CEDAR CITY, Utah – Libby Sugg went a perfect 4 for 4 at the plate with three runs, three RBI and a homer to help BYU softball win a mid-week game against Southern Utah University 13-4 on Tuesday.

"We competed well today in all three phases of the game," BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. "Our offense was strong from start to finish, we pitched well and our defense was strong."

BYU vs. SUU Box

Game Highlights

• The Cougars recorded 18 hits in the game against SUU and scored 13 runs.
• Emilee Erickson and Libby Sugg both hit two-run homers.
• Arissa Paulson earned her sixth win of the season with three strikeouts and allowed only one run.

Player Highlights

• Libby Sugg: 4-4, 3R, 3RBI, 2B, 1HR
• Emilee Erickson: 2-3, 3RBI, 1HR, 1BB
• Taylei Williams: 2-3, 3R, 1BB

BYU (14-18, 0-0) put up four runs in the top of the first inning to start the game. Rylee Jensen started the Cougars’ scoring as Emilee Erickson hit a hard single to the short stop. Taylei Williams made it home on a Libby Sugg double followed by Erickson and Sugg making it home on RBIs from the next two batters. SUU (3-21, 0-0 Big Sky) put up a run in the bottom of the first and the inning ended with BYU ahead 4-1.

In the second, both teams went three-up, three-down with Arissa Paulson tallying two strikeouts.

A single up the middle in the top of the third brought Erickson home for her second run of the day. With bases loaded, Godfrey nailed a ball just out of reach of the center fielder to score Sugg increasing the Cougars lead to 6-1.

Sugg put the BYU up by seven in the top of the fourth, homering to left center field, also scoring Williams who singled two batters prior. But, the Thunderbirds answered back with a two-run homer of their own to put the score at 8-3.

Another run for the Thunderbirds in the bottom of the fifth brought the score to 8-4 but BYU came alive in the top of the sixth putting up five runs. Erickson rocketed a ball over the fence to bring two runs home as the Cougars went up 10-4. Morgan Bevel tacked on another run for BYU as a pinch runner as well as Arissa Paulson and Alyssa Podhurcak to make the score 13-4.

SUU was unable to overcome BYU’s lead and the game ended as the Thunderbirds went three and out in the bottom of the sixth, giving the Cougars the win due to the NCAA eight-run rule.

BYU will begin conference play on Friday, April 5 with a weekend series against Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles. The first game will be played at 2 p.m. PT at Smith Field with a live stream on YouTube. 

PROVO, Utah – The BYU softball team travels south to Cedar City to play Southern Utah on Tuesday, followed by the first series in West Coast Conference play at Loyola Marymount this weekend. 

BYU Game Notes Week 8

In their first game of the week, the Cougars (13-18, 0-0) will travel to Cedar City, Utah to play SUU at 3 p.m. MT at Kathryn Berg Field. The reigning five-time WCC champions will then look to defend their title against Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles at Smith Field on Friday, April 5 at 2 p.m. PT with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 6 at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. PT.

The game against the Thunderbirds will be broadcast on PlutoTv while the games against the Lions will be available on a YouTube live stream. 

BYU Storylines

CONFERENCE PLAY BEGINS. The Cougars open up West Coast Conference play this weekend against LMU. In 2017, BYU swept the Lions during opening weekend and last year the Cougars also swept Santa Clara. BYU was picked to win the WCC Conference title for a fifth year in a row with Cougars earning every vote from the conference head coaches except for two (head coaches can’t vote for their own team) which went to LMU.

HOME RUN HEAT. Nine different Cougars have hit homers this season to give BYU a total of 26. Junior Rylee Jensen leads the team with six followed by Libby Sugg, Emilee Erickson and Ashley Godfrey with four apiece

CHASING THE CHARTS. A handful of BYU softball players are moving up in the BYU all-time record books. Senior Libby Sugg finished the 2018 season ranked No. 2 and No. 3 at BYU in career on-base percentage (.455) and slugging percentage (.700), respectively. She continues to move up in other categories including No. 4 in RBI (199) and No. 5 in homers (46). After this weekend, Arissa Paulson moved into the No. 9 spot for career shutouts (6) and No. 10 in career strikeouts with 210. 

SWEEP WEEKLY AWARDS. Senior catcher Libby Sugg and sophomore pitcher Arissa Paulson swept the West Coast Conference weekly awards. Sugg led BYU to two wins against Utah Valley early in the week, batting .691 between the two games with three runs, four RBI, a home run and a double in both games. Paulson recorded two wins during the week, including a 6-0 shutout against UTSA. This is both of their first honors this season and BYU’s seventh award.

Opponent Outlook

Southern Utah University | Tuesday, April 2  | 3 p.m. MT | PlutoTV

• The Thunderbirds currently have a 3-20 record with a 1-2 record in the Big Sky Conference. 

•This will be the 62nd meeting between the two teams as the Cougars hold the series at 54-7 after overpowering SUU last year 18-4.

•Head Coach Kortny Hall begins her first season as the Thunderbirds head coach after five seasons as the head coach at Southern Virginia University. 

LMU | Friday, April 5 and Saturday, April 6 | 2 p.m. & 12/2:30 PT | Youtube Stream

• LMU is 23-14 on the season and will also open up WCC play this weekend with the series against BYU. 

•Last season, the Lions won the postseason NISC Championship beating UC Riverside 5-0 in the final game.  

• BYU leads the series 21-8 most recently beating LMU to claim its 10th-straight conference title.