BYU softball splits games with Northwestern, No. 1 Washington

SEATTLE – BYU softball beat Northwestern 8-0 in the afternoon game and fell to No. 1 Washington 7-4 in the nightcap during the team’s final day of the Husky Classic Saturday.

BYU (8-11) scored eight runs on nine hits against Northwestern (9-8) in five innings, due to the NCAA eight-run rule.

“The team rebounded well from last night’s tough extra-inning loss to Alabama,” BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. “We came ready to play today and played a complete game.”

Washington (22-0) preserved its undefeated season with seven runs on 12 hits in the later game.

"The team fought hard tonight," Eakin said. "Washington is No. 1 for a reason. They have great pitching and defense, as well as solid hitting. With that said, we were a couple breaks away from this game going down to the wire."

Game one

Lexi Tarrow, Alexa Strid and Caitlyn Alldredge all went a perfect 2 for 2 from the plate while Briielle Breland went 2 for 3. Breland and Tarrow scored two runs each while Madison Merrell, Libby Sugg, Alexa Strid and Caitlyn Alldredge had one apiece. Strid and Sugg had three RBI as well.

Arissa Paulson allowed just two hits from the circle and pitched all five innings.

Breland tripled to centerfield, leading off for the Cougars in the bottom of the first. Merrell and Tarrow both walked to load the bases. Sugg then doubled to left field and advanced to third on an error as Breland, Merrell and Tarrow crossed the plate for a 4-0 lead.

Strid singled to shortstop in the third. Alldredge hit a homer to left field, bringing Strid in as well to make it 6-0.

In the fourth frame, Breland and Tarrow both singled to right field and later stole third and second base, respectively. Strid doubled to centerfield to score Breland and Tarrow for the 8-0 win.

BYU vs. Northwestern Box Score

Game two

Rylee Jensen led BYU with two of the team’s six hits, including a home run and two RBI. Breland and Allie Hancock also scored.

The Huskies scored two early runs on a Cougar fielding error to take a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.

In the third frame, a Washington batter singled to left field, bringing in a runner from third to make it 3-0.  

The Huskies scored four more runs in the fourth inning for a 7-0 advantage.

In the top of the sixth, Jensen and Breland hit back-to-back singles and Merrell walked. Tarrow then singled through the left side, bringing Jensen home to trail 7-1. Sugg hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield as Breland came across to make it 7-2.

Hancock reached on a fielder’s choice before Jensen homered to right center for a final score of 7-4 in the seventh.

BYU vs. No. 1 Washington Box Score

The Cougars will play six games in four days next week at the Hawai’i Spring Fling Tournament in Honolulu from March 7-10.