Cougars top Lady Lions and Dukes to finish 5-1 at tournament in Hawai'i

HONOLULU – With a 3-1 victory over the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and a 7-2 win against James Madison on Saturday, BYU softball finished the Outrigger Resorts Hawai’i Spring Fling Tournament with a record of 5-1.

"Our pitching was solid again today. Autumn (Moffat) pitched an excellent game in game one and Kerisa (Viramontes) kept a tough James Madison offense in check in game two,” BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. “We played solid defense and had timely hitting. Rylee Jensen had another game-changing day at the plate."

The Cougars (13-12) scored six runs on seven hits while UAPB (3-13) recorded one run on six hits in the morning game.

In the afternoon, BYU outhit JMU (16-5) 10-7 in the teams’ second meeting of the tournament. The schools split the series, 1-1.

Game one

Rylee Jensen scored all three of the Cougars’ runs after walking twice and hitting a triple. Autumn Moffat pitched a complete game with four strikeouts.

Jensen walked to start the first inning and advanced to second after Tarrow flied out to left field. Alexa Strid singled to center field, bringing Jensen home to take an early 1-0 lead.

In the third frame, Jensen walked again and advanced to second on a bunt from Tarrow. Strid singled to center and Jensen scored to make it 2-0.

Jensen led off in the bottom of the fifth and sent a triple down the right-field line. Tarrow grounded out to second base as Jensen came across for a 3-0 advantage.

UAPB’s Tamira Chatman scored the Lady Lions’ lone run of the game, coming in from third after Shanice Akins singled to right field in the seventh.

BYU vs. UAPB Box Score

Game two

Jensen continued to produce offensively in the second game with a home run and two RBI. Tarrow and Bridget Fleener both went 2 for 3 from the plate with one RBI apiece. Caitlyn Alldredge went 2 for 4 and added two RBI.

Kerisa Viramontes recorded 11 strikeouts from the circle, including striking out the side in the second and fourth innings.

In the top of the third, BYU sparked an offensive outburst, scoring two runs on four hits. Jensen singled to right field and advanced to second on a bunt from Briielle Breland. Tarrow then singled up the middle and Jensen crossed the plate for a 1-0 lead.

Libby Sugg walked and Tarrow advanced to second. Strid singled to right field and moved the runners to second and third, respectively. Ashley Godfrey came in to pinch run for Sugg. Fleener then singled to left field, advancing Strid and Godfrey one base while also bringing Tarrow home to make it 2-0.

The Dukes evened the score 2-2 in the bottom of the third. Kate Gordon doubled to right center and brought Cambry Arnold in from second. Pinch hitter Natalie Cutright then singled up the middle as Odicci Alexander came home from third.

Brooke Vander Heide reached on a fielding error by JMU’s third baseman in the sixth. Jensen then crushed a home run to center field, her fifth of the tournament, to regain the lead, 4-2.

In the seventh, the Cougars added three more runs on three hits. Sugg doubled to right center and Strid reached on a fielding error by the Dukes’ third baseman. Fleener singled up the middle to move everyone up. Alldredge also singled up the middle, advancing Fleener to second while bringing Strid and Sugg home to go up 6-2.

Erin Miklus, a pinch runner, came in for Fleener and advanced to third as Allie Hancock walked. Jensen reached on a fielding error by the JMU second baseman and Miklus scored the third run of the inning, pushing BYU to a 7-2 win.

BYU vs. JMU Box Score

The Cougars return to Provo next week, hosting a doubleheader against Southern Utah in the home opener on Friday, March 16 at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. MT. The game will be televised on BYUtv and a link to the live stats will be available on the BYU softball schedule page.