BYU hosts No. 2 UCLA in Monday matinee

PROVO, Utah — Riding a six-game win streak after going 5-0 last week, BYU softball is set to host No. 2 UCLA on Monday afternoon at Gail Miller Field. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. MDT. 

Posting six-consecutive victories for the second time this season, the Cougars (28-13, 7-2 WCC) have matched their season-long win streak and look to extend that against the Bruins, who come into Provo having won 20-straight, the nation's second-longest active streak behind Oklahoma's 37 wins.

The BYU bats came alive last week as nine batters hit .300 or better on the week, led by first baseman Huntyr Ava's .615 batting average. The Rosepark native crushed three home runs and recorded 11 RBI in the Cougars' five games.

Left fielder Maddie Bejarano (.583), center fielder Violet Zavodnik (.538) and freshman second baseman Tristen Turlington (.500) each joined Ava at over .500, with shortstop Ailana Agbayani (.412), third baseman Martha Epenesa (.400), catcher Hailey Morrow (.375), utility player Mallory Barber (.375) and infielder Alyssa Podhurcak-Foss (.333) rounding out the list.

Freshman pitcher Kaysen Korth earned three of BYU's five wins on the week, posting a 1.47 ERA and going the distance in each game, giving up just four total runs and striking out 10 over 19 innings pitched.

Agbayani picked up the victory against Utah State, pitching four innings of scoreless ball, with two strikeouts, just one hit and batters hitting .077 against her.

Epenesa has reached base safely for a team-leading 10-consecutive games, while six players are on hitting streaks of five games or more: Agbayani (7), Ava (6) with Morrow, Bejarano, Epenesa and Zavodnik all at five.

The Cougars and Bruins will meet for the first time since 2019. UCLA leads the all-time series, 7-1, with BYU's lone, 6-4 win coming at a neutral site in 2011. Monday's matchup marks the Burins first trip to Provo.

No. 2 UCLA (47-4, 21-3 Pac-12)

• The Bruins locked up the regular season Pac-12 title with a series sweep at Utah over the weekend. It was their fifth-straight sweep in conference play. 
• UCLA is on a 20-game win streak, and has posted a 14-2 record away from Los Angeles this season
• The two teams share a few common opponents: LMU, San Diego, Stanford, Oregon State, Arizona State and Utah
• Head coach Kelly Inouye-Perez is in her 17th season with the Bruins, going 770-194-1 (.798) since 2007

BYU will resume conference play following its single game set with UCLA, hosting Pacific for senior weekend in its final WCC homestand, on Friday and Saturday, May 5-6.