PROVO, Utah – Senior Tori Almond pitched a one-hitter Saturday to help BYU split a doubleheader in an 8-0 victory over Southern Utah after a 4-1 loss to Snow College.
“We gave a much better effort in the second game,” BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. “We had a little discussion about giving effort and having better focus in between games. When you put up eight runs in four innings against a Division I team that’s good effort. I liked the way they responded to the lessons they learned in the first game.”
In the second game, Almond went the distance striking out six to go along with one walk. Sophomore teammate Gordy Bravo also played well in game two going 2-4 with two runs and senior Katie Manuma went 1-2 with three RBIs.
Game one
Snow looked to get on the board early, but junior outfielder Lacey Millett-Hofstedt robbed a potential homerun in left-center.
With the bases loaded in the top of the fifth, Snow had consecutive singles to drive in four runs and take the 4-0 lead. Senior Jenna Goar started the bottom of the fifth with a double down the leftfield line for BYU. Freshman Mercedes O’Connor followed with an RBI single up the middle.
From there both teams failed to score and Snow took the win 4-1. Freshman Ashley Thompson allowed only four hits and struck out six while pitching all seven innings for the Cougars.
Game two
BYU wasted no time in the second getting on the board after freshman Lauren Bell walked, sophomore Coco Tauali’i singled to advance her to third and she scored on a fielder’s choice.
In the third inning, sophomore Gordy Bravo singled up the middle and freshman Lauren Bell drew the walk. Bravo then advanced on a passed ball and scored on a throwing error from the catcher giving the Cougars a 2-0 lead. After Tauali’i walked, she drew a pick-off attempt falling down in between bases and stole second after a late throw to third to put out Bell. Manuma then doubled down the leftfield line to bring both around making it 4-0. Manuma scored off a single from Goar and the Cougars ended the inning with the 5-0 lead.
After a three-and-out from SUU in the top of the fourth, Millett-Hofstedt and Bravo hit infield singles. Bell was safe on a throwing error from the third basemen after laying down a sacrifice bunt and Millett-Hofstedt scored from second to stretch the lead to 6-0. Bravo scored when Tauali’i grounded into a fielder’s choice. Bell scored the final run of the game off a dropped ball from the leftfielder to put the score at 8-0.
Almond closed out the game with two more three-and-out innings.
The Cougars close out the fall season against Dixie State Saturday in St. George with a doubleheader that begins at 11 a.m.