CATHEDRAL CITY, California – Errors plagued BYU softball in a 9-4 loss to No. 10 UCLA in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic II on Friday.

“The team fought hard today against a very good UCLA team," BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. "There were one or two close calls that went against us that changed the game that I disagreed with, but that is the nature of the game. I'm proud of our fight."

BOX SCORE: BYU vs. No. 11 UCLA

BYU (8-5) couldn't overcome three errors in the loss to UCLA (11-4), giving the Buins two unearned runs. The Cougars were also out-hit, seven hits to 12.  

McKenna Bull struggled from the circle in the loss, with five strikeouts and seven walks. The last time she threw more walks than strikeouts was a 3-1 win at San Diego State in 2015 where she had three walks and two strikeouts. At the plate, Coco Tauali’i Bond led the team with three RBI, two of which came from her two-run home run in the fifth inning.

With two outs in the first inning, Libby Sugg drilled a home run over the left field fence. Her sixth home run this season put the Cougars up 1-0 early on in the contest. The Bruins responded, however, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first to take a 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the second, tough defense by BYU kept what could have been three runs scored down to just one run allowed, making it a 3-1 deficit for the Cougars.

UCLA scored again when a throwing error from right field allowed the runner to advance to third. The Bruins led 4-1 after four innings.

With Caitlyn Larsen on first base in the top of the fifth, Bond hit a two-run homer to centerfield. Bond’s first home run of the season brought BYU within one, 4-3. However, UCLA responded in the next half-inning with back-to-back solo home runs to extend its lead to 6-3.

In the top of the sixth, the Bruins’ pitcher hit Alexa Strid with a pitch to load the bases. She then hit Bond in the next at bat to bring in Ashley Thompson, making it 6-4. With the bases still loaded, Gordy Bravo hit the ball to mid-left, but was robbed on a diving catch from the centerfielder to end the inning.

UCLA scored three more runs in the bottom of the sixth, pushing its lead to 9-4.

The Cougars finish the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic II on Saturday with a doubleheader against Cal State Fullerton and No. 17 Missouri at 5 p.m. PST and 8 p.m. PST, respectively. Live stats for both games can be found on the BYU schedule page.

PROVO, Utah – Following a 4-1 finish at the DeMarini Classic, BYU softball is heading to Cathedral City, California, to face five teams, including two top-25 teams, in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic II from Feb. 25-27.

BYU Game Notes

Behind current West Coast Conference pitcher of the week McKenna Bull, the Cougars won four of five last weekend, including two shutouts against Grand Canyon and Boise State. The lone loss came against Colorado State in eight innings. Bull totaled 35 strikeouts in the four games she pitched, allowing just nine walks.

New Mexico State | Thursday, Feb. 25, 1 p.m. PST
The Aggies (9-2) are fresh off of a 4-2 record at the Troy Cox Classic, shutting out both Creighton and Western Michigan. New Mexico State finished with a 47-16 record in the 2015 season, taking first place in the Western Athletic Conference with a 14-1 conference record on the way to a 1-2 record in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Cougars are 4-0 all-time against the Aggies, the last win coming in 2012.

Bethune-Cookman | Thursday, Feb. 25, 3:30 PST
The Wildcats (3-8) are currently on a seven-game losing streak. They finished last season with a 22-29 overall record and second place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Southern Division behind Savannah State. This is just the second game in the history of these two teams. BYU won the contest 5-4 back in 2005.

No. 11 UCLA | Friday, Feb. 26, 3 p.m. PST
With a 7-3 record, the No. 11 UCLA Bruins are coming off of a 3-2 finish at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic I. Two of the wins were in five innings. In 2015, UCLA finished with a 51-12 record and a trip to the NCAA Women’s College World Series. The Cougars have a 1-3 series record against the Bruins, with the last game favoring the Cougars 6-4 back in 2011.

Cal State Fullerton | Saturday, Feb. 27, 5 p.m. PST
After finishing with a 5-1 record at the Santa Clara Bronco Classic last weekend, the Titans are currently 8-2 overall. The loss last weekend came in a 10-inning battle with Idaho State. Cal State Fullerton had a 34-22 record in 2015, good for fourth place in the Big West. The Cougars are 3-1 against the Titans overall, the last game resulting in a 11-0 loss for BYU in five innings in 2015.

No. 17 Missouri | Saturday, Feb. 27, 8 p.m. PST
Undefeated Mizzou (6-0) came into the season fresh off of a 41-17 finish in 2015. Missouri advanced to the NCAA Super Regional, falling to UCLA. This season the Tigers have won by an average of 7.5 runs in the six games played. BYU has played just one game against Missouri, which was a 4-0 Cougar win back in 2008. 

Live stats will be available for all games through the BYU softball schedule page.