PROVO -- For the second night in a row at Gail Miller Field, the BYU softball team won after the fifth inning eight-run rule was called. The Cougars beat the Utah State Aggies 15-4, and improved to an overall 15-11.

First baseman Daniela Snow led the Cougar team throughout the game. The senior hit a career-high six RBI and was only a triple shy of hitting for the cycle. Senior Emi Snow-Willing also guided the Cougars, as she went 3-for-3 on the night with two doubles.

"The team played well and it was good to get another game in," said BYU head coach Gordon Eakin. "Daniela Snow has been on fire and she's in the zone. It was nice to see Emi [Snow-Willing] go 3-for-3 because we are counting on them to lead our team."

Utah State led off the game by scoring a run in the top of the first inning. The runner walked and scored off a single. Up to bat, BYU catcher Jessica Purcell reached first off a Utah State error. Shortstop Amanda Vance followed and hit a double to center field to send Purcell home. Following Vance, Snow hit a two-run home run to centerfield. BYU led 3-1 at the end of the first inning.

In the second inning pitcher Paige Affleck struggled by hitting the lead-off batter, giving up a single and walking two batters. One run was allowed, but Snow ended the inning with an unassisted out. In the bottom half of the inning, right fielder Snow-Willing hit a double to center. But that was the only hit for BYU as Utah State didn't allow the Cougars to score.

In the top of the third the Aggies managed to load the bases, as the Cougars allowed one run off a single making it a tied game, 3-3. The Cougars then gained momentum and batted through the line-up. Snow hit a two-RBI single and a two-RBI double, and center fielder Monica Gonzonles hit BYU's first triple of the season to score two runs. Coupled with two errors, the Cougars scored nine runs in the inning, making it a 12-3 game at the end of the third.

In the midst of the offensively dominated inning, the Cougars suffered yet another disappointing injury when Purcell dislocated her finger.

"We are starting to be affected by injuries," Eakin said. "Jessica [Purcell]'s injury could be a huge loss for the team."

BYU kept its momentum in the top of fourth inning. The Cougars only allowed one hit, a solo-run homerun by the Aggies. BYU extended its lead during its at-bat, recording three runs off of three hits. Shaylyn Jenkins hit a three-run homerun, the first of the season for the sophomore.

The Cougars will next travel to participate in the Stanford Invitational II this weekend in Palo Alto, Calif. BYU will face Princeton on Thursday, East Carolina on Friday and then No. 5 Stanford and Wisconsin on Saturday for a double-header.

