OREM, Utah—The BYU softball team outlasted UVU for the second time this weekend with an extra-inning 3-2 victory against the Wolverines on Saturday at Wolverine Field. 

BYU (16-20, 6-2 PCSC) started the game with a 1-0 lead for the third time in the series, but allowed UVU (24-14, 7-5 PCSC) to creep back in in the bottom of the seventh.

Alexandra Hudson Shamo started the top of the second with a two-bagger to right field. She led the team with two of its six hits in the game. Following two outs from UVU, Shamo's sister, Anna Hudson, knocked the first double of her career to bring in her sister for her first RBI of the season, giving BYU the 1-0 lead. 

The game stayed quiet until the fourth inning when UVU evened the score at 1-1 with a solo home run.

Tori Almond held UVU to just one hit in the fifth and sixth to hold the tied score. Almond pitched a solid six innings in the game and held UVU to just three hits alongside eight strikeouts.  

The seventh inning didn’t disappoint for the finale of the series with BYU scoring the go-ahead run. However, UVU was able to extend the game to extra-innings in the bottom of the frame.

With two outs in the top of the seventh, JC Clayton singled up the middle and advanced to third on a center-field liner from Jenna Goar. The eventual go-ahead run was scored as Duckworth reached on a fielding error that also allowed Clayton to score from third and take the 2-1 lead.

The Cougars were just three outs from evening up the series, but Almond wasn’t able to close out the game. UVU’s first two batters of the inning were given free passes on walks and eventually tied the game on a wild pitch. Katie Manuma came in to relieve Almond and sat down the first three batters she faced to send the game into extra-innings. Manuma earned the win to improve to 2-1 from the circle. 

BYU and UVU weren't able to get a single runner past second base in the eight and ninth resulting in the tie-breaker rule to start the top of the tenth. The Cougars and Wolverines each placed a runner from the previous inning on second base to start the top and bottom of the inning. Duckworth, who was placed on second for BYU, advanced to third on a sacrfice bunt from Gordy Bravo. Manuma then stepped to the plate and smacked a hard hit ball to the pitcher, which was deflected and scooped up by the UVU shortstop to save the out, but not before Duckworth was able to cross the plate for BYU . 

UVU started the bottom of the inning with the same strategy as BYU and bunted its runner over to third. However, BYU's pitching and defense held strong with a groundout and a flyout to end the game and allow them to take the 3-2 victory. 

The Cougars and Wolveries split games on both Friday and Saturday to each add a 2-2 record to their PCSC standings. BYU will have a quick turnaround as they play at Utah State in another in-state matchup on Tuesday at 4 p.m. MDT. 

PROVO, Utah--The BYU softball team will play Utah Valley in a conference series on Friday and Saturday before traveling to Logan on Wednesday for a matchup against in-state rival Utah State. 

Utah Valley

Fri.-Sat., Apr. 5-6, 2013

2 & 4 p.m. MDT, 1 & 3 p.m. MDT

Wolverine Field

Utah State

Wed., Apr. 10, 2013

4 p.m. MDT

Johnson Softball Field

BYU QUICK HITS

• BYU is 25-1 overall against UVU and 30-2 overall against Utah State. The Cougars have a 17-game win streak against the Wolverines and a 10-game win streak against the Aggies.
• Gordy Bravo highlighted the offensive effort for BYU in its three losses against Houston. She hit .500 (4x8) with two doubles, two RBI and one run scored.
• Senior shortstop JC Clayton broke the all-time hit record at BYU in the team’s four-game series against USD. Clayton has 274 career hits and a team- and conference-leading 49 hits this season. Clayton has been named PCSC Player of the Week three times this year.
• The Cougars started conference play with a sweep at San Diego to lead the conference standings with a 4-0 record. UVU is in close second with a 5-3 record in its two conference series so far.

OPPONENT NOTES

UTAH VALLEY

Utah Valley is 20-12 on the season and 5-3 in the PCSC standings. The team’s .279 average is good for second-highest in the PCSC. The Wolverines lead the conference in triples with eight and are second in home runs (16), total bases (341) and doubles (33). The team has four batters hitting over .300 so far this season in junior Amanda Robinson, senior Krystin Jachim, freshman Morgan Summers and senior Kylee Brinkerhoff. Batting a .394 clip, Robinson leads the team in hits (39), home runs (4), total bases (56) and slugging percentage (.566). Jachim is not far behind with a .393 average and leads the team in conference statistics, batting .417 with 10 hits. Freshman Dynasty Lauvai has brought in the most runs for UVU with 21 RBI alongside eight extra-base hits. The mound has been occupied by senior Tiffany Mills (117.0) and sophomore Josi Summers (67.2). Mills sports a 1.97 ERA alongside 90 strikeouts and a .218 opponent average. She also has a 1.58 ERA in conference play. Summers is 7-5 for the Wolverines and has compiled 72 strikeouts and given up just 30 earned runs on the season. She has a team-leading 0.78 ERA in conference play. The Wolverines will play Weber State in a doubleheader on Wednesday before playing the Cougars in a four-game conference series on Friday and Saturday.

UTAH STATE

USU returned eight starters from last year's squad, but had a rough start to the season with a 20-game losing streak before snatching up their first win against Weber State on March 13. After that win, the team went on to a five-game winning streak, but have since lost eight straight to fall to 5-28. The Aggies will face Idaho State on Wednesday, UTSA on Friday and Saturday and Utah Valley on Tuesday before returning home to face the Cougars on Wednesday. The team is led by senior infielder Christine Thomsen, who is hitting a .320 clip. Junior Kassandra Uchida leads the team with 24 hits, while sophomore Nicole Arata provides power in the lineup with a team-leading two home runs. Senior Mandy Harmon, freshman Noelle Johnson and senior Shelbi Tyteca have all found time on the mound this year. Harmon has pitched the most innings at 83.2 and has given up 62 earned runs on a .307 opponent batting average. Johnson leads the pitching staff with 69 strikeouts in 79 innings pitched. Tyteca has a 2-1 record in her 44 innings pitched and has given up 36 earned runs on 53 hits. The Aggies are 0-6 in Western Athletic Conference play.

IN-STATE RIVALRY

BYU is scheduled to play four of the six in-state softball teams this season in Utah Valley, Utah State, Southern Utah and Utah. The Cougars have an overall record of 126-22 (.851) against in-state teams and last year went 10-0 with four wins against SUU, three against UVU and three against USU. BYU has a current win streak of 17 games against UVU and outscored the Wolverines 157-28 in those games. The last time UVU beat BYU was at Wolverine Field on May 2, 2006. The Cougars are currently on a 10-game winning streak against the Aggies and outscored them 87-22 in those 10 games. The last time BYU was defeated by USU was at Gail Miller Field on Apr. 4, 2006. 

WHERE TO WATCH

Every game will be available to follow via live stats. Check the schedule for updated information as it becomes available.