CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. — BYU softball shut out Bethune Cookman 7-0, and fell 10-3 to Tennessee on day one of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Thursday.

GAME ONE VS. BETHUNE COOKMAN

Player Highlights

• Taryn Lennon: 3 H, 1 R, 1 RBI
• Huntyr Ava and Macy Simmons: 2 H, 1 R, 1 RBI
• Chloe Temples: 7 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 8 K

Game Highlights

• The Cougars hit two home runs courtesy of Macy Simmons and Huntyr Ava.
• BYU shut out an opponent for the first time this season.
• Seven different Cougars scored BYU’s seven runs.

Up first for BYU, Violet Zavodnik was walked and then stole second base while Marissa Chavez was at bat. Huntyr Ava reached first, with a single into left field. Martha Epenesa followed up with a double to the middle of left field, allowing Zavodnik to score the first run of the day for a 1-0 BYU lead. 

In the bottom of the second, starting in left field, Taryn Lennon stepped up to the bat and hit a double. Alexis Gilio brought home Lennon with a single, and then HannahJo Mills brought home Gilio with another single.

Macy Simmons homered to center field, boosting the lead to 4-0 with BYU’s only run in the fourth inning.

The Wildcats went three up, three down in the top of the fourth, with two strikeouts from pitcher Chloe Temples. She would go on to strike out eight total in the game.

In the bottom of the fifth, Ava singled to left field. Lauren Flanders went into the game as a pinch hitter for Brooke Hill-Barrington and was walked. Flanders later scored off of a Gilio single, upping the score to 6-0.

In the bottom of the sixth, Ava sent a ball over the left field fence for her third home run of the season, upping BYU’s lead to 7-0.

The Wildcats were unable to get on base in the top of the seventh, so the Cougars won 7-0 for their first shutout of the season.

GAME TWO VS. NO. 17 TENNESSEE

Game Highlights

• Macy Simmons and Huntyr Ava each hit home runs, both with two on the day.

The Vols came out swinging, with a home run by Amanda Ayala, taking the score to 2-0. Then, Tennessee hit a double and upped the score by two runs for an early 4-0 lead. Another double, scoring their fifth and sixth runs. At the end of the first, the score was 6-0. 

In contrast to the bottom of the first, BYU allowed zero runs in the bottom of the second, thanks to a key double play by second baseman Mallory Barber and first baseman Brooke Hill-Barrington, who had subbed in for Huntyr Ava. 

Ava was able to get some momentum going for BYU, with a home run in the top of the third to make the score 7-1. Shortly after, Simmons also hit a home run, bringing home Epenesa, putting BYU back into the game at 7-3.

Another double play for the Cougars, this time by Barber and Ava, closed the fifth inning.

In the bottom of the sixth, Tennessee was able to extend its lead to 10-3, with a three-run home run by sophomore Zaida Puni.

In its last shot at redemption, BYU subbed in fresh faces Taylei Williams and Alyssa Podhurcak in the top of the seventh. The Cougars were unable to get on base, and the game ended at 10-3.

Up Next

BYU will play California Baptist tomorrow at 10 a.m. PST. The game will be streamed live on FloSoftball.