PROVO -- A three-run New Mexico sixth inning broke a 1-1 tie as the Lobos defeated BYU, 4-1, Thursday in the opening day of the Mountain West Conference Women's Softball Championship being played at Gail Miller Field in Provo.

The Cougars drop to 29-22 with the loss while the Lobos improve to 18-27-1. The Cougars have lost three straight games, all to the Lobos.

New Mexico started the scoring with an RBI double by Brooke Chaffee to bring in Kelly Glass in the bottom of the first to take an early 1-0 lead. Both teams remained scoreless for four straight innings with neither team threatening.

BYU got things going in the top of the sixth inning. Senior Kari Pringle hit a single with no outs and fellow senior Elizabeth Boydston advanced her to second on a sacrifice bunt. Sophomore Oli Keohohou hit a double to advance pinch runner Debbie Dodds to third. Junior Brooke Cadiente was intentially walked to load the bases. Freshman Lauren Watson popped out to left field, but Dodds scored after a throwing error to tie the score 1-1.

New Mexico broke the tie in the bottom of the sixth inning pouring in three runs take a 4-1 lead. Brooke Chaffee was intentially walked to load the bases after BYU failed to get a force out at second base. Catcher Tiffany Chambers hit a two-run double to bring home Chaffee and Glass.

Cynthia Fallowfield (12-7) picked up the loss striking out four batters in six innings. Cadiente went 2-2 with a walk. Senior Liz VanderLinden went 2-4.

"It's the same old story the last four week," head coach Mary Kay Amicone said. "Both teams had the opportunity for timely hits and it wasn't us."

Hayley Punter picked up her 11th win of the season, allowing just one run against the Cougars. New Mexico will take on No. 1 seed San Diego State tonight at 7 p.m. (MDT), while BYU will play again on Friday at 2 p.m. vs UNLV.

Brigham Young at New Mexico
                May 09, 2002 at Provo, Utah (Gail Miller Field)
Brigham Young 1 (29-22-1)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
VANDERLINDON cf..........  4  0  2  0   0  1  1  0   1
PRINGLE 2b...............  4  0  1  0   0  0  2  3   2
 DODDS pr................  0  1  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
BOYDSTON 1b..............  2  0  0  0   0  0  8  0   0
KEOHOHOU rf..............  3  0  1  0   0  1  0  0   0
CADIENTE lf..............  2  0  2  0   1  0  0  0   0
WATSON dh................  3  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   1
FALLOWFIELD p............  3  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   3
WALKER ss................  3  0  0  0   0  0  2  2   0
ROBERTS 3b...............  3  0  1  0   0  1  1  3   0
LAYNS c..................  0  0  0  0   0  0  4  0   0
Totals................... 27  1  7  0   1  4 18  9   7
New Mexico 4 (18-27)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
CHAVEZ 3b................  3  1  2  0   0  0  1  1   0
GLASS cf.................  2  2  0  0   0  0  1  0   0
CARTER rf................  2  0  0  0   0  0  3  0   1
CHAFFEE 2b...............  2  1  1  1   1  0  3  1   0
WARNER lf................  3  0  0  1   0  0  3  0   1
CHAMBERS c...............  3  0  1  2   0  1  3  1   0
 SCHULTZ pr..............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
KORSAK dh................  3  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   1
McKinnon 1b..............  2  0  0  0   0  1  7  1   0
SANDBERG ss..............  2  0  0  0   0  1  0  3   0
PUNTER p.................  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2   0
Totals................... 22  4  4  4   1  4 21  9   3
Score by Innings                  R  H  E
-----------------------------------------
Brigham Young....... 000 001 0 -  1  7  1
New Mexico.......... 100 003 X -  4  4  1
-----------------------------------------
E - ROBERTS; WARNER. LOB - BYU 7; NM 3. 2B - CHAMBERS. SH - BOYDSTON; GLASS;
CARTER. SB - VANDERLINDON.
Brigham Young          IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
FALLOWFIELD.........  6.0  4  4  3  1  4 22 25
New Mexico             IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
PUNTER..............  7.0  7  1  0  1  4 27 29
Win - PUNTER (11-12).  Loss - FALLOWFIELD (12-7).  Save - None.
Umpires - HP: Glenda Bates  1B: Tony Maddox  3B: John Monaco
Start: 2:06   Time: 1:37   Attendance:
Game: MWC2
Play-by-Play
                          UNIVERSITY OF UTAH SOFTBALL
                   Brigham Young at New Mexico - Play-by-Play
                May 09, 2002 at Provo, Utah (Gail Miller Field)
Score by Innings                  R  H  E
-----------------------------------------
Brigham Young....... 000 001 0 -  1  7  1
New Mexico.......... 100 003 X -  4  4  1
-----------------------------------------
Brigham Young starters: 4/cf VANDERLINDON; 1/2b PRINGLE; 18/1b BOYDSTON;
   15/rf KEOHOHOU; 3/lf CADIENTE; 11/dh WATSON; 7/p FALLOWFIELD; 5/ss
   WALKER; 6/3b ROBERTS; 19/c LAYNS;
New Mexico starters: 3/3b CHAVEZ; 6/cf GLASS; 31/rf CARTER; 2/2b CHAFFEE;
   5/lf WARNER; 9/c CHAMBERS; 23/dh KORSAK; 12/1b McKinnon; 4/ss SANDBERG;
   1/p PUNTER;
Brigham Young - inning 1
   VANDERLINDON grounded out to 2b. PRINGLE flied out to lf. BOYDSTON
   grounded out to ss. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
New Mexico - inning 1
   CHAVEZ popped up to ss. GLASS reached on an error by 3b. CARTER grounded
   out to ss; GLASS advanced to second. CHAFFEE singled to left center,
   advanced to second on the throw, RBI; GLASS scored, unearned. WARNER
   grounded out to 2b. 1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young - inning 2
   KEOHOHOU grounded out to 3b. CADIENTE singled through the left side.
   WATSON flied out to lf. FALLOWFIELD grounded out to p. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0
   errors, 1 LOB.
New Mexico - inning 2
   CHAMBERS grounded out to ss. KORSAK grounded out to 1b unassisted.
   McKinnon struck out looking. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young - inning 3
   WALKER flied out to rf. ROBERTS flied out to 2b. VANDERLINDON singled to
   left field. VANDERLINDON stole second. PRINGLE fouled out to 3b. 0 runs,
   1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
New Mexico - inning 3
   SANDBERG grounded out to 3b. CHAVEZ singled to left field. GLASS out at
   first 3b to 2b, SAC, bunt; CHAVEZ advanced to second. CARTER reached on a
   fielder's choice; CHAVEZ out at second ss unassisted. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0
   errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young - inning 4
   BOYDSTON flied out to rf. KEOHOHOU struck out swinging. CADIENTE singled
   to center field. WATSON struck out swinging. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1
   LOB.
New Mexico - inning 4
   CHAFFEE flied out to cf. WARNER out at first p to 2b. CHAMBERS struck out
   swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young - inning 5
   FALLOWFIELD flied out to cf. WALKER grounded out to ss. ROBERTS singled
   to second base. VANDERLINDON struck out, out at first c to 1b. 0 runs, 1
   hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
New Mexico - inning 5
   KORSAK grounded out to 2b. McKinnon popped up to 1b. SANDBERG struck out
   swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young - inning 6
   PRINGLE singled through the left side. DODDS pinch ran for PRINGLE.
   BOYDSTON out at first 1b to 2b, SAC, bunt; DODDS advanced to second.
   KEOHOHOU singled to right field, advanced to second on the throw; DODDS
   advanced to third. CADIENTE intentionally walked. WATSON flied out to lf;
   DODDS scored on an error by lf, unearned. FALLOWFIELD reached on a
   fielder's choice; CADIENTE out at second ss to 2b. 1 run, 2 hits, 1
   error, 2 LOB.
New Mexico - inning 6
   PRINGLE to 2b for DODDS. CHAVEZ singled to left field. GLASS reached on a
   fielder's choice; CHAVEZ advanced to second. CARTER out at first 2b to
   3b, SAC, bunt; GLASS advanced to second; CHAVEZ advanced to third.
   CHAFFEE intentionally walked. WARNER grounded out to 3b, RBI; CHAFFEE
   advanced to second; GLASS advanced to third; CHAVEZ scored. CHAMBERS
   doubled to left center, 2 RBI; CHAFFEE scored; GLASS scored. SCHULTZ
   pinch ran for CHAMBERS. KORSAK struck out swinging. 3 runs, 2 hits, 0
   errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young - inning 7
   CHAMBERS to c for SCHULTZ. WALKER grounded out to p. ROBERTS struck out
   swinging. VANDERLINDON singled to second base. PRINGLE flied out to rf. 0
   runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.

