HONOLULU – BYU softball improved to 3-1 at the Outrigger Resorts Hawai’i Spring Fling Tournament with a 6-3 extra-innings victory over East Carolina on Friday.
“Kerisa Viramontes pitched another solid game today,” BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. “She kept us in the game until our bats came alive in the eighth inning. Rylee Jensen also had a great day with two home runs.”
The Cougars (11-12) scored six runs on seven hits while ECU (9-16) recorded eight hits. Viramontes pitched a complete game and recorded three strikeouts from the circle.
Jensen went 2 for 4 at the plate, including two home runs and three RBI. Lexi Tarrow, Caitlyn Alldredge, Madison Merrell, and Erin Miklus also scored runs in the BYU victory.
For the second time in back-to-back games, Rylee Jensen homered to right center during the first at-bat of the game for an early 1-0 lead. Tarrow doubled down the right-field line and advanced to third as Alexa Strid singled to left field. Caitlyn Alldredge then brought Tarrow home with a sacrifice fly to center field to give the Cougars a 2-0 lead.
The Pirates answered in the bottom of the second. A single from Kendra Ziemba brought Ashley Weingartz across from third to trail 2-1.
ECU evened the score 2-2 in the fifth frame. Ashleigh Inae singled through the left side and stole second before coming home when Tate McClellan singled to right field. Neither team scored again in the sixth and seventh to force extra innings.
In the top of the eighth inning, Alldredge was placed on second base, due to the NCAA extra-inning rule. Merrell singled to center field and advanced to second on the throw while Alldredge advanced to third. Bridget Fleener pinch hit and singled to center, advancing Merrell to third while Alldredge scored to make it 3-2.
Miklus, who came in to pinch run for Fleener, advanced to second and Merrell scored on a throwing error by the Pirate catcher to extend the Cougars’ lead, 4-2. Jensen then crushed her second home run of the night to center field to clear the bases for a 6-2 BYU lead.
McClellan was put on second base for ECU to start the bottom of the eighth frame and scored as Weingartz doubled to left center for the final run of the night.
The Outrigger Resorts Hawai’i Spring Fling Tournament concludes for the Cougars on Saturday against the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff at 10 a.m. HT and James Madison at 12 p.m. HT. A link to the live stats will be available on the BYU softball schedule page.