CEDAR CITY, Utah – Behind .500 hitting and four home runs, No. 20 BYU softball defeated Southern Utah 13-3 in a run-rule win after five innings on the road Tuesday afternoon.
“The team played well today," BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. "We pitched, hit and defended well. Caitlyn Alldredge hit two monster home runs, including her two-run shot in the first, to get us going."
For the first time since 2015, BYU (28-10, 3-0 West Coast Conference) hit four home runs in one game. The Cougars hit four homers in a 16-9 win against Pacific back in 2015. The 13 runs were the second most scored this season behind the 16 brought home against Detroit Mercy. BYU’s 14 hits were also the second-highest of the year after notching 16 in the season-opener against Nebraska. The Cougars out-hit the Thunderbirds (9-21, 5-4 Big Sky) 14-4 in the win.
The bats were hot today as five different players had two or more hits. Caitlyn Larsen Alldredge led the team on 2 of 3 hitting, blasting two home runs with four RBI and three runs. This was the first time that Alldredge has hit two home runs in a game in her career. Libby Sugg went 3 for 3, her second game this year doing so. McKenzie St. Clair and Brooke Vander Heide had similar stats, both going 2 for 3 with two runs and an RBI. Alldredge, St. Clair and Ashley Thompson were responsible for the four home runs.
From the circle, Arissa Paulson picked up the win, pitching 3.1 innings and throwing two strikeouts. Her older sister Arianna Paulson came in as the relief pitcher, tossing two strikeouts.
BYU started the game strong, scoring two runs in the top of the first. With Lexi Tarrow on second, Alldredge hit a bomb over left center to put the Cougars up 2-0 early on.
In the top of the second, BYU scored four runs. St. Clair led off with a solo shot over left field. Vander Heide and Rylee Jensen both singled, putting them on third and first, respectively, as Tarrow came up to bat. Tarrow grounded out to second base, giving Vander Heide had enough time to reach home. Alldredge then went yard again, this time down the left field line to score herself and Jensen, pushing the lead to 6-0 at the frame.
Southern Utah struck back in the bottom of the second. With the bases loaded, a double to right center cleared the bases, cutting the Cougars’ lead in half, 6-3.
BYU added two more runs in the top of the third. The bases were loaded with two outs as Tarrow came up to bat. She singled up the middle, bringing in Vander Heide and Briielle Breland to make it an 8-3 advantage for the Cougars.
In the top of the fourth with two runners on, Thompson hit the fourth home run of the game – a three-run homer to right center. St. Clair followed that up with a double to right field to put herself in scoring position with just one out. Breland then hit an RBI single to score St. Clair. The next at bat saw Vander Heide drill a triple over the center fielder’s head to bring home Breland for another run. BYU led 13-3 after the fourth inning.
That score would hold as BYU completed the run-rule win after five innings. These two teams will face off again next Wednesday in Provo for the rematch.
The Cougars return home this weekend to host Pacific in West Coast Conference play.