Two Jensen walk-offs give No. 20/21 Cougars a pair of wins over Toreros

PROVO, Utah — McKenna Bull earned career-win 100 on Friday night as two fifth inning walk-off home runs from Rylee Jensen led No. 20/21 BYU softball to 9-0 and 10-1 wins over San Diego at Gail Miller Field.

"We played two great games," BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. "I am proud of the team and the way they played in adverse conditions. They were total team wins. We saw great pitching and timely hitting. I am proud of them and the way they battled tonight."

Bull held the Toreros (20-20, 6-5 West Coast Conference) to zero runs, striking out six in game one, and has now pitched 32-consecutive scoreless innings. Arissa Paulson pitched in the second game, throwing four strikeouts in the win to extend the Cougars' (35-10, 8-0 WCC) win streak to 14 games.

Jensen went 2 for 3 in game one, recording a career-high five RBI. The left fielder rocketed a three-run home run in game one to give the Cougars (35-10, 8-0 WCC) the 9-0 five-inning win. Jensen followed up her game one walk-off performance with a second walk-off in game two, solidifying BYU's 10-1 victory.

Caitlyn Larsen Alldredge, who went 1 for 3 in game one, tallied five RBI in the second game of the doubleheader. The junior hit three home runs on Friday night.

Game one

BYU defeated San Diego 9-0 in a five-inning run-rule victory to start the night off. The Cougars out-hit the Toreros 12-5 in the shutout, Bull's ninth of the year.

The Cougars jumped ahead 1-0 in the first inning as Ashley Thompson scored Jensen on an RBI single.  

San Diego tried to make a charge with a runner in scoring position in the top of the third, but Alldredge caught a pop fly to stop the scoring effort.

A wild pitch by Megan Sabbatini in the bottom of the fourth advanced Alexa Strid and Brooke Vander Heide to second and third. Jensen then soared a double to left center to score both runners. With two outs on the board, Lexi Tarrow singled to right field to score Jensen. BYU took the 4-0 lead into the fifth inning.

In the bottom of the fifth, Strid knocked a single to left to advance Alldredge to second. Briielle Breland then doubled to right center, scoring Alldredge and Strid to give the Cougars the 6-0 advantage. With one out on the board, Jensen knocked the ball over the centerfield fence to give BYU the 9-0 walk-off victory in five innings.

BYU vs. San Diego Game One Box Score

Game two

The second game saw three more home runs, leading BYU to a 10-1 win, once again in five innings. 

Alldredge continued the heavy hitting for the Cougars in game two, recording her first-career grand slam in the bottom of the first to give BYU the early 4-0 advantage. That was BYU's third grand slam of the year, the other two coming from Libby Sugg and Lauren Bell.

San Diego scored its first run of the series as Lauren Kane crossed the plate to make the score 4-1 in the top of the second.

After a scoreless second inning, BYU regained the four-run lead in the third as Tarrow made it 5-1 after scoring on a wild throw to second base.

With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Jensen scored as Tarrow reached first on an error to increase the advantage to five runs, 6-1.

In the bottom of the fifth, Alldredge drilled a ball over the centerfield wall for her second home run of the game. This was the junior’s second two-home run game of her career.

Jensen hit a first-pitch three-run homer to deep center with one out in the bottom of the fifth to record her second walk-off home run of the night. 

BYU vs. San Diego Game Two Box Score

With the win, the Cougars stay undefeated at home, a perfect 12-0. BYU women’s softball will play its third and final game of the series against San Diego on Saturday. The game will begin at 1 p.m. MDT and will be broadcast on BYUtv and simulcast of BYU Radio – Sirius XM 143.