PROVO -- The BYU women's softball team will face New Mexico in their first game of the 2002 Mountain West Conference Tournament Thursday at 2 p.m. The Cougars earned the right to host the tournament after winning the conference title last season in only the second season as a NCAA sanctioned sport. The game will be broadcast live on BYU-TV via satellite and rebroadcast locally on KBYU channel 11 at 11 p.m. Thursday.

The Cougars earned a number five seed in the tournament after being swept at New Mexico last Saturday. New Mexico holds a 3-1 edge in head-to-head play this season over the Cougars and are 6-7 against the Lobos all-time. BYU will be hoping to avenge the losses suffered last weekend.

"We are looking to start our second season," head coach Mary Kay Amicone said. "We need to get some momentum early in the game and not look back."

The game will follow the opener of the MWC Tournament featuring No. 3 seeded UNLV taking on No. 6 seed Colorado State at 11:30 a.m. If BYU wins the game, they will play No. 1 seed San Diego at 7 p.m. on Thursday night. If BYU loses, then they will play the loser of the Utah vs. UNLV/CSU game on Frday at 2 p.m.

Leading the way for the Cougars is sophomore All-American Oli Keohohou. Keohohou leads the conference in batting average (.433), runs scored (53), alugging percentage (.933), walks (65), RBI (44), and home runs (18). She is currently tied for second in the nation in home runs and her batting average ranks her tenth nationally.

Freshman Niki Andersen leads the team in ERA (2.98) and strikeouts (66). Junior Cynthia Fallowfield leads the team in wins with a 12-6 record. Brooke Cadiente leads the team in doubles with 11 while senior Liz VanderLinden leads the team in triples with four.

The cost for a three-day pass is 15 dollars for adults and 10 dollars for students, seniors, and children under 18 years of age. For a one-day pass the cost is eight dollars for adults and five dollars for students, seniors, and children under 18.

All games of the MWC Tournament will be available via webcast under the webcast link on the BYU softball home page at www.byucougars.com