BYU softball redeemed itself against UVU with a 9-2 win Tuesday. The win at Wolverine Field split the teams’ two-game series this season after the Cougars had suffered a 13-0 home loss on March 21.
“We played a little bit better in all areas of the game,” BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. “In the last game we didn’t score any runs off this same pitcher.”
The win featured pitcher Ashley Thompson’s third win. She pitched all seven innings and batted 2-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored. The Cougars also set a team record with four double plays in a single game.
“The ball just happened to be hit in the right spots for us to create those opportunities,” Eakin said. “You still have to execute them. Those double plays really helped us get out of a few jams.”
The Wolverines jumped ahead in the first inning with a 2-0 lead. But Thompson led the Cougar offense with a double in the second inning. She later scored to cut the deficit in half.
BYU found its stride in the third inning and took the lead 5-2. The Cougars scored four runs off RBI from Mercedes O’Connor, Sydney Broderick and McKenzie St. Clair.
O’Connor then hit a two-run double in the top of the fourth that extended the lead to 7-2. Thompson and BYU’s strong defense continued to prevent UVU from scoring in the next three innings.
Thompson finished her offensive performance in the top of the seventh with a two-run homer. The home run marked her sixth of the season and finished the game in BYU’s favor, 9-2.
BYU’s success against UVU was the team’s sixth straight win and improved its record to 26-8. BYU softball will next host a three-game series Friday and Saturday against Pacific University at Gail Miller Field.
