Runs were a hot commodity Tuesday night at the Cougar Diamond Classic in Pasco. 

The BYU Cougars finally broke through in the seventh inning for three runs, and those were enough to win the single game, 3-0. 

“We did not have the intensity we have had in the last couple of weeks,” WSU Head Coach Donnie Marbut said in a press release. “We did not execute offensively when we missed a chance to score early in the ballgame.”

Senior Kellen Camus started for WSU and threw four scoreless innings, but it was junior Sam Triece who gave up all three runs to BYU. The top of the seventh inning began with two consecutive singles to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Triece made the next batter pop up on a bunt attempt, but then the inning went awry. 

BYU freshman CJ Latham hit a ball to right field and advanced to second on a throwing error by junior right fielder Yale Rosen. It was Rosen’s first error of the season. Two runs scored on the play. Then junior Parker Starr singled to right field again, which brought home Latham to bring in the final run of the game. 

Rosen was 2 for 4 in the game at the plate, and tried to start a two-out rally in the bottom of the eighth inning. He singled after senior Collin Slaybaugh and sophomore Trek Stemp failed to get on base, but then freshman pinch-runner Cameron Frost was thrown out trying to steal second base. That ended the Cougar threat in the eighth. 

In the ninth, redshirt sophomore Nick Tanielu reached first on an error by the second baseman, but redshirt sophomore Ben Roberts grounded into a double play to clear the bases. sophomore Matt Mendenhall flied to left field to end the game and, subsequently, WSU’s six-game winning streak. 

Four BYU pitchers combined on the shutout. Senior starter Desmond Poulson went the longest with three innings, and freshman Hayden Rogers earned the win with 2 2/3 innings in relief as the third pitcher of the game. Junior Brandon Kinser wrapped up the game for his third save of the season. The BYU hurlers held WSU batters to just six hits all game. 

Senior outfielder Kelton Caldwell contributed three of BYU’s nine hits on the night, and was the runner who scored on Rosen’s error. 

BYU moves to 13-21 with the win, while WSU drops to 15-14 this season. 

The Cougars will begin a three-game series against the Oregon State Beavers at home for Mom’s Weekend.