PROVO -- The Cougars earned a big shutout victory over No. 23 Pacific Thursday night at Gail Miller Field, beating the Tigers 8-0.
"I was really pleased with how our team played today," coach Gordon Eakin said. "I was especially pleased with our defense and out pitching. I thought our defense and pitching helped ignite our offense."
BYU broke the game open in the bottom of the third inning on three hits and two Tiger errors. Cougar Debbie Dodds got BYU going, hitting one straight to the pitcher, Jennifer Dacre whose throw to first baseman Jennifer Curtier went off Curtier's glove, allowing Dodds to take second.
Cougar Belinda Osborn then bunted to advance Dodds to third and made it safely to first herself after Tiger second baseman Lizzie Hagen pulled Curtier off the bag on the throw for the second Pacific error of the inning. A Lauren Watson single advanced Osborn to third but could not bring Dodds home as she was called out at the plate.
Watson displayed her speed on the next batter, stealing second base and getting Osborn home on the throw for the first Cougar run. Dacre then issued a two-out walk to Jennifer Whiteley. Paige Paramore stepped to the plate next looking to extend her nine-game hitting streak. And hit she did, knocking a single through the hole in left field and scoring Watson. Ianeta Le'i also singled to left, bringing home Whiteley to give the Cougars a 3-0 lead.
But the Cougars were not done scoring in the third as Ashlyn Russell stepped to the plate and smashed one over the left field fence, earning three RBI's and her team-leading ninth homerun of the year. The Cougars have now hit 41 homeruns in 41 games. After walking Kate Walker, Dacre finally got the third out to end the inning, but not before the Cougars had done some damage, taking a 6-0 lead.
Pacific changed pitchers going into the bottom of the fourth inning, bringing in sophomore Kristen Allen, but Dodds was ready and took Allen's first pitch over the right-center field fence for her seventh homerun of the year, pushing the Cougar lead to 7-0.
The Cougars manufactured their final run the old-fashioned way in the bottom of the sixth. Walker led-off with a single into right-center field and advanced to second on a walk issued to Norton. Both Cougars took off an Allen's next pitch to Dodds, stealing third and second respectively. Dodds earned a trip to first base after being hit by a pitch to load the bases. A wild pitch to Millie Jones brought Walker across the plate, ending the game by virtue of the eight-run rule.
Brook Boyce earned her third career shutout and the win for the Cougars with four hits, no runs, one walk and two strikeouts in six innings. Pacific pitcher Dacre picked up the loss with three hits, six runs -- all unearned, two walks and two strikeouts.
"Brooke pitched an exceptional game tonight," Eakin said. "She was aided by exceptional defense and strong hitting."
With the win, BYU improves to 27-14 on the season while Pacific moves to 28-14. The Cougars will next be in action Saturday for a double-header at Utah. The first game is set to begin at 12 p.m.
Pacific 0 (28-14,6-3)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Carbonatto, Gina cf...... 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0
Anunciation, Michell ss.. 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1
D'Errico, Ashlie c....... 2 0 1 0 1 0 3 0 0
Curtier, Jennifer 1b..... 3 0 1 0 0 0 6 0 2
Gordon, Brandi lf........ 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 2
Hagen, Lizzie 2b......... 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1
Allen, Kristen dp/p...... 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
Presson, Crystal 3b...... 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
Inouye, Nicole rf........ 2 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0
Dacre, Jennifer p........ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
Totals................... 22 0 4 0 1 2 15 7 6
Brigham Young Univ. 8 (27-14,4-5)
Player AB R H RBI BB SO PO A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
WATSON, Lauren c......... 3 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 0
WHITELEY, Jennifer lf.... 2 1 0 0 1 0 4 0 0
PARAMORE, Paige dp....... 3 0 2 1 0 1 0 0 0
GERHAUSER, Lindsey pr... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
CHAMBERLAIN, Krystle pr. 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
LE`I, Ianeta 1b.......... 3 1 1 1 0 0 8 0 0
RUSSELL, Ashlyn 3b....... 3 1 1 3 0 0 0 3 0
WALKER, Kate 2b.......... 2 0 1 0 1 0 3 1 0
JONES, Milli pr......... 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
NORTON, Jodi ss.......... 2 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 1
DODDS, Debbie cf......... 2 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0
OSBORN, Belinda rf....... 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
BOYCE, Brooke p.......... 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0
Totals................... 22 8 7 6 3 2 18 9 3
Score by Innings R H E
---------------------------------------
Pacific............. 000 000 - 0 4 2
Brigham Young Univ.. 006 101 - 8 7 0
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Note: None out, 2 runners LOB when the game ended.
