SAN DIEGO—The BYU softball team shut out the USD Toreros to complete the weekend sweep and improve to 4-0 in Pacific Coast Softball action, beating USD 5-0 and 3-0 on Saturday at the USD Softball Complex.

JC Clayton, who was nominated to the watch list for Player of the Year in February, broke the all-time career record for hits at BYU. With four hits today, she surpassed Angie Quiocho to hold the new record of 269 career hits. Clayton also set a game record in game two against the Toreros for stolen bases in a game with four.

"This weekend's sweep was a great way to begin conference play," head coach Gordon Eakin said. "We played exceptional defense and our pitching was tremendous. It was a great team effort."

Game 1

BYU (13-15, 3-0 PCSC) out-hit USD (15-15, 0-3 PCSC) 7-2 in the game and completed its second shutout of the season and first since playing Seattle on Feb. 8.

Tori Almond took the mound at the start of game one and sat down the Toreros in order in the first and second innings and held them hitless through 3.1 innings of work. Katie Manuma came in relief and earned her first win as a Cougar pitcher after holding USD to just two hits in her 3.2 innings pitched.  Both pitchers held the Toreros hitless until the bottom of the fifth.

Bailie Hicken led the Cougars offensively as the designated hitter, with two hits and a career-high 2 RBI's in the game. Marissa Bravo also contributed two hits and scored two runs.

Both teams went scoreless through the first and second inning. BYU broke the scoreboard in the top of the third as Clayton reached first base on an error to start the inning. A sacrifice bunt and a single from Bravo placed runners on the corners and Manuma walked to load the bases. Another walk scored the first BYU run and then Hicken answered with a single to left field to bring in two runs and put BYU up 3-0.  

The Cougars started where they left off in the top of the fourth and scored two runs. Bravo highlighted the inning with a single to right field and took advantage of another Torero fielding error to circle the bases for BYU.

Clayton and Carly Duckworth put singles together in the top of the fifth, but two fly outs sealed the inning.

The Toreros placed runners on second and third in the bottom of the fifth and the top of the sixth, but Manuma and the Cougar defense were able to hold USD from crossing home to solidify the victory.

Game 2

Clayton, who broke the all-time hit record at BYU and set a new record for stolen bases in a game, hit three of BYU's (14-15, 4-0 PCSC) five hits to help her team sweep San Diego (16-15, 0-4 PCSC).

"JC has been a cornerstone on our team for four years now," Eakin said. "She is a complete player. This record could stand for a very long time."

BYU took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first following three-straight singles from Clayton, Lacey Millett and Duckworth. After her single to center field, Clayton stole second and advanced to third on an infield single from Millett. Duckworth followed suit with a bunt single to load the bases. A hit by pitch and a fielding error scored both runs for the Cougars before USD was able to close out the inning.

Hannah Howell got her second start against the Toreros and held them to just one hit in the first three innings. She also contributed offensively with her first career-hit after singling up the middle in the top of the fifth.

BYU added one more run to its lead in the top of the fourth. Madisen Robb was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Ashlee Brawley Robinson. Clayton singled to advance Robb to third and then stole her second base of the game to place runners on second and third for Duckworth. Duckworth hit a hard ball to third base to score Robb and cushion BYU’s lead.

USD looked to grab some momentum in the bottom of the frame after a lead-off single from Lauren Tomey, but BYU’s defense instead turned its second double play of the day to clear the bases. BYU also turned a 6-3 double play in the bottom of the sixth to end the inning.

Howell (5-10) pitched through six innings, giving up no runs on five hits to earn the win. Manuma came in to relieve Howell after she gave up a single to start the top of the seventh. Manuma retired the next three batters in order to earn her third save of the season and give BYU the 3-0 victory. 

BYU will return home for a three-game series against Houston starting on Mar. 30 at 6 p.m. MDT. The game will be broadcast live on BYU Radio-Sirius XM 143.  

PROVO, Utah--After a week off, the BYU softball team will play in its home opener on Tuesday against Marist College at 6 p.m. MDT and then will travel to San Diego for its conference opener in a doubleheader on Friday and Saturday. 

Marist College

Tues., March 19, 2013

6 p.m. MDT

Gail Miller Field

San Diego 

Fri.-Sat., March 22-23, 2013

4 & 6 p.m. PDT, 12 & 2 p.m. PDT

USD Softball Complex

BYU QUICK HITS

• BYU went 4-0 in its home and conference opener last season, defeating Idaho State 5-2 and New Mexico State, 3-2, 9-1 (5) and 6-3. 
• This will be just the second time that BYU has faced Marist in its history, and this will also be the Red Foxes' first visit to Gail Miller Field. 
• BYU started last home season with an 8-0 record. Overall they were 17-1 at home, with the lone loss coming against No. 20 Hawai’i.
• BYU has an overall record of 5-3 against San Diego and is 3-2 against San Diego at the Toreros' home field. San Diego was picked to finish third in the Pacific Coast Softball Conference pre-season poll. 

