PROVO -- After a strong defensive battle in the opening innings, the BYU softball team utilized two pairs of runs in the fourth and fifth innings to defeat the visiting Idaho State Bengals, 4-0, Friday afternoon at Gail Miller Field.

With the win, the Cougars improve to 21-14 on the season while the Bengals fall to 10-14.

“Our team managed to make some adjustments to break through after a few innings,” BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. “I am pleasantly surprised to see how Idaho State has come along for such a young program.”

The game marks the sixth meeting between the two, with BYU taking all five wins. The Bengals reintroduced softball in the 2007 season, owning a 27-73 record, thus far.

BYU found itself in potentially dangerous situations in the third and fourth innings as Idaho State loaded the bases, but the Cougars managed to get the final out before any runs were batted in to keep the game scoreless.

In the fourth inning, outfielder Angeline Quiocho hit a deep ball just out of the grasp of the Idaho State center fielder’s glove for a triple. The throw from the outfield then sailed over the third baseman’s head to allow Quiocho to come home and give BYU a 1-0 lead.

Later on in the same inning, Jessica Purcell stole home for a 2-0 Cougar lead after Andrea Ramirez stole second base and Purcell reached home on the throw.

With bases loaded in the fifth inning, Ramirez hit a shot to left field to bring in Jessica Dugas and Quiocho to extend the lead to 4-0 and eventual victory tally. Quiocho ended the game going 1-for-2 from the plate with two runs, while Ramirez went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Purcell also went 1-for-2 with a run.

The Cougars ended with eight hits to the Bengals’ four and had only three strikeouts. BYU pitcher Christie Zinanti earned the victory having pitched all seven innings while striking out 10 Bengal hitters and allowing just four hits in the game. With the win, she improves to 10-7 on the season, while carrying a 1.72 ERA.

“Christie was great with 10 strikeouts,” Eakin said. “She was there when we needed her.”

The Cougars will play Saturday in a double header against the University of North Dakota. Game time is set for 12 p.m. MT.

