TEMPE, Ariz. — Home runs by Violet Zavodnik and Martha Epenesa lifted BYU softball to a 3-2 win over Oregon State in the Cougars’ second game of a doubleheader in the Littlewood Classic at Farrington Stadium on Friday afternoon.

BOX SCORE

“As a team we didn't play our best ball today,” BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. “We just found a way. The long ball played a big role for us, and Kaysen was a warrior.”

Player Highlights

• Kaysen Korth: 7 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 9 K
• Violet Zavodnik: 1-3, R, RBI
• Martha Epenesa: 1-2, R, RBI
• Mallory Barber: 1-3, R

Zavodnik got things going for the Cougars in the top of the first, launching a solo shot to right center, her second home run of the day, to put BYU ahead early, 1-0. 

Adding to the lead in the second, Mallory Barber led off with a single, stealing second and scoring as Ailana Agbayani reached on a Beaver error. 

OSU answered in the bottom of the third inning with two solo home runs, one to left and the other down the left field line, to even the game at two runs apiece. 

After scoreless innings in the fourth and the fifth, Epenesa took the first pitch she saw in the sixth over the right field wall, going yard for the second time on the day as well, and putting the Cougars back in front, at 3-2. 

The Beavers got a runner in scoring position with one out in the bottom of the sixth, but Korth induced a pop up and got a strikeout to get out of the inning. 

Looking to add an insurance run, BYU got two runners on with one out in Alyssa Podhurcak-Foss and Agbayani, but were unable to bring them around to score.

Korth got two quick outs on three pitches in the bottom of the seventh before walking two consecutive batters. She proceeded to strike out the following batter, however, to seal the 3-2 win, the Cougars’ second victory of the day.

BYU will close out the Littlewood Classic with another doubleheader on Saturday, Feb. 18, playing Illinois State at 11 a.m. MST and DePaul at 1:30 p.m. 

PROVO, Utah — After opening the 2023 season in Mexico last week, BYU softball heads to Tempe, Arizona to take on five teams at the Littlewood Classic, hosted by Arizona State.

All five of the Cougars' games will be held at Alberta B. Farrington Stadium. BYU's opening game of the Littlewood Classic against No. 22 Arizona State will be the lone game available via stream. 

BYU is familiar with Arizona State and Farrington Stadium, playing the Sun Devils four times in the last two seasons, and at Farrington nine times in the same time frame. The Cougars are 1-13 against ASU all-time, with each matchup coming against a ranked Sun Devil team. 

Last playing in 2018, BYU is 8-3 against Portland State, with three-straight wins dating back to 2014. Going 5-12 against Oregon State all-time, the Cougars last beat the Beavers in 2017. BYU and Illinois State have met just once previously. The Cougars beat the Redbirds, 5-2, in a game also hosted at Arizona State back in 2001. BYU is 1-3 all-time against DePaul, last playing in 2012, but last beating the Blue Demons in 2006. 

The Cougars went 2-2 at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, dropping games to North Carolina and Maryland while beating Wisconsin and North Dakota State, with the BYU bats waking up in a 10-1 run-rule victory over the Bison in its tournament finale. 

Left-handed pitcher Chloe Temples and freshman righty Kaysen Korth both went 1-1 on the weekend, with Temples posting a 1.75 ERA and nine strikeouts, and Korth fanning 11 on a 3.11 ERA.

Transfer outfielder Maddie Bejarano and freshman infielder Maddie Udall lead the team through the opening weekend batting .500. together tallying 10 hits, four RBI and three runs scored. 

Temples and Bejarano earned all-tournament honors for their performances in Mexico and lead the team in ERA and hits, respectively, heading into the Littlewood Classic this week. 

Arizona State (4-1, 0-0 Pac-12)

• The Sun Devils went 43-11 (20-4 Pac-12) last season
• ASU began its 2023 season last week with wins over CSUN, San Diego State, Northern Illinois and Memphis, with a loss to Notre Dame
• Jazmyn Rollin (.500) and Yannira Acuña (.429) lead Arizona State in batting average and in runs scored, tallying five apiece
• Marissa Schuld has made three appearances on the year, posting a 2-0 record, 0.00 ERA and five strikeouts
• 2023 marks the first season with the Sun Devils for head coach Megan Bartlett, who has a 145-109 (.571) overall record

Portland State (2-3, 0-0 Big Sky)

• The Vikings went 26-18 (10-5 Big Sky) last season
• Portland State began the 2923 season with wins over Colgate and Butler, with losses to Marshall, Minnesota and Michigan. 
• Logan Riggenbach and Alexa Cepeda each lead the team with a .333 batting average, recording five and four hits, respectively
• Olivia Grey is 2-1 in three appearances, boasting a 0.00 ERA with 11
• In her seventh season as head coach of the Vikings, Meadow McWhorter is 98-165 (.373)

Oregon State (2-3, 0-0 Pac-12)

• The Beavers went 39-22 (9-15 Pac-12) last season
• Oregon State kicked off its season splitting a doubleheader with New Mexico and beating Nicholls before falling to LSU twice
• Kaiea Higa (.444 batting average) and Madison Simon (.385 average) highlight OSU’s attack at the plate, with Sarah Haendiges posting a 4.10 ERA, 1-1 record and 14 strikeouts in four appearances
• Laura Berg in in her 11th season as head coach of the Beavers, going 270-335-1 (.535) in that time

Illinois State (1-3, 0-0 Missouri Valley)

• The Redbirds went 24-28 (12-13 Missouri Valley) last season
• Illinois State beat Saint Joseph’s last week before dropping two games to Boston College and another to No. 4 Florida
• This is Tina Kramos’ first season as head coach of the Redbirds

DePaul (4-0, 0-0 Big East)

• The Blue Demons went 29-24 (16-8 Big East) last season
• DePaul opened the season 4-0, with wins over Valparaiso, Bowling Green, Saint Louis and Evansville
• Grace Frazier (.500) and Tori Meyer (.462) lead the team in batting average and runs scored, with five and four, respectively
• Brenna Smith has a 0.00 ERA and a win in one appearance with two strikeouts on the year
• Five seasons in as head coach of the Blue Demons, Tracie Adix-Zins is 101-63 (.616)

Following the Cougars' five-game slate at Arizona State this week, they will hit the road again for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City, California.