LAS VEGAS – Caitlyn Larsen's 4 RBI and two-run home run pushed BYU softball to a 9-1 win over Hawai’i in the first game of the DeMarini Classic on Thursday night.

"We played well in all three facets of the game: pitching, defense and offense," BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. "It was a nice team effort and a great way to start the tournament."

BOX SCORE: BYU vs. Hawai'i

BYU improves to 4-2 after having 13 hits to Hawai’i’s (4-3) seven.

McKenna Bull pitched a strong game from the circle for all seven innings, throwing nine strikeouts and just four walks. She faced bases loaded in two straight innings but avoided giving up a run in that stretch, givin up only one earned.

Larsen led the team in hitting with four RBI on two hits. Alexa Strid also had multiple RBI with two, and Madison Merrell had three hits in the win.

After Hawai’i struck first with one run in the bottom of the first, BYU scored two runs in the top of the second. Larsen singled to left field to bring in both Merrell and Ashley Thompson, taking the 2-1 lead.

With Lauren Bell on second base in the top of the third, Libby Sugg drilled a hit to left field for an RBI double. Bell scored to push the lead to 3-1.

A bunt from Larsen advanced McKenzie St. Clair to third base from second, and an error by the Warriors gave St. Clair the chance to run home and extend the Cougars’ lead,  4-1.

Strid came in to pinch hit in the top of the sixth. On the second pitch, she hit a two-run home run over the right-field fence, making it 6-1 over Hawai’i. In the next inning, Larsen hit a two-run homer of her own to give the Cougars two more runs, 9-1, which would be the final score.

The Cougars return to action in the DeMarini Classic on Friday in a doubleheader against Grand Canyon and Boise State at 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. PST, respectively. Live stats will be available on the schedule page.

PROVO, Utah – After a strong start to the season last weekend, BYU softball will travel to Las Vegas to compete in the DeMarini Classic this weekend, Feb. 18-20.

BYU Game Notes

At the Kajikawa Classic last weekend, BYU finished with a 3-2 record, including shutouts against San Jose State and Creighton. The third win was a 5-4 extra innings victory over Wisconsin. Junior pitcher McKenna Bull had a great weekend, throwing her first solo no-hitter against San Jose State and tying her career-high 14 strikeouts against Wisconsin.

Hawai’i | Thursday, Feb. 18, 4:30 p.m. PST | Live stats

Last season, Hawai’i finished in third place in the Big West with a 32-22 overall record, 13-8 in conference play. The Rainbow Wahine return 12 letterwinners and are led by five seniors. In 2015, senior outfielder Keiki Carlos started all 54 games, leading Hawai’i with 38 runs scored (career-high), 51 hits, 11 doubles and six stolen bases.

Grand Canyon | Friday, Feb. 19, 9 a.m. PST

In 2015, the Lopes finished in second place in the Western Athletic Conference with a 27-23 overall record, going 9-6 in conference play. They had a .974 fielding percentage, which was not only first in the WAC but also 16th in the nation. Returning senior second baseman Camree Wartman led the team in 2015 with 11 home runs and 52 RBI. She was also second on the team in doubles with 11. This will be the first meeting between these two teams.

Boise State | Friday, Feb. 19, 11:15 a.m. PST | Live stats

The Broncos struggled in 2015, finishing with a 12-42 record, including 4-20 in Mountain West Conference play. Boise State has 10 newcomers on its 2016 roster with five freshmen and five transfers. Out of the four seniors returning, outfielder Kayla Clausen leads the group. She batted .339 last season with 38 hits, a .589 slugging percentage and nine stolen bases, which are all bests among the returners.

Colorado State | Saturday, Feb. 20, 9 a.m. PST | Live stats

The Rams finished the 2015 season with a 27-29 record, including an 8-16 record in Mountain West Conference play. They finished seventh in the MWC. Infielder Haley Hutton led Colorado State last season with a .363 batting average, .482 on-base percentage and a .469 slugging percentage. Her 65 hits, 44 runs scored and 84 total bases were also team highs.

Robert Morris | Saturday, Feb. 20, 11:15 a.m. PST | Live stats

The Colonials have won the Northeast Conference regular-season title in four of the past five seasons, most recently in 2015. They finished last season with a 26-23 record, including 13-3 in conference play. Robert Morris returns senior Ashley Gerhart, who received All-NEC First Team honors in 2015 after being in the top four in the league in batting average (.351) and on-base percentage (.426).