Homers lift BYU to win over UCR before falling to Notre Dame

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – Two-run home runs from Huntyr Ava and Rylee Jensen-McFarland lifted the BYU softball team to a 5-2 win over UC Riverside before falling to Notre Dame 11-1 Thursday night on the first day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.

Game One

Game Highlights:

In the bottom of the third inning, Huntyr Ava hit a two-run bomb over the fence followed by another two-run homer from Rylee Jensen-McFarland in the bottom of the fourth.
Autumn Moffat earned her second win of the season as well as her third complete game.

Player Highlights:

Rylee Jensen-McFarland: 1-2, 2R, 2RBI, HR, BB
Huntyr Ava: 1-2, 1R, 2RBI, HR
Autumn Moffat: W (2-1), 7.0 IP, 2R, 3K

Two back-to-back walks started off the Cougars in the bottom of the first inning. Ava then laid down a sacrifice bunt but reached base on an error by UC Riverside’s first baseman giving Jensen-McFarland the opportunity to make it home as BYU went up 1-0.

In the bottom of the third, Ava hit one out of the park to score Erin Miklus who had drawn a walk to make the score 3-0. The Highlanders answered back with a run of their own in the top of the fourth frame. Jensen-McFarland followed it up with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to push BYU to a 5-1 lead.

UC Riverside would score one more run in the top of the sixth, but ultimately could not catch BYU and the Cougars took the 5-2 win.

Game Two

Notre Dame got on the board in the first inning with a homer to left field. BYU was unable to answer back and the Fighting Irish put up two more runs in the top of the third inning.

Notre Dame scored four runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings to make the score 11-0. BYU scored one run in the bottom of the fifth inning but it was too late as the game ended 11-1.

The Cougars continue on the second day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Challenge with a game against Nebraska at 3:30 p.m. PT. The game will be played at the Big League Dream Softball Complex with live streaming available on FloSoftball.