PROVO, Utah — A six-run second inning fueled BYU softball to a 10-5 victory over Utah State at Gail Miller Field on Tuesday night.

BOX SCORE

The Cougars (24-13, 4-2 WCC) shook off a third-inning attack from the Aggies to secure the win. BYU recorded seven hits to Utah State’s six, and also benefitted from an Aggie error.

Player Highlights

• Huntyr Ava: 2-2, HR, 4 RBI
• Hailey Morrow: 1-3, 2 RBI
• Martha Epenesa: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI
• Ailana Agbayani: 1-3, R | 4 IP, 1 H, 2 K

BYU got out of a two on, two-out jam with a Chloe Temples strikeout in the top of the first, and proceeded to take a quick lead in its home half of the inning.

After Maddie Bejarano drew a walk, Huntyr Ava took the first pitch she saw over the left field wall, homering for a team-leading ninth time this season and putting the Cougars up 2-0 through one.

Two walks gave the Aggies two runners on with just one out in the top of the second inning, but a pop out and another strikeout, Temples’ third of the game, kept USU scoreless. 

Batting around the order in the bottom of the second, BYU scored six runs to go ahead 8-0. Violet Zavodnik led off the bottom of the second with a double that bounced to the wall in left center. The Cougars loaded the bases with two outs after Mallory Barber was hit by a pitch and Ailana Agbayani walked. 

Bejarano and Ava both drew walks to bring in Zavodnik and Barber, forcing a Utah State pitching change. Hailey Morrow then singled up the middle to score Agbayani and Bejarano, and Martha Epenesa doubled to the right center wall to bring in Ava and Morrow, giving BYU an eight-run advantage.

The Aggies loaded the bases in the third with a single off the center field wall and two walks, cutting the lead in half on a grand slam to left center, making it 8-4, Cougars.

Each team went down in order in their next half inning before BYU added to its lead in the bottom of the fourth. Bejarano doubled to right center, and Ava singled off the second baseman’s glove to bring her home. Lexie Bennett, Ava’s pinch runner, moved to second on a Morrow walk, third on a groundout and came in to score on a failed pickoff attempt to make it 10-4.

Utah State sent a solo home run to left field in the top of the sixth, but the Cougars kept the Aggies at bay from there to close out their 10-5 win.

BYU will next host Utah Tech on Wednesday, April 26 at 5 p.m. MDT. The game will be televised on BYUtv and streamed on the BYUtv app. 

PROVO, Utah — BYU softball will host in-state opponents Utah State and Utah Tech in a pair of mid-week games at Gail Miller Field before resuming West Coast Conference play this week. 

The Cougars and Aggies will face off on Tuesday, April 25 at 6 p.m., with the Trailblazers coming to town for a 5 p.m. MDT matchup on Wednesday, April 26.

BYU went 1-1 last week after dropping a 1-0 contest to then-No. 5 Stanford on Monday afternoon and earning a 6-5 comeback win at Utah Valley on Wednesday night.

The victory over the Wolverines was the Cougars’ first win when trailing after the fifth and sixth innings, as well as their first two intentional walks of the year, with first baseman Huntyr Ava seeing two free passes in the game.

Freshman came up big for BYU, recording eight of its nine hits on the week, led by shortstop Ailana Agbayani’s four, including one double. Second baseman Tristen Turlington, who got the start at UVU, went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI.

Both catcher Hailey Morrow and third baseman/designated player Maddie Udall tallied hits during the Cougar comeback, earning an RBI each.

Agbayani (.331), Morrow (.329) and Ava (.318) lead BYU in batting average this season, with Morrow (.659) and Ava (.648) pacing the Cougars in slugging percentage. The duo have tallied eight and seven home runs, respectively.

Ava has a team-high 31 RBI, while Violet Zavodnik (28) and Morrow (27) sit just behind her. Zavodnik's six homers are good for third-most. 

BYU is entering a stretch of nine-straight home games before heading back to California for a final WCC road trip to close out the regular season. The Cougars are 3-3 at Gail Miller Field this season, with two of those losses coming to ranked opponents.

Utah State (15-22, 6-10 Mountain West)

• The Aggies last four games have been run-rule contests as they beat Idaho State, 10-2 before being swept at Boise State over the weekend
• Utah State has two separate three-game win streaks this season
• The Aggies and Cougars share a number of common opponents: Loyola Marymount, Santa Clara, Utah Valley, San Diego State, Idaho State and Boise State
• Steve Johnson has a 201-271 (.426) record in 10 seasons as the head coach at Utah State
• BYU leads the all-time series, 42-3, and has won the last four matchups dating back to 2018. BYU head coach Gordon Eakin is 33-3 against the Aggies, with a 20-2 record against them at Gail Miller Field. The Cougars have a 25-2 record against Utah State at home.

Utah Tech (28-15, 13-5 WAC)

• The Trailblazers have won four-straight after taking one of three at Grand Canyon and sweeping a series against Cal Baptist last weekend
• Utah Tech has a six-game and five-game win streak this season
• The Trailblazers and Cougars also share a few common opponents: Boise State, Oregon State, Portland State, UNLV and Idaho State
• 14 seasons in as head coach at Utah Tech, Randy Simkins is 500-209 (.705)
• BYU leads the all-time series, 5-0, winning both matchups in St. George this season, 3-1 and 14-11. The Cougars are 2-0 against the Trailblazers at home, sweeping a doubleheader with them in 2021. 

Following its midweek matchups with Utah State and Utah Tech, BYU will host San Diego in a three-game set on Friday and Saturday, April 28-29.