The BYU softball team wins the WCC title outright. The Cougars didn't give up a run in their three-game series with SCU. (byucougars.com)
The BYU softball team claimed the WCC title as it swept the Santa Clara Broncos in a three-game series. The Cougars got off to a great start by winning both games of a Friday double-header with the Broncos 4-0 and 5-0, respectively. The Cougars finished the job on Saturday with a 8-0 victory.
“I’m proud of the team for finding ways today to get the job done,” BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. “Even though we didn’t play our best ball offensively, we found ways to manufacture runs, and our pitching was exceptional.”
The Cougars continued to show a dominant performance on the mound by recording three straight shutouts. McKenna Bull notched her 31st and 32nd victories of the season while passing Paige Affleck for the most strikeouts in a season by a BYU sophomore. Bull also tied Affleck for most wins in a single season at 32.
The first game of the series featured RBI singles from Ashley Thompson and Mckenzie St. Clair. Bull controlled the game from the mound as she struck out nine over seven innings. The Cougars won 4-0.
The second game was again dominated by BYU pitching as Thompson gave up just three hits and zero runs in her seven-inning gem. A risky squeeze bunt was used to perfection in the fifth inning to score one of the Cougars' five runs. St. Clair also added an amazing diving catch in the seventh inning. The Cougars won 5-0
Bull returned back to the mound for the third game and produced a similar result. The Cougars' offense took the pressure off of Bull early after using a six-run first inning to take control of the game. Junior Gordy Bravo extended her hitting streak to nine games with a 2-for-4 performance including one RBI and one run scored. Sophomores Mercedes O'Connor and Sydney Broderick each had two hits. The Cougars won 8-0.
The Cougars clinched their seventh-straight WCC title and have qualified for the NCAA Tournament 11 years in a row. BYU will continue its hot streak in its final home game May 5 as it hosts UVU in Provo. The game will be broadcast live on BYUtv.