SAN DIEGO – The BYU softball team beat Cal State Fullerton 11-3 but surrendered a 3-0 loss to San Diego State to split the final day of the Campbell Cartier Classic on Saturday.
"In game one we fought a little adversity in the early innings but finished strong for a quality win," BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. "In game two we came out flat and could not turn it around. We need to be better at finishing the day."
Game One
Game Highlights:
- Arissa Paulson tallied her third win of the season as well as her 300th career strikeout in the win. With the start, she is now ranked No. 5 for career starts at BYU with 63. At the plate, Paulson also went a perfect 3 for 3 with one run and a double.
- Eight different players recorded runs in the 11-3 win led by Rylee Jensen-McFarland with three.
- BYU tallied 11 runs on 11 hits
Player Highlights:
- Arissa Paulson: 3-3, 1R, 2B, BB
- Rylee Jensen-McFarland: 2-3, 3R, 1RBI, BB
- Erin Miklus: 2-3, 2R, 1RBI
- Arissa Paulson: W (3-0), 6.0 IP, 6H, 2ER, 1BB, 3K
BYU vs. Cal State Fullerton Box
The Cougars got on the board as Rylee Jensen-McFarland made it home in the top of the first inning. It was quickly answered by a run from Cal State Fullerton in the bottom of the inning to tie the game at 1-1.
With two runs in the bottom of the second inning, the Titans took a 3-1 lead before the next two innings went scoreless. In the top of the fifth, a single from Erin Miklus followed by a walk from Jensen-McFarland got BYU into scoring position. HannahJo Peterson smacked a ball down the right field line for a double to score both Miklus and Jensen-McFarland tying the game at 3-all.
In the top of the sixth inning, the BYU bats came alive as the Cougars tacked on eight more runs to blow the game open. After the BYU defense recorded three outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, the game ended due to the NCAA eight-run rule and the Cougars took the 11-3 win.
Game Two
Player Highlights:
- Autumn Moffat: 5.1 IP, 3R, 0BB, 4K
BYU at San Diego State Box Score
After two scoreless innings, San Diego State hit a solo shot over the fence to give the Aztecs a 1-0 advantage in the bottom of the third inning. The two teams again went scoreless for two innings before San Diego State tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to take a 3-0 lead.
Despite Peterson getting on base after singling in the top of the seventh inning, BYU was unable to score a run and suffered the 3-0 loss.
BYU heads back to California for the second straight week to participate in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City. The Cougars open up the tournament with two games on Thursday, Feb. 20 against UC Riverside at 6 p.m. PT and Notre Dame at 8:30 p.m. PT.