Box Score
                            The Automated ScoreBook
                       Utah State at Brigham Young Univ.
                Mar 18, 2008 at Provo, Utah (Gail Miller Field)
Utah State 4 (3-14)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Price, Mikey lf..........  3  1  0  0   1  1  1  0   4
Law, Jessica dp..........  1  0  0  0   1  1  0  0   0
Kelley Kaneshiro ss......  2  0  1  2   1  0  1  3   0
Stroman, Aubrie 1b.......  3  1  2  1   0  0  4  0   3
Reilly, Emily cf.........  3  1  1  0   0  1  1  0   0
Hernandez, Jeanine 2b....  2  0  0  0   0  1  3  2   2
 Evans, Tara ph..........  1  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   0
Tyteca, Shasta 3b/c......  1  1  0  0   1  0  0  0   0
Hubbard, Simone c........  1  0  0  0   0  1  1  0   0
 Schaible, Amy 3b........  2  0  0  0   0  1  0  1   0
Rupp, Nicole rf..........  2  0  1  1   1  0  1  0   0
Benson, Lindsey p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 Landon, Tylee p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
Totals................... 21  4  5  4   5  7 12  7   9
Brigham Young Univ. 15 (15-11)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
DELAHOUSSAYE,Kristin 2b/s  3  0  0  0   0  1  2  1   1
 JENKINS, Shaylyn ph.....  1  1  1  2   0  0  0  0   0
PURCELL, Jessica c.......  1  1  0  0   1  0  5  0   0
 HOPKINS, Stephanie pr/ph  1  2  1  1   1  0  0  0   0
VANCE, Amanda ss/2b......  2  3  1  1   1  0  2  1   0
 TOKUNAGA, Brittany ph...  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
SNOW, Daniela 1b.........  4  2  3  6   0  0  4  0   2
QUIOCHO, Angeline 3b.....  2  1  0  0   1  0  0  2   1
DAVIS, Caschjen lf.......  2  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
NIX, Whitney dp..........  3  2  1  1   0  1  0  0   0
WILLING, Emi rf/c........  3  2  3  1   0  0  2  0   0
GONZALES, Monica cf......  3  1  1  2   0  0  0  0   0
AFFLECK, Paige p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 ZINANTI, Christie p.....  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 TRICE, Christina p......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 26 15 11 14   4  2 15  5   4
Score by Innings               R  H  E
--------------------------------------
Utah State.......... 111 10 -  4  5  4
Brigham Young Univ.. 309 3X - 15 11  2
--------------------------------------
E - Hernandez, J 3; Rupp, Nicole; VANCE; AFFLECK. LOB - US 9; BY 4. 2B -
VANCE; SNOW; WILLING 2. 3B - GONZALES. HR - Stroman, Aub; JENKINS; SNOW. HBP
- Tyteca, Shas. SH - Law, Jessica; DAVIS. SB - Price, Mikey; Tyteca, Shas;
Rupp, Nicole.
Utah State             IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Benson, Lindsey.....  2.0  3  3  2  0  1 10 10
Landon, Tylee.......  2.0  8 12  8  4  1 16 21
Brigham Young Univ.    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
AFFLECK, Paige......  2.0  4  3  2  3  4 11 16
ZINANTI, Christie...  2.0  1  1  1  0  2  7  7
TRICE, Christina....  1.0  0  0  0  2  1  3  5
Win - ZINANTI (5-6).  Loss - Landon, Tyle (0-2).  Save - None.
WP - Landon, Tyle 3. HBP - by AFFLECK (Tyteca, Shas).
Umpires - HP: Ray Meibos  1B: Brett Higgins  3B: Terry Balser
Start: 4:25   Time: 2:11   Attendance: 257
AFFLECK faced 3 batters in the 3rd.
Game: USU1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Play-by-Play
                            The Automated ScoreBook
                Utah State at Brigham Young Univ. - Play-by-Play
                Mar 18, 2008 at Provo, Utah (Gail Miller Field)
Score by Innings               R  H  E
--------------------------------------
Utah State.......... 111 10 -  4  5  4
Brigham Young Univ.. 309 3X - 15 11  2
--------------------------------------
Utah State starters: 4/lf Price, Mikey; 15/dp Law, Jessica; 6/ss Kaneshiro, K;
12/1b Stroman, Aub; 2/cf Reilly, Emil; 3/2b Hernandez, J; 7/3b Tyteca, Shas;
13/c Hubbard, Sim; 21/rf Rupp, Nicole; 14/p Benson, Lind;
Brigham Young Univ. starters: 4/2b DELAHOUSSAYE; 10/c PURCELL; 6/ss VANCE;
22/1b SNOW; 33/3b QUIOCHO; 9/lf DAVIS; 1/dp NIX; 18/rf WILLING; 24/cf GONZALES;
12/p AFFLECK;
Utah State 1st - Price, Mikey walked. Price, Mikey stole second. Law,
Jessica grounded out to 3b, SAC; Price, Mikey advanced to third. Kaneshiro, K
singled to left field, RBI; Price, Mikey scored. Stroman, Aub singled to left
field; Kaneshiro, K advanced to second. Reilly, Emil struck out swinging.
Hernandez, J struck out looking. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 1st - DELAHOUSSAYE struck out looking. PURCELL
reached on an error by 2b. VANCE doubled to center field, RBI; PURCELL scored,
