BYU defeated Houston 3-2 on April 9 in the opening game of a three-game Big 12 baseball series at Schroeder Park. Senior pitchers Wayland Crane and Garrison Sumner combined to limit Houston to just three hits and two runs, while striking out ten batters.
The result brings both teams’ records to 16-16, with BYU now holding a conference record of 6-7 and Houston at 3-10. BYU collected eleven hits during the game, placing runners on base in eight of nine innings, while Houston stranded seven runners.
“Crane and Sumner were outstanding tonight,” said BYU head baseball coach Trent Pratt. “It was great to see them go out and lockdown a win for us in game one of the series. Sumner was electric with total command of three pitches which made him very hard to hit.”
Matt Hansen led BYU’s offense with three hits, including a double and a run scored. Ezra McNaughton added two hits, an RBI, a run scored, and also doubled. Easton Jones contributed two hits with an RBI as well.
The game’s scoring began when Jones singled home McNaughton after his leadoff double in the first inning. After Baylor tied it up with a solo home run in the third inning, BYU responded in the fourth by adding two runs from singles by Hansen and Ridge Erickson followed by productive ground balls from teammates.
Houston closed the gap with another solo home run in the eighth but could not overcome BYU’s lead as Sumner retired all three batters he faced in the ninth inning to secure his second win of the year.
Game two between BYU and Houston is scheduled for Friday, April 10 at Schroeder Park. The matchup will be broadcast live on ESPN+ as well as various radio outlets.
