Provo, Utah – The Pacific Tigers couldn't overcome an early nine-run deficit and fell to the BYU Cougars in game two of their three-game series 11-4.  Pacific gave up nine runs in the first three innings but just two runs the rest of the way, outscoring BYU 4-2 from the fourth inning on.  The Tigers are now 6-12, while BYU goes to 18-1 with the victory.  It was the tenth time this year Pacific has scored four or more runs in a game.

Ricky Reynoso started for the sixth time and struck out three but only lasted 2.2 innings before he was replaced by Justin Giovannoni, who tied his season-high with 4.1 innings.  Reynoso took the loss and is now 1-2. Taylor Johnson also appeared and pitched a perfect eighth inning.

Maverik Buffo got the win for the Cougars with six innings of work.  Buffo goes to 4-0 on the season.

Once again, it was BYU that struck first with a two-run first inning.  Reynoso did well to work around a troublesome patch that saw two men in scoring position with one out but still left the inning down 2-0 thanks to an RBI groundout and a single that disappeared in the sun.

Five more runs went on the board for BYU in the second, primarily via homerun.  The Cougars hit two two-run homers broken up only by a walk in between.  It was the first time this season the Tigers had allowed multiple homeruns in one game.  After that, two errors put a baserunner on third, followed by an RBI single to center.

The Tigers had their first hit of the game in the third.  J.P. Yakel lined it into rightfield, narrowly missing Louis Mejia, who had reached on a walk prior.  Sandri walked after that to load the bases but Pacific couldn't break through and score their first run. Mejia would end up going 0-for-3 on the day, snapping his team-best nine-game hitting streak.  During that streak, Mejia hit .441 with six runs, four RBI, and five multi-hit games.  He has reached base via hit or walk in 16 of Pacific's 18 games.

The deficit grew a bit more in the third, with an RBI double for the Cougars, their fifth extra-base hit of the first three innings.  Giovannoni came on in relief after Reynoso's third strikeout.

Danny Mayer broke into double-digits in extra-base hits on the season with his sixth double of the year to start the fourth.  Mayer also has a triple and three homeruns this year, with at least one XBH against every opponent but South Dakota State.  He would end the day with three hits, two runs, and two RBI.

It was Lucas Halstead who would drive Mayer home later that inning with a single into right.  Gio Brusa, who had walked after Mayer's double, took third on a fielding error as well.  Halstead's RBI was his second in three games after recording two in his first 15.  He would also walk in the eighth.

BYU scored again in the fourth with an RBI double.  Yakel's alert play killed the rally after just one run, however.  Mayer made the throw to the plate to try to prevent the run but the ball came in just a bit too late.  Yakel smartly threw down to third the second he received the ball to catch the BYU runner trying to advance. 

That play proved the start of Pacific's shutdown defense for the rest of the game.  The Tigers kept BYU off the scoreboard for two innings in a row and three of the final four after that as Giovannoni settled in for his second outing of three or more innings this year.  After that, Johnson pitched a 1-2-3 eighth to wrap up 5.1 innings of two-run relief by the duo.

Yakel recorded his first extra-base hit of the year to start the seventh with a double to deep center.  The senior catcher is now hitting .308 in his last eight games with four runs scored.

A double by Sandri scored Yakel and gave the freshman his eighth RBI.  Sandri now has multiple hits in three of his last six games and has hit .359 since moving into the leadoff spot for the first time.

Mayer blasted a homer that left the ballpark in a hurry after that, a two-run shot that gave him 14 RBI this season.  Mayer's fourth homer also moved him into a tie for second place in the WCC.  It was the second game this season that Mayer has had multiple extra-base hits and his first homer since March 6 against Northern Colorado. 

BYU added another run in the bottom of the seventh, extending their lead to 11-4 with an RBI double.  That would be the end to the scoring in the game as Pacific was shut down in the eighth and ninth.

The final game of the Pacific-BYU series will be tomorrow at noon.  The game will have live video provided by BYU TV.

Make sure to follow Pacific baseball on Twitter with the username @PacificBaseball and on Instagram at pacificbaseball.