BYU blanks SUU 12-0 with a series sweep

CEDAR CITY, Utah — BYU softball shutout Southern Utah University 12-0 on Wednesday afternoon in five innings, extending its winning streak to six for a 31-10 overall record.

The Cougars shutout the Thunderbirds for a third time this season, previously beating them 7-0 and and 8-0 in a doubleheader on March 19th at Gail Miller Field.

Game Highlights

• Huntyr Ava and Martha Epenesa both had two home runs a piece over the past two days
• BYU scored at least one run in four different innings (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th)

Without delay, BYU took control of the game by scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Martha Epenesa led with a single to right field, Violet Zavodnik reached on an error by second base and cleanup hitter Huntyr Ava cleared the bases with a three-run homer over the fence in center. Ava now leads the Cougars in home runs with 13 this season.

In the top of the second, Macy Simmons hit a line drive right past third base for a single. HannahJo Peterson reached base off a fielder’s choice from SUU’s infield, tagging Simmons out on second base. Next, Epenesa hit a homer out to left-center for BYU to take a 5-0 lead.

Brooke Hill-Barrington hit an RBI single in the next inning, with Ava sliding all the way to home from second base to score. Carley Brown started in the circle for the Cougars and struck out a game-high of two batters in the bottom of the third inning. Brown pitched 4.2 innings for BYU, ending with four strikeouts.

At the close of the third, BYU was leading 6-0.

In the top of the fourth, BYU piled on six more runs on six hits. Peterson was walked, Taylei Williams singled and then stole second base. Zavodnik walked by SUU’s pitcher Grace Owen to load the bases. Following a pitching change from SUU, Ava pulled off another key hit as she batted in two more runners with a single up the middle. Marissa Chavez reached off a fielder’s choice and Hill-Barrington followed up with a double down the line of left field for a 10-0 score. Freshman Emma Andrewjeski entered the game as a pinch hitter for Macy Simmons and hit a two RBI single for teammates Chavez and Hill-Barrington, taking BYU’s total to a dozen runs. 

For the first time all day, SUU’s pitching staff allowed zero runs for BYU in the top of the fifth inning. BYU only entered pinch hitters during that time: Taryn Lennon, Alexis Gilio, Lauren Flanders, Mallory Barber and Bridget Fleener.

The Thunderbirds got a runner in scoring position, with a double by Gianna Carosone in the bottom of the fifth, but couldn’t get any other player on base. The game ended at 12-0 for BYU after five innings due to the NCAA eight-run rule.

Up next, the Cougars are set to host a series versus West Coast Conference opponent Santa Clara University. The series will begin with a doubleheader on Friday, April 29th at 5 and 7 p.m. MDT on Gail Miller Field. Both games will be streaming on byutv.org and the BYUtv app.