Cougars cruise past UVU 8-2 for 11th consecutive win

PROVO, Utah — Four different Cougars hit home runs as BYU softball cruised to an 8-2 win over Utah Valley in the UCCU Crosstown Clash Wednesday night at Gail Miller Field, extending its winning streak to 11 games.

Game Highlights

• Huntyr Ava gave BYU an early 3-0 lead with a three-run homer to center in the bottom of the first inning
• Alyssa Podhurcak homered in the third, Rylee Jensen hit one in the fourth and Marissa Chavez added a two-run shot in the fifth to fuel the Cougars to the 8-2 win
• The Cougars’ four home runs tied their season-high

Player Highlights

• Rylee Jensen: 3-4, HR, RBI, 2B
• Huntyr Ava: 2-4, HR, 3RBI, 2B
• Marissa Chavez: 1-3, HR, 2RBI
• Alyssa Podhurcak: 1-4, HR, RBI
• Arissa Paulson: W (7-3). 5.0 IP, 4H, 2ER, 3K W

Huntyr Ava got BYU on the board first with a deep three-run shot to dead center field in the bottom of the first frame, scoring HannahJo Peterson and Violet Zavodnik. Both Peterson and Zadvodnik had reached base after each was hit by a pitch.

Alyssa Podhurcak belted a solo shot to left in the bottom of the third inning, giving the Cougars a 4-0 advantage. UVU countered scoring a pair of runs in the top of the fourth off an RBI double to cut into BYU’s lead, 4-2.

Rylee Jensen answered UVU's runs riping a pitch on the inside of the plate well over the wall in right-center, extending the Cougars’ advantage to 5-2 in the bottom of the fourth. Marissa Chavez added the last homer of the game with a two-run dinger to left in the fifth, scoring Martha Epenesa to put BYU up 7-2. 

The Cougars tacked on an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Emilee Erickson singled up the left side to drive in Lo Salcedo from third who was pinch-running for Ava, who doubled down the right-field line. 

The BYU defense forced the Wolverines to go three-up, three-down in the top of the seventh as the Cougars secured their 11th straight victory, winning 8-2. 

BYU is back at Gail Miller Field to take on Southern Utah tomorrow, April 15, at 5 p.m. MDT. The contest will be broadcast on BYUtv and on the BYUtv App.