Strong hitting carries BYU to doubleheader sweep of USD

PROVO, Utah – BYU softball swept a doubleheader with San Diego at Gail Miller Field on Friday night, combining for 28 hits and three home runs between the two games, including a grand slam by freshman catcher Hailey Morrow.

The Cougars (27-13, 6-2 WCC) received complete game starts from both Kaysen Korth and Chloe Temples, with each starting pitcher giving up just one run. Korth struck out three batters while Temples fanned five.

Game One: BYU 8 | USD 1

BOX SCORE

Player Highlights

• Huntyr Ava: 2-3, 2B, 3 RBI
• Tristen Turlington: 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI
• Maddie Bejarano: 2-3, 2B
• Kaysen Korth: 7 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 3 K

The Cougars’ first hit of the game came in the form of a single by Maddie Udall, followed by a strong hit from Tristen Turlington to the back right fence for a triple to make it 1-0 through the first two innings. The hit was the freshman’s fourth RBI of the season.

With Torero runners on second and third with one out in the top of the third, San Diego recorded a sacrifice fly to even the score at 1-1, but BYU got the USD runner out at third to end the inning. The Cougars would respond by stringing together four consecutive hits, highlighted by a two RBI single from Huntyr Ava as Maddie Bejarano and Ailana Agbayani crossed the plate. BYU would have another chance to score with the bases loaded and two outs, but a fly ball kept the score at 3-1.

After getting out of the top-half of the fourth inning with no hits allowed, Ava hit a sacrifice fly as Alexis Gilio scored to make it 4-1 before a strikeout ended the inning.

Korth opened the fifth inning with zero hits and runs allowed yet again. The Cougars continued their dominance at bat as Turlington doubled along the left field line to advance Violet Zavodnik to home plate. During Agbayani’s at-bat, BYU executed a double steal, with Turlington coming home to make it 6-1.

After Bejarano hauled in all three of San Diego’s fly balls in the top of the sixth, Martha Epenesa singled to left center, scoring Jaelynn Lambert and Bejarano to extend the Cougar advantage to 8-1.

Korth shut down the San Diego offense in the seventh inning, finishing her 12th complete game of the season and 14th win on the season.

Game Two: BYU 12 | USD 1 (5)

BOX SCORE

Player Highlights:

• Tristen Turlington: 3-3, RBI
• Violet Zavodnik: 2-3, HR, 3B, 3 RBI
• Epenesa: 2-3, HR, RBI
• Hailey Morrow: 1-3, HR, 4 RBI
• Chloe Temples: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 5 K

San Diego loaded the bases with no outs to open the game, but Temples struck out the Torero side from there to get the Cougars out of the early jam.

BYU immediately set the tone in its home half of the first inning as Morrow nailed a grand slam to right field, capitalizing on the bases loaded with Ava, Bejarano and Agbayani. On the very next play, Epenesa hit a home run of her own, bolting the ball to center field for a 5-0 lead.

The Toreros countered with a solo home run of their own in the second inning to trim the Cougar advantage to 5-1, but they would only tally one more hit in game two from there. 

Zavodnik knocked a center field home run to notch BYU’s third of the game at the bottom of the third inning and extend the lead to 6-1.

The Cougars batted around the order in the fourth as they blew the game open with six runs. Ava, Morrow, Epenesa, Zavodnik, Alyssa Podhurcak-Foss, Turlington, Mallory Barber, Agbayani, Breezy Hayward and Taryn Lennon all reached base safely in the frame, taking a 12-1 lead after four innings.

BYU held the Toreros scoreless in the top of the fifth, including with a game-ending 6-4-3 double play en route to its 12-1 run-rule victory.

The Cougars will conclude their three-game set with San Diego on Saturday, April 29 at Noon MDT. The game will be streamed on the BYUtv app.