TEMPE, Ariz. — BYU softball fell to Virginia Tech before picking up a run-rule win over Illinois State in a Friday doubleheader at Farrington Softball Stadium on Friday.
GAME 1 BOX SCORE
GAME 2 BOX SCORE
The Cougars (6-2, 0-0 Big 12) held a one-run advantage over the Hokies before Virginia Tech scored two in the fifth, the difference in game one of the doubleheader. A seven-run second inning fueled BYU to victory in game two against Illinois State as lefty Chloe Temples pitched four innings of shutout ball before Alyssa Aguilar saw her first action of the season, closing the door on the Redbirds in the fifth.
Game 1: Virginia Tech 2 | BYU 1
Scoreless through the first two and a half innings with each team going down in order, BYU had the first baserunners of the game in the bottom of the third inning. Lily Owens led off, landing a bloop single down the right field line and moving to second on an Aleia Agbayani sacrifice bunt. After an Ailana Agbayani walk, Maddie Bejarano singled to left, scoring Owens and putting the Cougars up 1-0.
Virginia Tech threatened in the top of the fourth with two on and two out, but a pop out on a diving snag by catcher Hailey Morrow halted the Hokies’ attack.
VT sent eight to the plate in the fifth inning, scoring a pair of runs on a BYU error, single, stolen base and passed ball, making it 2-1, Hokies.
From there, the Cougars would have just one base runner in their final three innings, and unable to tie or retake the lead, dropped their second game in a row, 2-1.
Game 2: BYU 10 | Illinois State 0 (5)
The middle of the order got things going for BYU as the Cougars batted through the order in the top of the second inning. Keila Kamoku, Maddie Udall, Lyndsey Madrigal, Jaelynn Lambert, Ailana Agbayani, Huntyr Ava, Violet Zavodnik and Hailey Morrow all reached base safely at least once, scoring seven runs for BYU.
Adding to the Cougar lead in the third, Madrigal led off with a solo home run to center field, the first of her Division I career, that put BYU in front, 8-0. Later in the inning, Bejarano walked and moved to second on a passed ball. Lauren Flanders came in to pinch run for her, and she advanced to third on a Taryn Lennon fielder’s choice before scoring on Ava’ single up the middle, extending the lead to 9-0.
BYU added another run in the fifth as Ailana Agbayani reached on an error, moving around on a ground out and Lennon single before coming home thanks to a sacrifice fly by Ava, making it 10-0, Cougars.
Illinois State got its leadoff batter aboard on a single up the middle in the bottom of the fifth inning, but the Redbirds were retired in order after that, sealing the shutout run-rule win for BYU.
Up Next
The Cougars will conclude Littlewood Classic action with a doubleheader against Memphis and Cal State Fullerton on Saturday, Feb. 17. First pitches are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. MST.