unearned. SNOW homered to center field, 2 RBI; VANCE scored. QUIOCHO out at
first ss to 2b. DAVIS flied out to cf. 3 runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 0 LOB.
Utah State 2nd - Tyteca, Shas hit by pitch. Hubbard, Sim struck out
looking. Rupp, Nicole singled to third base; Tyteca, Shas advanced to second.
Price, Mikey struck out swinging. Rupp, Nicole stole second; Tyteca, Shas stole
third. Law, Jessica walked. Kaneshiro, K walked, RBI; Law, Jessica advanced to
second; Rupp, Nicole advanced to third; Tyteca, Shas scored. Stroman, Aub
grounded out to 1b unassisted. 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 3 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 2nd - Tyteca, Shas to c. Schaible, Am to 3b for
Hubbard, Sim. NIX grounded out to 2b. WILLING doubled to center field. GONZALES
flied out to lf. DELAHOUSSAYE flied out to rf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1
LOB.
Utah State 3rd - Reilly, Emil singled to left field. Hernandez, J
reached on an error by ss; Reilly, Emil advanced to second. Tyteca, Shas
reached on an error by p; Hernandez, J advanced to second; Reilly, Emil
advanced to third. ZINANTI to p for AFFLECK. Schaible, Am struck out swinging.
Rupp, Nicole grounded out to 2b, RBI; Tyteca, Shas advanced to second;
Hernandez, J advanced to third; Reilly, Emil scored, unearned. Price, Mikey
grounded out to p. 1 run, 1 hit, 2 errors, 2 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 3rd - Landon, Tyle to p for Benson, Lind. PURCELL
walked. VANCE reached on an error by 2b, advanced to second; PURCELL advanced
to second, advanced to third on a throwing error by rf. HOPKINS pinch ran for
PURCELL. SNOW singled up the middle, 2 RBI; VANCE scored, unearned; HOPKINS
scored. QUIOCHO walked; SNOW advanced to second. DAVIS out at first p to 2b,
SAC; QUIOCHO advanced to second; SNOW advanced to third. NIX struck out,
reached first on a wild pitch, RBI; QUIOCHO advanced to third; SNOW scored.
WILLING singled to right field, RBI; NIX advanced to second; QUIOCHO scored.
NIX advanced to third on the throw. GONZALES tripled to right center, 2 RBI;
WILLING scored; NIX scored. DELAHOUSSAYE grounded out to 3b. HOPKINS pinch hit.
HOPKINS singled to left center, RBI; GONZALES scored, unearned. HOPKINS
advanced to second on a wild pitch. VANCE walked. SNOW doubled to right field,
2 RBI; VANCE scored, unearned; HOPKINS scored, unearned. QUIOCHO grounded out
to 2b. 9 runs, 5 hits, 2 errors, 1 LOB.
Utah State 4th - HOPKINS to rf. WILLING to c. Law, Jessica struck out
swinging. Kaneshiro, K out at first ss to 2b. DELAHOUSSAYE to ss. VANCE to 2b.
Stroman, Aub homered to center field, RBI. Reilly, Emil lined out to ss. 1
run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 4th - DAVIS out at first ss to 2b. NIX singled to
shortstop. WILLING doubled to right center; NIX advanced to third. GONZALES
lined out to ss. JENKINS pinch hit for DELAHOUSSAYE. WILLING advanced to third
on a wild pitch; NIX scored. JENKINS homered to right center, 2 RBI; WILLING
scored. HOPKINS walked. TOKUNAGA pinch hit for VANCE. TOKUNAGA reached on an
error by 2b; HOPKINS advanced to second. SNOW grounded out to ss. 3 runs, 3
hits, 1 error, 2 LOB.
Utah State 5th - DELAHOUSSAYE to ss for JENKINS. VANCE to 2b for
TOKUNAGA. TRICE to p for ZINANTI. Evans, Tara pinch hit for Hernandez, J.
Evans, Tara struck out looking. Tyteca, Shas walked. Schaible, Am reached on a
fielder's choice; Tyteca, Shas out at second 3b to 2b. Rupp, Nicole walked;
Schaible, Am advanced to second. Price, Mikey reached on a fielder's choice,
grounded out to 2b unassisted. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

PROVO -- After playing a grueling 24 games on the road, the BYU women's softball team (13-11) opens its home season on March 17, against South Dakota State at 3 p.m.

The Cougars will play another home game against Utah State at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, before heading to the Stanford invitational to face Princeton, Eastern Carolina, Stanford and Wisconsin.

The first home contest of 2008 will mark the first time BYU and SDSU have played each other. The Jackrabbbits are 6-15 on the season and arrive in Provo after going 2-1 against Southern Utah. BYU defeated Southern Utah, 4-1, during its season opener.

In the all-time series against Utah State, the Cougars lead the Aggies 24-2. The two teams faced one another last season and BYU took the victory, 5-1.

The Cougars are 7-2 during the program's home opening games. Last year BYU defeated Idaho State, 3-1, during the home opener.