FORT COLLINS -- The BYU softball team (24-14, 1-0) opened Mountain West Conference play with a spectacular offensive showing that included three home runs, including a grand slam, against Colorado State.

The Cougars advanced to 24-14 in the 11-0 win Thursday afternoon.

Sophomore Jessica Purcell homored in the first inning to bring in the Cougars’ first two runs of the game. Freshman Tiffany Messerschmidt beat out a hit to shortstop to get on base, before Purcell’s homer cleared the bases.

A four-run third inning gave BYU a seven-run lead over the Rams. The first runner scored on a bases-loaded illegal pitch, before a ground out yielded another Cougar run. Senior Stephanie Hopkins hit a single up the right side for two RBI to complete the rally.

In her next at bat Hopkins blasted a solo home run over the left field fence in the fifth inning to mark BYU’s second homer of the game. The rightfielder finished the day 2-for-3 with three RBI.

Colorado State committed a two-base error with one out, before a well-executed bunt from Messerschmidt put runners on the corners. Sophomore Kristin Delahoussaye hit a ground ball, but reached first as the defense kept the lead runner in check.

With the bases juiced, junior Angeline Quiocho launched a ball that cleared the fence to give BYU an 11-0 lead over the Rams. Quiocho went 3-for-4 on the day.

Junior pitcher Christie Zinanti gave up a leadoff single in the bottom half of the inning, but recorded three quick outs to give BYU the win.

Zinanti (12-7) allowed only two hits against the Rams, both singles, while walking one batter and striking out six. The righthander reduced her ERA to 1.56, receiving the winning decision in her last three starts and in six of her last seven.

The Cougars continue MWC play on Friday when they travel to New Mexico for a two-game series against the Lobos. Livestats and live video are available at www.byucougars.com.

