Despite a slow start, the BYU softball team quickly became familiar with the ping of its bats flinging the pitches deep into the outfield Thursday against Snow College in an exhibition game at Gail Miller Field.
Following a 3-and-out inning, the second came with a huge start for BYU. Jada Villegas struck out two in a row in the top, keeping the Badgers scoreless. Hailey Morrow hit a home run, bringing the score to 1-0.
The real excitement started in the fourth inning, when Villegas gave up her first and only walk of the night. Immediately after, Snow College's Grace Thomas launched a double into the fence, giving them their lone run of the night and tying the score at 1-1.
In the bottom of the fourth, Badgers' pitcher Taimane Laolagi-Aloy walked Hailey Morrow. Big 12 Freshman of the Year I'lovea Brittingham hit a single, beginning the momentum shift towards the Cougars. After a pitching change, true freshman Tristen Turlington earned another single, followed by a walk for Kaiya Fabela and another for Maddie Udall-Woolley.
With the bases loaded, veteran pitcher Gianna Mares stepped up to the plate. She launched the ball into the LaVell Edwards Stadium parking lot, giving the Cougars a grand slam and increasing their lead to 6-1.
Pitcher Kaysen Korth kept Snow College at one run in the fifth, leaving room for her teammates to increase the gap. In that same inning, Lily Owens knocked one out of the park for the Cougars' third home run of the night. Duke transfer Hailey Shuler hit a single, then stole second, setting BYU up for another run.
Brittingham stepped back up to plate, sending a sacrifice fly into the backfield to give BYU a lead of 8-1.
In the sixth inning, Turlington hit BYU's fourth home run. The Cougars had homers in three consecutive innings.
Grand-slammer Gianna Mares came in as relief, striking out three in the seventh inning. In the bottom, Jaelynn Lambert whacked a pitch just short of a home run, earning her first hit of the night and landing on third base. Badger pitcher Mallory Kelsey gave up three walks, giving BYU an extra run.
Mares struck out three in a row in the eighth, not giving up any hits in her two innings pitching. When it was BYU's turn to bat, freshman Irma Urincho launched yet another BYU home run, earning the Cougars their 11th and final run of the night.
Mares credits her teammates for her breakout game.
"[The energy] was everything. I could not do it without every single one of these girls next to me," she said. "Feeling everyone's support and hard work at practice, you just see it pay off in the end."
Coach Gordon Eakin said they had been working a lot on team culture during the off season. According to Mares, it's paying off.
For Mares, this game set the tone for their upcoming season.
"I just want to carry the energy, the lightheartedness, the fun, the real love of the game," she said. "I just want to keep that all the way through the season."
Eakin can already see the growth in his team. "I see a lot more veteran leadership on our team; I see a lot more high quality leadership on our team.
"I mean, some of my teams in the past, if we were 1-1 with Snow College in the third inning, they would have started to press or start to panic," he said. "There was none of that tonight ... I mean, it's just the quiet confidence in them that I think is at a different level this year."
With spirits high, the softball team continues its exhibition slate Tuesday against Weber State.