PROVO, Utah — BYU softball kicked off conference play against Loyola Marymount in a doubleheader at Gail Miller Field on Friday evening, winning the first game 4-0 and falling 8-4 in the second game.

GAME ONE

BYU took down LMU 4-0 in Friday’s first game. The Cougars had four runs on four hits, while Loyola Marymount recorded no runs on six hits. BYU’s Marissa Chavez had two runs, one hit and an RBI in the game. Taylei Williams and Violet Zavodnik each added a run and a hit, with Zavodnik also recording two RBI. HannahJo Peterson gave the Cougars another hit and an RBI.

After a scoreless first inning, the Cougars put themselves on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second after Chavez homered to left field and made her way around the bases, bringing BYU into the lead at 1-0.

BYU held its single-run lead through a pair of scoreless innings before scoring another run in the bottom of the fifth. Chavez and pinch hitter Lauren Flanders both walked and advanced on wild pitches, and HannahJo Peterson singled for an RBI, scoring Chavez.

Another BYU homer in the bottom of the sixth kept the Cougars’ lead growing. Williams singled to left field before Zavodnik hit a homer to left center, recording two RBI, bringing both players home. The runs brought the score to 4-0 going into the seventh.

A scoreless final inning solidified BYU’s win at 4-0.

GAME TWO

The Cougars fell 8-4 in their second game against the Lions. BYU had four runs on six hits in the game, while LMU had eight runs on nine hits. Epenesa gave the Cougars two runs, a hit and an RBI in the game. Peterson had a run and two hits, while Huntyr Ava had two hits and an RBI.

Friday’s second game started with another scoreless first inning, but Loyola Marymount was quick to score runs in the top of the second. LMU gained a 2-0 lead after a homer to left center brought two players home.

The Lions increased their lead in the top of the third, putting five runs on the board. LMU’s Andrea Gonzalez doubled to right center before Morgan DeBord hit a single for an RBI. Loyola Marymount kept its foot on the gas, with a few more singles bringing two Lions home. Hits from Jasmine Sofowora and Alyssa Daniell earned another two runs, bringing LMU’s lead to 7-0.

BYU finally put runs on the board in the bottom of the third. Peterson doubled to right field before Epenesa singled for an RBI, earning the Cougars’ first run of the game. Williams walked, advancing Epenesa to second base, and Huntyr Ava doubled for an RBI to bring Epenesa home. Alyssa Podhucak then flew out to left field for an RBI as Williams made it home on the sac fly, putting the score at 7-3 to finish off the third.

Both teams were scoreless in the fourth and fifth, but Loyola Marymount scored another run in the top of the sixth. The Lions hit a double to center field, before a single allowed them to score, bringing their lead to 8-3. BYU also had a run in the sixth, with Epenesa reaching on a fielder’s choice before a double from Zabodnik brought her home, putting the score at 8-4 ahead of the final inning.

The final inning was scoreless again, giving LMU the win at 8-4.

Up Next

The Cougars will face Loyola Marymount for the last game of the series on Saturday at Gail Miller Field, with the game scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. MDT. 

PROVO, Utah — BYU softball will travel to Salt Lake City on Tuesday to face the University of Utah and then will host a series against Loyola Marymount University on Friday and Saturday this week. Friday's doubleheader versus LMU will mark the beginning of conference play for the Cougars.

Utah is 18-16 on the season, with a 2-4 conference record. In the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic this year, the Utes went toe-to-toe with No. 1 Oklahoma but suffered a 2-1 loss. Utah's defense accomplished a rare 5-4-3 triple play during the game against the top-rated Sooners. In the latest matchup between BYU and Utah last April, the Cougars won 7-6 in a thriller, with back-to-back home runs by Huntyr Ava and Martha Epenesa in the bottom of the seventh inning. 

LMU is 23-12 on the season, with five matchups against top-25 teams. The Lions shut out No. 23 Arizona State 4-0 on March 5, in the Judi Garman Classic. Earlier this season, the Cougars were run-ruled by ASU and suffered a 8-0 loss after five innings. Left-handed pitcher Jenna Perez pulled off a career-performance against the Sun Devils, striking out a personal-high 14 batters. Perez allowed just two hits over the seven innings. She has been named the West Coast Conference's pitcher of the week four times out of eight this year. The Lions have received votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 rankings throughout the year, but have never been officially ranked.

Schedule & Information

Utah – Tuesday, April 5

RESCHEDULED TO MAY 3RD

LMU (double header) – Friday, April 8*

• Time: 5 p.m. MDT
• Stadium: Gail Miller Field
• TV: BYUtv
• Stats: StatBroadcast

LMU (double header) – Friday, April 8*

• Time: 7 p.m. MDT
• Stadium: Gail Miller Field
• TV: BYUtv
• Stats: StatBroadcast

LMU – Saturday, April 9*

• Time: 1 p.m. MDT
• Stadium: Gail Miller Field
• Stream: BYUtv.org/BYUtv app
• Stats: StatBroadcast

*When there are overlapping softball and baseball games, a ticket is required for entry into Miller Park. Those tickets appear as baseball tickets, and admit you into both baseball and softball.