E - Hagen(14); Dacre(2). DP - Pacific 2. LOB - Pacific 6; BYU Cougars 3. HR
- RUSSELL(9); DODDS(7). HBP - Anunciation; DODDS. SB - WATSON(5); JONES,
M.(2); NORTON(6); OSBORN 2(6).
Pacific IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Dacre, Jennifer..... 3.0 3 6 0 2 2 14 16
Allen, Kristen...... 2.0 4 2 2 1 0 8 10
Brigham Young Univ. IP H R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
BOYCE, Brooke....... 6.0 4 0 0 1 2 22 24
Win - BOYCE (10-6). Loss - Dacre (12-8). Save - None.
WP - Allen(2). HBP - by BOYCE (Anunciation); by Allen (DODDS).
Umpires - HP: TJ BREWSTER 1B: TERRY BALSER 3B: STEVE ROLLINS
Start: 6:05 PM Time: 2:00 Attendance: 306
Game notes:
BYU BEAT PACIFIC
Allen faced 3 batters in the 6th.
Score by Innings R H E
---------------------------------------
Pacific............. 000 000 - 0 4 2
Brigham Young Univ.. 006 101 - 8 7 0
---------------------------------------
Pacific starters: 2/cf Carbonatto; 42/ss Anunciation; 19/c D'Errico; 23/1b
Curtier; 8/lf Gordon; 25/2b Hagen; 33/dp Allen; 44/3b Presson; 22/rf
Inouye; 6/p Dacre;
Brigham Young Univ. starters: 11/c WATSON; 3/lf WHITELEY; 19/dp PARAMORE;
66/1b LE`I; 25/3b RUSSELL; 5/2b WALKER; 8/ss NORTON; 20/cf DODDS; 18/rf
OSBORN; 9/p BOYCE;
Pacific - inning 1
Carbonatto grounded out to 3b. Anunciation grounded out to p. D'Errico
walked. Curtier singled up the middle; D'Errico advanced to third. Gordon
grounded out to 1b unassisted. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. - inning 1
WATSON grounded out to 2b. WHITELEY flied out to lf. PARAMORE struck out
swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Pacific - inning 2
Hagen grounded out to p. Allen grounded out to ss. Presson flied out to
lf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. - inning 2
LE`I grounded out to 3b. RUSSELL grounded out to p. WALKER fouled out to
ss. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Pacific - inning 3
Inouye flied out to cf. Carbonatto out at first p to 2b. Anunciation hit
by pitch. D'Errico singled to right center; Anunciation advanced to
third. Curtier grounded out to 2b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. - inning 3
NORTON struck out looking. DODDS reached on an error by p, advanced to
second on the throw. OSBORN reached on an error by 2b; DODDS advanced to
third. OSBORN stole second. WATSON reached on a fielder's choice; OSBORN
advanced to third; DODDS out at home p to c. WATSON stole second; OSBORN
stole home, unearned. WHITELEY walked. PARAMORE singled to left field,
RBI; WHITELEY advanced to third; WATSON scored, unearned. LE`I singled to
left field, RBI; PARAMORE advanced to second; WHITELEY scored, unearned.
GERHAUSER pinch ran for PARAMORE. RUSSELL homered down the lf line, 3
RBI, unearned; LE`I scored, unearned; GERHAUSER scored, unearned. WALKER
walked. NORTON flied out to cf. 6 runs, 3 hits, 2 errors, 1 LOB.
Pacific - inning 4
PARAMORE to dp for GERHAUSER. Gordon lined out to lf. Hagen struck out
looking. Allen struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. - inning 4
Allen to p. / for Dacre. DODDS homered to center field, RBI. OSBORN
grounded out to 2b. WATSON singled to left center. WHITELEY lined into
double play ss to 1b; WATSON out on the play. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0
LOB.
Pacific - inning 5
Presson singled down the lf line. Inouye reached on a fielder's choice;
Presson out at second ss to 2b. Carbonatto grounded out to 3b; Inouye
advanced to second. Inouye failed pickoff attempt. Anunciation flied out
to lf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. - inning 5
PARAMORE singled to left field. CHAMBERLAIN pinch ran for PARAMORE.
CHAMBERLAIN failed pickoff attempt. LE`I flied into double play rf to 1b;
CHAMBERLAIN out on the play. RUSSELL flied out to rf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0
errors, 0 LOB.
Pacific - inning 6
D'Errico grounded out to 3b. Curtier lined out to lf. Gordon singled to
right field. Hagen popped up to 2b. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. - inning 6
WALKER singled to right center. JONES, M. pinch ran for WALKER. NORTON
walked; JONES, M. advanced to second. NORTON stole second; JONES, M.
stole third. DODDS hit by pitch. JONES, M. scored on a wild pitch. 1 run,
1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.