MĀNOA, Hawai’i — Late game heroics from Ailana Agbayani pushed BYU softball to a come-from-behind win in game two of a doubleheader on its final day of the Paradise Classic at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium on Saturday evening.
“Pure heart all day,” BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. “Gianna coming back strong today was clutch. In game two, Violet robbing a 2-run home run, Chloe giving a great effort to keep us in the game and the 3-run, two-out home run by Ailana was all just incredible! Story book!”
The Cougars opened the season 5-0 behind a 3-run homer over the right field fence by Agbayani. Left-handed pitcher Chloe Temples picked up her second win of the 2024 campaign after going the distance, fanning 10 and giving up just five hits and two earned runs.
Player Highlights
- Ailana Agbayani: 1-3, R, 3 RBI
- Chloe Temples (W, 2-0): 7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
Hawai’i got on the board first with a solo homer to left field in the third inning before adding an insurance run an inning later on a single, passed ball and double to right field, putting the ‘Bows up 2-0.
Center fielder Violet Zavodnik kept the Rainbow Wahine in front by two runs later in the fourth inning, robbing a would be 2-run home run to get the Cougars out of the inning.
With BYU managing just two hits in the first six innings, Hailey Morrow drew a one-out walk in the seventh, and Jaelynn Lambert came in to pinch run. She advanced to third as Maddie Udall reached on a UH error, and Lauren Flanders would pinch run for her.
After a groundout for the Cougars' second out, Agbayani sent a 3-run jack past the right field fence, just the second homer of her career, putting BYU in front, 3-2.
Hawai'i earned a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh, but a flyout to right on the next batter would end it, closing off the Cougars' 5-0 start to the season.
BYU will next travel to Tempe, Arizona for the Sun Devils’ Littlewood Classic. It will play five games there, beginning against host ASU on Thursday, Feb. 15 at 5:30 p.m. MST.