Box Score
                            The Automated ScoreBook
                       Idaho State at Brigham Young Univ.
                Mar 27, 2009 at PROVO, Utah (Gail Miller Field)
Idaho State 0 (10-14)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
McGrath lf...............  4  0  0  0   0  2  0  1   3
Hu rf....................  4  0  2  0   0  0  3  0   0
Miller cf................  3  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Baca ss..................  4  0  0  0   0  1  1  2   5
Martensen 3b.............  3  0  0  0   0  3  1  2   0
Jannsen 1b...............  2  0  1  0   1  0  5  0   0
 Neal-Jones pr...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Olsin dp.................  2  0  0  0   1  2  0  0   0
Armstrong 2b.............  3  0  1  0   0  1  3  1   0
Chaffe c.................  1  0  0  0   2  1  4  0   2
Clesson p................  0  0  0  0   0  0  1  0   0
Totals................... 26  0  4  0   4 10 18  6  10
Brigham Young Univ. 4 (21-14)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
DELAHOUSSAYE, Kristi 2b..  4  0  1  0   0  0  1  1   0
DUGAS, Jessica rf........  4  1  0  0   0  0  1  0   1
QUIOCHO, Angeline cf.....  2  2  1  0   1  0  1  0   0
PURCELL, Jessica c.......  2  1  1  0   1  0 11  0   0
RAMIREZ, Andrea 1b.......  3  0  2  2   0  0  3  0   0
LOPEZ, Coreen 3b.........  2  0  0  0   1  1  1  0   0
HOPKINS, Stephanie dp....  2  0  0  0   0  2  0  0   1
 VANCE, Amanda 1b........  1  0  1  0   0  0  3  0   0
HICKS, Krista ss.........  2  0  1  0   0  0  0  2   0
 MESSERSCHMIDT, Tiffa ph.  1  0  1  0   0  0  0  0   0
WILLARD, Delaney lf......  3  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   3
ZINANTI, Christie p......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2   0
Totals................... 26  4  8  2   3  3 21  5   7
Score by Innings                  R  H  E
-----------------------------------------
Idaho State......... 000 000 0 -  0  4  2
Brigham Young Univ.. 000 220 X -  4  8  1
-----------------------------------------
E - Miller; Baca; LOPEZ(7). LOB - Bengals 10; Cougars 7. 2B - Jannsen;
RAMIREZ(9). 3B - QUIOCHO(2). SH - Miller. SB - RAMIREZ(2).
Idaho State            IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Clesson.............  6.0  8  4  3  3  3 26 29
Brigham Young Univ.    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
ZINANTI, Christie...  7.0  4  0  0  4 10 26 31
Win - ZINANTI (10-7).  Loss - Clesson (8-9).  Save - None.
PB - PURCELL(6).
Umpires - HP: Tom Topping  1B: Brett Higgins  3B: Clair McBride
Start: 4:00   Time: 1:53   Attendance: 103
Weather: sunny, 39 degree
Game: livegame
Play-by-Play
                            The Automated ScoreBook
               Idaho State at Brigham Young Univ. - Play-by-Play
                Mar 27, 2009 at PROVO, Utah (Gail Miller Field)
Score by Innings                  R  H  E
-----------------------------------------
Idaho State......... 000 000 0 -  0  4  2
Brigham Young Univ.. 000 220 X -  4  8  1
-----------------------------------------
Idaho State starters: 1/lf McGrath; 2/rf Hu; 3/cf Miller; 5/ss Baca; 11/3b
Martensen; 13/1b Jannsen; 4/dp Olsin; 10/2b Armstrong; 9/c Chaffe; 19/p
Clesson;
Brigham Young Univ. starters: 4/2b DELAHOUSSAYE; 19/rf DUGAS; 33/cf QUIOCHO;
10/c PURCELL; 31/1b RAMIREZ; 7/3b LOPEZ; 5/dp HOPKINS; 22/ss HICKS; 11/lf
WILLARD; 14/p ZINANTI;
Idaho State 1st - McGrath struck out swinging. Hu singled to left field.
Miller grounded out to p, SAC; Hu advanced to second. Baca struck out swinging.
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 1st - DELAHOUSSAYE lined out to 3b. DUGAS grounded
out to 3b. QUIOCHO grounded out to ss. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Idaho State 2nd - Martensen struck out looking. Jannsen grounded out to
p. Olsin struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 2nd - PURCELL popped up to ss. RAMIREZ doubled to
right field. LOPEZ popped up to 2b. HOPKINS struck out looking. 0 runs, 1
hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Idaho State 3rd - Armstrong flied out to rf. Chaffe walked. McGrath
reached on an error by 3b; Chaffe advanced to second. Hu flied out to cf.
Miller reached on a fielder's choice; McGrath advanced to second; Chaffe
advanced to third. Baca grounded out to ss. 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 error, 3
LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 3rd - HICKS grounded out to ss. WILLARD grounded out
to 2b. DELAHOUSSAYE flied out to rf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Idaho State 4th - Martensen struck out swinging. Jannsen doubled to left
center. Olsin walked. Armstrong struck out swinging. Olsin advanced to second;
Jannsen advanced to third on a passed ball. Chaffe walked. McGrath struck out
swinging. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 3 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 4th - DUGAS grounded out to 3b. QUIOCHO tripled to
left center, scored on a throwing error by cf. PURCELL walked. RAMIREZ reached
on a fielder's choice; PURCELL advanced to second on a throwing error by ss,
advanced to third. RAMIREZ stole second; PURCELL scored on the throw, unearned.
LOPEZ walked. HOPKINS struck out swinging. HICKS singled to pitcher; LOPEZ
advanced to second; RAMIREZ advanced to third. WILLARD popped up to 2b. 2
runs, 2 hits, 2 errors, 3 LOB.
Idaho State 5th - RAMIREZ to dp. VANCE to 1b for HOPKINS. Hu grounded
out to 2b. Miller grounded out to 1b unassisted. Baca popped up to 3b. 0
runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 5th - DELAHOUSSAYE singled to second base. DUGAS
reached on a fielder's choice; DELAHOUSSAYE out at second 2b unassisted.
QUIOCHO walked; DUGAS advanced to second. PURCELL singled to second base;
QUIOCHO advanced to second; DUGAS advanced to third. RAMIREZ singled to left
field, 2 RBI; PURCELL advanced to second; QUIOCHO scored; DUGAS scored. LOPEZ
struck out looking. VANCE singled to left field; RAMIREZ advanced to second;
PURCELL advanced to third, out at home lf to c. 2 runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 2
LOB.
Idaho State 6th - Martensen struck out looking. Jannsen walked.
Neal-Jones pinch ran for Jannsen. Olsin struck out looking. Armstrong singled
to left field; Neal-Jones advanced to second. Chaffe struck out looking. 0
runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 6th - Jannsen to 1b for Neal-Jones. MESSERSCHMID
pinch hit for HICKS. MESSERSCHMID singled, bunt. WILLARD flied out to rf.
DELAHOUSSAYE flied out to rf. DUGAS lined out to p. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors,
1 LOB.
Idaho State 7th - HICKS to ss for MESSERSCHMID. McGrath grounded out to
ss. Hu singled to right field. Miller reached on a fielder's choice; Hu out at
second 2b unassisted. Baca fouled out to c. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1
LOB.

PROVO -- The BYU softball team opens its home season with a four-game homestand beginning Tuesday at 4 p.m. against Boise State at Miller Park.

The 19-14 Cougars concluded a 33-game road trip, where they faced nine top-25 opponents in a competitive non-conference schedule before opening their home schedule. BYU hosts the Broncos who are 16-9 on the season and 5-2 as visitors.

Following the BYU softball game, the Cougar baseball team will face Utah Valley University at 6 p.m. The head-to-head game marks the first of six where both teams will play at the unique Miller Park facilities, which features mirror image baseball and softball diamonds.

Following Tuesday’s game BYU will host Idaho State at 4 p.m. Friday, followed by a doubleheader against North Dakota on Saturday beginning at noon.