OPPONENT NOTES

MARIST

The Red Foxes were 6-2 heading into last weekend’s San Diego Classic II. Their four-game winning streak was cut short after going 0-5 at the Classic to fall to 6-7 on the season. In only its second matchup against BYU, Marist will travel to Provo for the first time on Tuesday and will complete its trip to Utah with a game against PCSC-rival UVU on Wednesday.  The Red Foxes are led by newcomer Nicole Cheek who is hitting a .395 clip alongside a team-leading 17 hits, 29 total bases and three home runs. Danielle Koltz provides power in the lineup, hitting .333 with 10 runs scored and a team-high 14 RBI. With nine less games under its belt than BYU, Marist has garnered 10 home runs on the season to BYU’s eight. Marist has four pitchers who have all earned a win this season, but are led by senior Emily Osterhaus who has an ERA of 1.28 with a record of 2-3 on the season. The pitching staff as a whole has held its opponents to just 19 (1.46 per game) extra-base hits to BYU’s staff, who has given up 65 (2.71 per game) extra-base hits so far this season. Defensively, the team has turned eight double plays and were ranked 1st in the NCAA with double plays per game as of March 11. 

SAN DIEGO

San Diego took a record of 10-12 into the San Diego Classic II last weekend and extended its winning streak to six games in the tournament to improve to 15-12. The Toreros faced Marist in their second game of the tournament and beat the Red Foxes 3-2 in eight innings before ending the weekend with two walk-off wins to close out the Classic. Senior outfielder Lauren Tomey leads the way offensively for the Toreros. The 2012 First Team All-PCSC member is hitting a .415 clip alongside 34 hits and 42 total bases. The team only has three home runs on the season, but make up for it in doubles with 24. USD has also out-hit its opponents 198-158 this season and outscored its opponents 81-75. Juniors Cassidy Coleman and Jenny Lahitte have seen a majority of the time on the mound this year. Lahitte has a record of 6-7 with an ERA of 1.69, while Coleman takes an 8-5 record and an ERA of 2.28 into the team’s conference opener against BYU on Friday. The two pitchers combine for 203 strikeouts and have only given up a total of seven home runs. BYU hasn’t played USD since 2010, when the Cougars defeated the Toreros 11-3 in the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic. The Cougars have an overall record of 5-3 against the Toreros and are 3-2 at their home stadium.

IN THE RECORD BOOKS

There are a number of BYU softball players who are currently setting all-time season and career records at BYU. Senior shorstop JC Clayton is just three hits away from tying the all-time record in career hits set by Angie Quiocho with 265 hits. She has 37 hits so far on the season. Clayton is also fourth all-time in career runs with 162 and second in career batting average at .407. She is currently ranked 60th out of 150 in the NCAA for season batting average at .430. Sophomore Lacey Millett is ranked fifth for the season record in stolen bases with 14. She currently has nine steals on the season and ranks 57th out of 150 in the NCAA. Pitchers Tori Almond and Hannah Howell are tied for fifth in season wins, each with 20 in 2012. They have also both moved up in the area of career strikeouts at BYU. Almond is fourth with 305 and Howell is not far behind in fifth with 301. 

RETURN TO THE MOUND

Due to injuries within the BYU pitching staff, former high school pitchers Katie Manuma and Carly Duckworth will each see some time on the mound this season. Both pitchers made their first appearances of the season in the San Diego Classic. Manuma pitched 3.2 innings, giving up two earned runs on six hits. Duckworth pitched one inning and held opponents to zero earned runs on two hits.

Both pitchers also saw a lot of time in the USF Under Armour Showcase. Manuma relieved Hannah Howell in the first game against Maine and earned the save after holding the Black Bears to no runs on three hits. She started the second game of the double header and held Maine to two runs on four hits.

After relieving Manuma in the bottom of the sixth against Maine, Duckworth held the lead for her first win as a Cougar pitcher. Duckworth also pitched a full seven innings against Providence College. She gave up five runs on 11 hits to fall to 1-1 on the season. 

HITTING STREAKS

Marissa Bravo hales from Upland, Calif., and is currently hitting .403 for the Cougars with 14 RBI, five doubles and 10 runs scored. Her career and season high is eight games with a hit.

Manuma has had hits in all but five games this season. Her seven-game hitting streak, which is a career high, was from Feb. 9-Feb. 21. Manuma also hit a home run in every preseason tournament, including a grand slam against UC Santa Barbara in the Mary Nutter Classic. She is currently on a six-game hitting streak.

Clayton leads the team with a 19-game hitting streak from Feb. 8-Mar 2. She is currently hitting a .430 clip with a team-high 37 hits and 16 runs scored. Her streak was cut short in the USF Showcase against Maine, but she has had a hit in every game of the season but two.

WHERE TO WATCH

Tuesday's game will be broadcast live on BYUtv and will also be available via live stats. Every game against San Diego will also be available through live stats.