Box Score
                            The Automated ScoreBook
                           Brigham Young Univ. at CSU
                Apr 02, 2009 at Fort Collins, Colo. (Ram Field)
Brigham Young Univ. 11 (24-14,1-0 MWC)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
DELAHOUSSAYE, Kristi 2b..  3  2  1  0   1  0  0  2   0
MESSERSCHMIDT, Tiffa dp..  3  1  1  0   0  2  0  0   0
QUIOCHO, Angeline cf.....  4  2  3  4   0  1  1  0   0
PURCELL, Jessica c.......  3  2  1  1   1  1  7  0   0
RAMIREZ, Andrea 1b.......  1  1  0  0   2  0  6  0   2
LOPEZ, Coreen 3b.........  3  0  0  1   0  1  0  1   1
HOPKINS, Stephanie rf....  3  1  2  3   0  1  0  0   0
HICKS, Krista ss.........  3  0  1  0   0  1  1  1   0
 NIX-THOMAS, Whitney pr..  0  1  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
GONZALES, Monica lf......  3  1  1  0   0  0  0  0   2
ZINANTI, Christie p......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2   0
Totals................... 26 11 10  9   4  7 15  6   5
CSU 0 (16-18,0-1 MWC)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
STEM, Caitla ss..........  2  0  0  0   0  1  0  1   1
KROGH, Jenna cf..........  2  0  1  0   0  0  1  0   0
THOMSEN, Chr 1b..........  2  0  0  0   0  1  5  0   0
MUNOZ, Ashle c...........  2  0  0  0   0  1  7  0   0
MAJAM, Allis rf..........  2  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   1
PENLAND, Reb dp..........  2  0  1  0   0  0  0  0   0
 MACQUEEN, As pr.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
ROBERTS, Lys 2b..........  2  0  0  0   0  1  2  0   0
MASK, Robyn 3b...........  1  0  0  0   1  0  0  2   0
ALLEN, Ivory lf..........  1  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   0
 SULLIVAN, Sa ph.........  1  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   1
EUBANKS, Kel p...........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 KLABOUGH, Ki p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
Totals................... 17  0  2  0   1  6 15  5   3
Score by Innings               R  H  E
--------------------------------------
Brigham Young Univ.. 204 05 - 11 10  0
CSU................. 000 00 -  0  2  1
--------------------------------------
E - STEM, Caitla(12). LOB - BYU 5; CSU 3. 2B - QUIOCHO(6). HR - QUIOCHO(6);
PURCELL(9); HOPKINS(4). SH - MESSERSCHMID(9). SB - MESSERSCHMID(8).
Brigham Young Univ.    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
ZINANTI, Christie...  5.0  2  0  0  1  6 17 18
CSU                    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
EUBANKS, Kel........  3.0  6  6  6  3  5 15 18
KLABOUGH, Ki........  2.0  4  5  1  1  2 11 13
Win - ZINANTI (12-7).  Loss - EUBANKS, Kel (6-7).  Save - None.
BK - EUBANKS, Kel(1).
Umpires - HP: Dale Reed  1B: Glenda Bates  3B: Dan Ringsby
Start: 3 p.m.   Time: 1:32   Attendance: 137
Game: CSU1
Play-by-Play
                            The Automated ScoreBook
                   Brigham Young Univ. at CSU - Play-by-Play
                Apr 02, 2009 at Fort Collins, Colo. (Ram Field)
Score by Innings               R  H  E
--------------------------------------
Brigham Young Univ.. 204 05 - 11 10  0
CSU................. 000 00 -  0  2  1
--------------------------------------
Brigham Young Univ. starters: 4/2b DELAHOUSSAYE; 20/dp MESSERSCHMID; 33/cf
QUIOCHO; 10/c PURCELL; 31/1b RAMIREZ; 7/3b LOPEZ; 5/rf HOPKINS; 22/ss HICKS;
24/lf GONZALES; 14/p ZINANTI;
CSU starters: 23/ss STEM, Caitla; 2/cf KROGH, Jenna; 13/1b THOMSEN, Chr; 33/c
MUNOZ, Ashle; 16/rf MAJAM, Allis; 14/dp PENLAND, Reb; 22/2b ROBERTS, Lys; 3/3b
MASK, Robyn; 11/lf ALLEN, Ivory; 15/p EUBANKS, Kel;
Brigham Young Univ. 1st - DELAHOUSSAYE grounded out to p. MESSERSCHMID
singled to shortstop. QUIOCHO struck out looking. MESSERSCHMID stole second.
PURCELL homered, RBI; MESSERSCHMID scored. RAMIREZ walked. LOPEZ struck out
looking. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
CSU 1st - STEM, Caitla struck out swinging. KROGH, Jenna out at first p
to c, bunt. THOMSEN, Chr struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0
LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 2nd - HOPKINS struck out swinging. HICKS struck out
swinging. GONZALES grounded out to 3b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
CSU 2nd - MUNOZ, Ashle grounded out to ss. MAJAM, Allis grounded out to
2b. PENLAND, Reb grounded out to 2b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 3rd - DELAHOUSSAYE singled to right center.
MESSERSCHMID struck out swinging. QUIOCHO doubled to center field; DELAHOUSSAYE
advanced to third. PURCELL intentionally walked. PURCELL advanced to second on
a balk; QUIOCHO advanced to third; DELAHOUSSAYE scored. RAMIREZ intentionally
walked. LOPEZ grounded out to 1b unassisted, RBI; RAMIREZ advanced to second;
PURCELL advanced to third; QUIOCHO scored. HOPKINS singled through the right
side, 2 RBI; RAMIREZ scored; PURCELL scored. HICKS singled to left field;
HOPKINS advanced to second. GONZALES out at first 3b to 2b, bunt. 4 runs, 4
hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
CSU 3rd - ROBERTS, Lys struck out swinging. MASK, Robyn walked. ALLEN,
Ivory struck out swinging. STEM, Caitla popped up to 1b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0
errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 4th - KLABOUGH, Ki to p for EUBANKS, Kel.
DELAHOUSSAYE walked. MESSERSCHMID out at first p to 2b, SAC, bunt; DELAHOUSSAYE
advanced to second. QUIOCHO singled to pitcher, bunt; DELAHOUSSAYE advanced to
third. PURCELL flied out to cf; QUIOCHO advanced to second on the throw.
RAMIREZ grounded out to 1b unassisted. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
CSU 4th - KROGH, Jenna singled to shortstop. THOMSEN, Chr flied out to
cf. MUNOZ, Ashle struck out swinging. MAJAM, Allis popped up to ss. 0 runs,
1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 5th - LOPEZ grounded out to ss. HOPKINS homered to
left field, RBI. HICKS reached on an error by ss, advanced to second.
NIX-THOMAS pinch ran for HICKS. GONZALES singled to third base, bunt;
NIX-THOMAS advanced to third. DELAHOUSSAYE reached on a fielder's choice;
GONZALES advanced to second. MESSERSCHMID struck out swinging. QUIOCHO homered
to left field, 4 RBI, unearned; DELAHOUSSAYE scored, unearned; GONZALES scored,
unearned; NIX-THOMAS scored, unearned. PURCELL struck out swinging. 5 runs,
3 hits, 1 error, 0 LOB.
CSU 5th - HICKS to ss for NIX-THOMAS. PENLAND, Reb singled to center
field. MACQUEEN, As pinch ran for PENLAND, Reb. ROBERTS, Lys grounded out to
3b; MACQUEEN, As advanced to second. MASK, Robyn grounded out to p; MACQUEEN,
As advanced to third. SULLIVAN, Sa pinch hit for ALLEN, Ivory. SULLIVAN, Sa

PROVO -- The BYU softball team travels to Colorado State to being Mountain West Conference play on Thursday before heading to New Mexico for a two-game series Friday and Saturday.

The Cougars were picked to contend for first place in the MWC pre-season poll, as both BYU and San Diego State were tied in a vote for first place cast by the MWC coaches.

With a 23-14 record over a difficult tournament schedule, the Cougars have look forward to League play.

Last season BYU finished second in the conference with a 42-18 overall record and a 14-6 finish in MWC play. San Diego State beat BYU to a race for first place with a 15-5 MWC finish.

BYU will face Colorado State at 3 p.m. Thursday. They finished fourth in the conference with a 9-11 showing. The Rams are currently 16-9 on the season.

After Thursday’s game the Cougars will face New Mexico, who finished the MWC season 7-13 in fifth place. The Lobos are 9-23 on the season.

Livestats and live video will be available at www.byucougars.com.