MORAGA, Calif. – Junior Briielle Breland knocked in two runs and McKenna Bull threw 11 strikeouts in No. 20 BYU softball's 4-0 shutout of Saint Mary’s in the first game of the three-game series on Friday afternoon.

"I didn't think we played particularly well today," BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. "But we played well enough to grind out a win. Tomorrow, we will come back with a little more energy and effort and hopefully continue to play well."

BYU (43-10, 13-0 West Coast Conference) improves its win streak to 22 games and remains undefeated in WCC play. The Cougars held the Gaels (16-30, 2-11 WCC) to four hits, never allowing a baserunner past second.

Bull pitched a complete-game victory, increasing her win total to 29 on the year. She notched double-digit strikeouts for the fourth time this year with 11, which ties her season-high last reached against Miami on March 3. Breland led the offense with two RBI on 2 of 2 hitting, also crossing home plate twice. Freshman Rylee Jensen went 2 for 3 with one RBI and one run in the win.

BYU at Saint Mary’s Box Score

The pitchers got to work early as both teams went three up, three down in the first two innings. Saint Mary’s Katie Moss tossed three strikeouts in the opening frame, while Bull threw two in the bottom of the first.

Breland finally put a run on the board in the top of the third. On the first pitch she saw, she drilled a homer over center field for the 1-0 lead. The Gaels also notched a hit in the third inning, but they were unable to bring a runner home.

After a scoreless fourth, the Cougars scored another in the top of the fifth. With Breland on first after being walked, Jensen doubled over the right fielder’s head. That scored Breland and pushed the lead to 2-0.

BYU loaded up the bases in the top of the sixth before Breland got up to bat with two outs. She hit a grounder to the shortstop and beat out the throw to score Ashley Thompson. The Cougar defense forced the Gaels to go down in order in the bottom frame, holding the 3-0 lead after six innings.

In the top of the seventh, Libby Sugg faced another bases-loaded situation. She hit a sacrifice fly to center field to give Jensen time to tag up and run home for the fourth run.

The series in Moraga concludes on Saturday with a doubleheader starting at noon PDT. Live stats will be available on the BYU softball schedule page.

PROVO, Utah – Following a pair of wins early in the week, No. 20 BYU softball wraps up regular season and West Coast Conference play with a three-game series at Saint Mary’s this weekend.

BYU Game Notes

BYU (42-10, 12-0 WCC) is looking to finish up conference play undefeated for the first time in program history at Saint Mary’s (16-29, 2-10 WCC). The Cougars have won 21 games in a row after winning in-state matchups against Utah Valley and Utah State.

A single game will be played on Friday at 3 p.m. PDT. The series will wrap up with a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 12 p.m. PDT. Live stats will be available for all three games on the BYU softball schedule page.

BYU Storylines

• BYU is in the midst of its longest winning streak in program history with 21-straight wins. During this span, the Cougars have picked up nine run-rule wins.
• For the fourth year in a row, BYU earned the WCC championship. This is also the ninth-consecutive conference championship for the Cougars, spanning four different leagues.
• In WCC play, BYU is a perfect 12-0. In program history, the Cougars have never been undefeated in conference play. The fewest number of conference games lost has been two, which happened in 2005, 2009, 2011, 2014 and 2015.
• At Gail Miller Field, BYU finished the year 16-0, just the second time in school history the Cougars posted an undefeated home record, the first since 2011. Only Florida State, Minnesota and Michigan have also maintained a perfect record at home this year.

Opponent Outlook

Saint Mary’s Gaels (16-29, 2-10 WCC)

• The Gaels are currently in last place in the WCC, their two conference wins coming against Santa Clara and San Diego.
• BYU holds a perfect 17-0 all-time record over Saint Mary’s. The Cougars have run-ruled the Gaels just twice in the history between these programs.
• The last time BYU played in Moraga, California, the first game of the series went to 10 innings with the Cougars enduring for the 7-3 win.