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BB: Cougars Defeat Utes in a Slugfest, 25-18


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May 27, 2010

San Diego, CA - Senior left fielder Sean McNaughton hit two of BYU's NCAA record-tying three grand slams on Thursday as the No. 4-seeded Cougars outlasted defending champion Utah 25-18 in the 2010 Conoco Mountain West Conference Baseball Championship at San Diego State's Tony Gwynn Stadium.

In a game that featured a total of six home runs, sophomore shortstop Austin Hall also hit a grand slam and junior second baseman Dane Nielsen added a three-run shot for BYU, which finished with its highest run total since posting a 25-2 win over the Air Force Academy in 2005. The Cougars' 25 runs marked the second-highest total in MWC tournament history, second only to San Diego State's 26 scored against the Air Force Academy in 2006. BYU is the ninth team in NCAA history to hit three grand slams in a single game.

The 43 combined runs by BYU and Utah eclipsed the tournament record of 31 set in 2004 when San Diego State defeated New Mexico 23-8. McNaughton, who came into the contest having gone 0-for-4 in bases-loaded situations this season, hit a grand slam to give BYU a 5-0 lead with one out in the first. His second grand slam, which widened the Cougars' advantage to 19-8 in the fifth, marked the second consecutive year in which he matched a tournament record with two home runs in a game.

The NCAA record for grand slams in a single game is held by former Louisville player Jim LaFountain, who hit three against Western Kentucky in 1976.

Sophomore catcher Alex Wolfe went 5-for-5 with three RBI and sophomore center fielder Stephen Wells finished 5-for-6 with five runs scored for BYU (27-30), which had 22 hits against five Utah pitchers.

Sophomore catcher and MWC Player of the Year C.J. Cron (4-for-5, six RBI) homered twice for Utah, which trailed 14-0 before scoring eight runs in the fourth. The Utes, who won the MWC tournament as a No. 6 seed in 2009, finished the season 23-28.