BATON ROUGE, La. — BYU softball weathered a comeback attempt as it beat Louisiana Tech, 5-3 in game one of a doubleheader in the Purple and Gold Challenge at Tiger Park on Friday afternoon.

BOX SCORE

The Cougars went up 4-0 after the first two innings before scoring an insurance run in the sixth. BYU tallied six hits to Louisiana Tech’s five and also benefitted from one La. Tech error.

Player Highlights

• Kaysen Korth: 7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 K
• Ailana Agbayani: 1-4, R, RBI
• Huntyr Ava: 1-2, R
• Violet Zavodnik: 1-3, 2 RBI
• Mallory Barber: 2-3, R

The Cougars plated three runs in the top of the first to take an early lead. Ailana Agbayani led off with a single up the middle, advanced to second on a Maddie Bejarano sacrifice bunt and moved to third on Huntyr Ava’s single.

Martha Epenesa reached on a fielder’s choice, and both her and Ava moved into scoring position on a Bulldog error that allowed Agbayani to score. An illegal Louisiana Tech pitch extended Violet Zavodnik’s at-bat, and her 2-RBI single through the right side scored Epenesa and Ava to take a 3-0 advantage.

Mallory Barber led off the top of the second inning with a double to left center, advancing and eventually scoring on back-to-back groundouts by Alexis Gilio and Agbayani to make it 4-0, BYU.

The Bulldogs cut into the lead in the bottom of the third, tallying two hits and a stolen base, with three walks and a wild pitch contributing to their three runs scored in the frame.

After scoreless fourth and fifth innings, Ava drew a leadoff walk in the sixth, and her pinch runner, Lexie Bennett, advanced to second on a Lauren Flanders groundout. Pinch hitter Tristen Turlington then earned her first career hit, an RBI single up the middle that scored Bennett and put the Cougars ahead 5-3.

Louisiana Tech threatened with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the seventh inning, but a throw from Epenesa to Hailey Morrow cut off a Bulldog runner at the plate followed by a swinging strikeout and foul out to Epenesa to seal the 5-3 victory.

The Cougars will play No. 12 LSU for a second time this week in the nightcap of their doubleheader. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. CDT and will be streamed on SEC Network+.

PROVO, Utah — Back in the win column, BYU softball makes the trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to take on No. 12/14 LSU, Louisiana Tech and NC State in the Tiger’s Purple & Gold Challenge this week. 

Only the games involving LSU will be streamed on SEC Network+. Both of the Cougars' matchups with the Tigers will also have radio broadcasts. Thursday's contest will be available on LSU Sports Radio while Friday night's game will be carried on 107.3 FM. Tickets are available through LSU Athletics.

BYU picked up an early week win at Utah Tech on Monday, outlasting the Trailblazers 14-11. The Cougars got home runs from second baseman Alyssa Podhurcak-Foss, shortstop Ailana Agbayani and first baseman Huntyr Ava in the game, with Agbayani also pitching the final 3 2/3 innings to earn the victory. 

Podhurcak-Foss has homered in the last two games after hitting a solo shot against Boise State last week as well. Agbayani’s homer was the first of her BYU career, while Ava’s six long bombs lead the team through 22 games. 

Eight different BYU hitters recorded hits in the win at Utah Tech, including Agbayani, third baseman Martha Epenesa, Podhurcak-Foss and outfielder Alexis Gilio, who each tallied three hits apiece in the game, as the Cougars upped their season hitting percentage to .293.

Catcher Hailey Morrow continues to lead the team with a .354 batting average and 19 RBI, while Ava paces BYU with a .766 slugging percentage. Left fielder Maddie Bejarano has a team-high .500 on-base percentage and 15 walks.

Agbayani and Gilio both have the two-longest active hitting and reached-base streaks at six and four, respectively. The shortstop leads the team with eight multi-hit games, while Morrow’s six multi-RBI games leads the Cougars.

No. 12/14 LSU (26-6, 4-5 SEC)

• The Tigers earned a series win at Ole Miss last weekend, dropping the series opener on Friday before picking up 2-0 and 3-1 wins on Saturday and Sunday
• LSU’s common opponents with BYU are Oregon State (12-0 (5), 3-0 wins), Utah (6-4, 2-1 wins) and WCC foe LMU (6-5 win)
• In 12 seasons as head coach at LSU, Beth Torina has a 476-209 (.695) record
• The Tigers lead the all-time series, 3-0
• LSU has been ranked in the top-15 during all three previous matchups
• The two teams last met on March 22 and 23, 2018, with the Tigers winning 2-1 and 8-0 

Louisiana Tech (19-12, 4-5 C-USA)

• The Bulldogs will play at Northwestern State on Tuesday night before heading to Baton Rouge for the Purple & Gold Challenge
• Louisiana Tech has split its last two Conference USE series, falling to Middle Tennessee at home, but earning the series win at Florida Atlantic two weeks prior
• In between those two series, the Bulldogs also played at then-No. 21 Texas A&M, dropping the single game, 6-3. The Aggies are the only common opponent between the two teams.
• Louisiana Tech’s longest win streak this season is five games
• Josh Taylor is in his second season with the Bulldogs, posting a 58-32 (.644) record since 2022
• BYU leads the all-time series, 5-1, and is 3-0 against Louisiana Tech at neutral sites
• The two teams last played on May 10, 2012, with the Cougars picking up a 6-1 win
• BYU head coach Gordon Eakin is 3-1 against the Bulldogs, and 1-0 against them at neutral sites

NC State (11-20, 4-8 ACC)

• The Wolfpack play North Carolina A&T on Wednesday night before travel to Louisiana for the Purple & Gold Challenge
• NC State was swept at Louisville last weekend, snapping a four-game win streak that including a series sweep of Boston College two weeks ago
• The Wolfpack dropped a 4-2 contest to Long Beach State during the opening weekend of the season, NC State’s only common opponent between the two teams
• In five seasons at NC State, Jennifer Patrick-Swift is 120-101 (.543)
• The Wolfpack and Cougars have never met in softball

BYU will make the drive up to Pocatello next Tuesday, April 4 for a single game at Idaho State before opening West Coast Conference play with a three-game series at Santa Clara on April 7-8 next weekend.