CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. — BYU softball combined for 28 runs between two run-rule wins over Cal Poly and Rutgers as it concluded action at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Saturday night.
GAME 1 BOX SCORE
GAME 2 BOX SCORE
The Cougars (12-3, 0-0 Big 12) saw their offense ignited at Big League Dreams Sports Park, tallying 26 total hits and 25 RBI with five long bombs, including four in game one against the Mustangs, with two coming on grand slams.
Game 1: BYU 19 | Cal Poly 3 (5)
Four total home runs in the game, including grand slams by Lily Owens and Huntyr Ava fueled the Cougars to a run-rule win at Des Moines Field.
Player Highlights
- Lily Owens: 4-4, HR, 5 RBI
- Huntyr Ava, 3-4, 2 HR, 2B, 6 RBI
- Maddie Bejarano: 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI
- Maddie Udall: 1-4, HR, 3 RBI
- Chloe Temples (W, 5-0): 3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 K
BYU sent 15 batters to the plate in the top of the first inning, scoring 12 runs to blow the game wide open. Owens launched a grand slam just inside the left field foul pole to put the Cougars up 4-0. After Cal Poly recorded the first two outs of the frame, BYU proceeded to score eight more runs, with Ava capping the inning off by hammering a 2-run shot to left that gave the Cougars a 12-0 advantage.
The Mustangs quickly answered with a 2-run home run of their own, cutting into the BYU lead at 12-2. Zavodnik just missed on the oppprtunity to rob her second home run of the season with the ball squeezing past her outstretched glove over the outfield fence.
Both teams left two on base in the second inning before the Cougars added three more runs in the third. Leading off, Violet Zavodnik was hit by the first pitch she saw, and Owens laid down a bunt single before Maddie Udall sent a homer out to right center, a 3-run shot that made it 15-2, BYU.
Ailana Agbayani led off with a double in the top of the fourth, Zaovdink walked and Owens singled to load the bases for Ava, who hit a moonshot to left center for the Cougars’ second grand slam of the game and an 19-2 lead.
Cal Poly grabbed a third run in the fourth inning on a hit by pitch and two singles, making it 19-3. The Mustangs picked up a pair of walks to begin the bottom of the fifth, but Alyssa Aguilar, who came in to pitch after the walks, retired the side from there to close of the run-rule victory.
Game 2: BYU 9 | Rutgers 1 (5)
The Cougars scored six runs in the first two innings at Fenway Field to pull away from the Scarlet Knights en route to their second run-rule win of the night.
Player Highlights
- Lily Owens: 1-3, HR, 3 RBI
- Ailana Agbayani: 3-3, RBI
- Maddie Bejarano: 2-2, 2B, RBI
- Kate Dahle (W, 4-2): 5 IP, 4 H, 0 ER
BYU’s bats remained hot after starting pitcher Kate Dahle opened the game with a 1-2-3 inning. Ailana Agbayani singled and moved to second on a Bejarano sacrifice bunt. Owens then reached on an error, and the pair advanced a base on Ava’s walk, loading the bases. Agbayani scored on a wild pitch, and Owens came home on a Udall single for a 2-0 Cougar lead through one.
Rutgers threatened in the top of the second with a pair of leadoff singles, but Dahle retired the side from there.
Ailana Agbayani singled again in the second, scoring on a Bejarano double down the right field line. Zavodnik was hit by an 0-2 pitch, putting two on for Owens, who homered on the second pitch she saw, quickly making it 6-0, BYU.
The Scarlet Knights got a run back in the third inning, scoring one on a walk, single, fielder’s choice and BYU error. Rutgers got two aboard with no outs in the top of the fourth, but three-consecutive fielder’s choices helped Dahle get out of the jam.
Ailana Agbayani led off the bottom of the fourth with a walk before Bejarano reached on a bunt. She scored on a double by Zavodnik that advanced Bejarano to third, but Zavodnik and Bejarano got caught in a pickle during Owens’ fielder’s choice the next at-bat. Owens would score on two passed balls, for an 8-2 Cougar lead.
Rutgers had a chance to cut back into the BYU advantage in the top of the fifth, but a throw by Ava to Hailey Morrow caught the Scarlet Knight runner at the plate, keeping the Cougars in front by seven.
BYU finished things off in the bottom of the fifth inning as Morrow picked up a one-out single. She moved to second when Tristen Turlington was hit by a pitch before being pinch ran for by Lauren Flanders. With Aleia Agbayani drawing a walk to load the bases, Ailana Agbayani delivered a two-strike single through the right side to score Flanders for the 9-1 run-rule victory.
Up Next
The Cougars will head to Northern California next week for the Capital Classic, hosted by Sacramento State and UC Davis. Outside of the two host teams, BYU will also play UC Santa Barbara and Utah State.