

In the second game, Utah pitcher Jordan Whatcott labored seven innings, striking out 10 before giving way to reliever Greg Krause. It was a great effort only to be wasted when Utah experienced deja vu all over again. As in Friday night's game, BYU came back in the last inning to win.

The first game was a slugfest from the start.

The Cougars scored a run in the first inning. But in the third inning, BYU brought out the heavy lumber, with Steve Parker lining a home run over the left-field fence for a solo homer and Kasey Ko then unloading a shot to right for a three-run homer. He totaled four RBIs in the game and Michael Bowen had two hits and three RBIs in the first contest.

Utah knotted up the score in the fifth inning when Nick Kuroczko belted a 3-2 pitch to right for a three-run homer, and CJ Kron also knocked one out of the park. Kron went 4-for-5 in the first game, including two home runs, and added two more hits in the second game to lead the Utes' hitting attack.

But as Utah coach Bill Kinneberg said, "We just didn't get it done. We didn't get hits when we needed them and we didn't get pitches when we needed them."

The Cougars put the game away in the eighth when Brandon Relf's bases-loaded double brought in two runs and Michael Bowen's double knocked in two more. Blake Torgerson picked up the win and Nathan Bunch had stellar middle relief outings in both games. Jared Miller got credit for the save in the first game.

In the second game, Whatcott's gem went for naught when he was lifted after seven innings and 121 pitches.

In the ninth inning, Kasey Ko led off with a walk for BYU. Adam Law came in to pinch-run, and after that it was the Law brothers show. After moving to second base on a sacrifice, Law scampered home on his brother Andrew's slicing hit to right field.

Sean McNaughton then drove home Andrew Law with the winning run when he pulled a ground single through the hole between short and third.

"Andrew hit the ball the way he should, hitting it into right-center field," coach Vance Law said proudly.

Andrew was asked if he was as fast as his brother and if he could've scored if it would have been him running. He replied, "I can beat him any day." And he did score the winning run from second on a hit to left field.

Brandon Michon got the win and Jordan Muir notched his ninth save of the year, tying a BYU record. He said, "We just find a way to win."

Coach Law concluded, "Our guys just believed that they can do it."

e-mail: wjewkes@desnews.com