BYU holds on for 8-6 win over Dixie State, courtesy of three two-run homers

ST. GEORGE, Utah — BYU softball defeated Dixie State 8-6 on Tuesday evening, racking up its 30th win of the season, with the Cougars hitting three two-run home runs and weathering a final-inning rally from the Trailblazers.

BYU is undefeated against the Trailblazers, winning all three matchups since DSU recently transitioned to a DI program in the summer of 2020. 

Game Highlights

• There were five combined home runs during the game from both teams, and BYU had three of them (all two-run home runs for six total runs)
• Chloe Temples pitched her 100th career strikeout

Dixie State scored the first run of the day in the bottom of the first inning off of two singles and a stolen base, but BYU pitcher Chloe Temples shut down that momentum with back-to-back strikeouts, closing the first with a 1-0 score in DSU’s favor.

The Cougars had zero hits through two innings. Their first of the day didn’t occur until the top of the third when Martha Epenesa hit a two-run home run to right field to take a 2-1 lead. 

Dixie State experienced a dry spell as the trailblazers didn’t get a single player on base in innings two through four. Temples struck out four more batters during that time, taking her career total to 100 strikeouts. The junior is in her first season with BYU after transferring from Stetson University last year. She went on to strike out eight batters in the game. 

In the top of the fifth, the Cougars scored four runs. Peterson reached on an error by DSU’s second baseman which was then followed up by a home run from Taylei Williams, upping the score to 4-1. Violet Zavodnik singled to right field, and Huntyr Ava hit another home run to right center for BYU to secure a commanding 6-1 lead. 

DSU scored its second run in the bottom of the sixth inning, with a solo shot by Kasey Crawford. 

In the top of the seventh inning, BYU entered four pinch hitters. Marissa Chavez hit an RBI double to right field for pinch runner Lo Salcedo to make it home for BYU’s seventh run of the day. Then, freshman Emma Andrewjeski stepped up to the plate and earned the first RBI of her collegiate career, bringing home Chavez for an 8-2 score.

Temples walked two Trailblazers in the bottom of the seventh and subsequently Dixie State’s Phoebe Schultz hit a game-altering three-run homer, taking the score to 8-5. As a result, Carley Brown came into the circle for BYU and allowed two hits, and DSU was able to score off an error from BYU’s Mallory Barber to take the score to 8-6 with two outs. Shea Clements grounded out to BYU’s pitcher to end the game at 8-6.

Up next, the Cougars will travel 50 miles north from St. George to face Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Utah. The game is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. MDT and will be streaming on ESPN+.