Feb. 1, 2003

Box Score

TUCSON - Four Arizona players had four hits -- at least -- to spark a runaway baseball victory, 32-3, over Brigham Young (1-2) Saturday at Sancet Field, and UA pitcher Richie Gardner (1-0) pitched seven strong innings and scattered four hits to check the Cougars.

Rich Mercado had six singles, Trevor Crowe and Jeff Van Houten had five hits each, while Derek Decater added four incuding two triples and a home run. UA batted around twice in the game, forced BYU into trying seven different pitchers and knocked eight extra-base hits. The Cats had a total of 32 hits.

The Cougars were hurt by 10 errors, but Arizona still had 19 earned runs.

UA (2-1) batted around in the bottom of the first to take a 7-0 lead on seven hits and chase BYU starter Jason Garcia (0-1).

Brad Boyer led off with a bunt single and advanced to third on a throwing error by BYU pitcher Jason Garcia on the play. Trevor Crowe followed with an RBI double to left and an out later Derek Decater tripled to left center to make it 2-0. Richard Mercado pushed across a third run with a single off the third baseman's glove, then scored on Pat Reilly's double down the rightfield line to make it 4-0.

Jeff Van Houten singled Reilly to third, and then Reilly scored when Van Houten broke to steak and the pitcher picked him off but the BYU first baseman threw the ball into left field. Dallas Haught hit a two-run homer off the centerfield screen to make it 7-0.

Singles by Moises Duran, Decater and Mercado filled the bases in the Cats' second and Van Houten drove in two more runs with a single to right, then BYU shortstop Ranger Weins bobbled a grounder to let Mercado score and it was 10-0.

Duran followed a Crowe single with a home run to center, the seventh hit off BYU reliever Paul Jacinto to make it 12-0 an inning later.

Ryan Chambers homered to left after Trevor Crowe's two-out error allowed Stubblefield to reach in the BYU fourth, cutting into UA's lead at 12-2. But the Cats answered with a 10-run fifth, sending 15 men to the plate, including Decater's two-run homer, three BYU errors. A hit by UA's Lee Franklin, and subsequent run, gave every UA starter a hit and a run scored.

BYU had successive doubles by Ryan Chambers and Clayton Carson in the top of the ninth to bring in another run and finish the scoring.