March 31, 2011
Box Score
Pepperdine and BYU Box Score (March 31, 2011) 
MALIBU, Calif. - Jacob Brugman's 12th-inning RBI double off closer Ricky Villarreal counted as the game-winning hit in BYU's 5-4 victory over Pepperdine Thursday afternoon at Eddy D. Field Stadium.
Pinch hitter Alex Hancock led off the inning with a single and scored the go-ahead run with two outs, lifting the Cougars' record to 13-1, and dropping the Waves' to 13-12.
Villarreal (Edinburg, Texas/Edinburg HS) struck out three over the final 3.0 innings in suffering his second loss of the season.
BYU's fourth reliever Kolton Mahoney improved to 3-1 with two scoreless frames of work, and Matthew Neil registered his second save after getting out his team out of a two-on, one-out jam in the bottom half of the 12th.
Pepperdine started the game in a 3-0 hole but rallied for four runs in the fifth on three singles and three more sacrifice hits. A balk, wild pitch and two errors by the Cougars also were of assistance as the Waves' appeared ready to clinch their eighth comeback win of the season.
BYU starter Taylor Cole balked in the first run, and then Miles Silverstein (Calabasas, Calif./Bell Canyon HS) followed with an RBI ground ball that bounced off the glove of shortstop Andrew Law. Catcher Trent Diedrich (Fresno, Calif./Bullard HS) tied the game with a single through the left side, and Tony Cooper's (San Carlos, Calif./Junipero Serra HS ) sacrifice bunt to first scored Silverstein for a 4-3 Pepperdine lead.
Diedrich finished the game 3-for-3, tying a personal game high for most hits.
Cooper's four sacrifice hits established a new modern Pepperdine single-game record, eclipsing Zach Vincej's (Saugus, Calif./Saugus HS) previous mark of three set last week Tuesday vs. Cal Poly.
Pepperdine's seven sacrifice hits raised its season total to 42, but despite getting guys on base every inning after the fifth and using the small-ball tactics to the best of their abilities, the Waves couldn't add another insurance run in leaving 13 men on base.
BYU, which stranded 14 runners, came back to tie the game at 4-4 in the eighth with a surprise bunt single off the bat of Law. With the infield playing back and a runner on third with two outs, Law pushed the ball straight up the lawn of the third-base side and everyone was ruled safe by the time it rolled up to Silverstein.
Sophomore Jared Lee (Fresno, Calif./Clovis West HS), in making his first career start, lasted 4.1 innings, in which he gave up three runs on three hits and four walks. He also struck out four.
The Cougars scored a run off Lee in the second after he quickly recorded the first two outs, but they came back with single, hit batsman, and two walks, the second of which served as Brugman's first RBI.
BYU capitalized on Lee's free passes with two more runs in the fifth. He hit Law to begin the inning, and a walk to Ryan Bernal with one out was followed by an RBI single that marked the end of his outing.
Sophomore Jordan Luvisi (Scottsdale, Ariz./Notre Dame Preparatory) recorded the final two outs of the fifth; however, one of which was a sacrifice fly to left that made it a 3-0 game.
The three-game series between BYU and Pepperdine continues Friday at 3 p.m. with game two.
BYU 5, Pepperdine 4 (Mar 31, 2011 at Malibu, Calif.)
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BYU................. 010 020 010 001 - 5 8 3 (13-11)
Pepperdine.......... 000 040 000 000 - 4 9 0 (13-12)
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Pitchers: BYU - COLE, Taylor; SHUTT, Justin(7); NYBERG, Chunner(9); MAHONEY, Kolton(10);
TORGERSON, Blake(12); NEIL, Matthew(12) and GUENTHER, Wes; WOLFE, Alex. Pepperdine -
Lee, Jared; LUVISI, Jordan(5); SWANNER, Michael(7); McILHENNY, Brian(8); VILLARREAL, Ricky(10)
and Diedrich, Trent; Johnson, Nate.
Win-MAHONEY, Kolton(3-1) Save-NEIL, Matthew(2) Loss-VILLARREAL, Ricky(1-2) T-3:40 A-164
Weather: 79, Sunny
SWANNER, M. faced 1 batter in the 8th.
