Cougars Overcome Slow Start to Defeat CSU

FT. COLLINS -- After giving up two first-inning runs, the BYU softball team settled down and beat Colorado State 6-2 in its first game of Mountain West Conference play Thursday. The second game was cancelled due to rain.

In the bottom of the first inning, three consecutive singles loaded the bases before senior Jennie Orozco singled in two runs to put the Rams up 2-0. BYU tied the game at 2-2 in the third inning when freshman Oli Keohohou singled in two runs. The Cougars came right back in the fourth and put two more runs on the board when Mindy Hanson scored from first on a single by Becca Erickson who advanced to third on the error by the left fielder. Erickson stole home as Lindsey Hodgen-Kelly stole second to score the other run. In the seventh, Emily Fernley scored from first on a Keohohou double to center field. Keohohou then advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball, giving BYU a 6-2 lead that it would not relinquish. Maryon DeWitt-Wallentine (10-9) pitched a complete game, giving up two runs on seven hits while striking out six.

"We started the game a little shaky but were able to get our feet underneath us after the first inning," BYU coach Mary Kay Amicone said.

BYU improved to 19-15, 1-0 on the season while Colorado State dropped to 3-24, 0-1 on the year. The Cougars travel to New Mexico Saturday for a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m.

Brigham Young Univ. 6 (19-15)                                    Colorado State 2 (3-24)
       Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB           Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
       ------------------------------------------------------           ------------------------------------------------------
       HODGEN-KELLY cf..........  2  1  1  0   2  0  3  0   1           BOYER, Brooke rf.........  4  1  1  0   0  0  5  0   0
       SMITH lf.................  4  1  1  0   0  0  2  0   0           BENTON, Katie lf.........  4  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   0
       PRINGLE 2b...............  4  0  0  0   0  0  1  1   2           SCHMILLEN, Holly ss......  3  1  2  0   0  0  2  6   0
        FERNLEY pr..............  0  1  0  0   0  0  0  0   0           KOCIS, Amanda 2b.........  3  0  2  0   0  1  3  1   0
       KEOHOHOU rf..............  4  1  2  3   0  0  2  0   1           OROZCO, Jennie 1b........  2  0  1  2   1  0  9  0   0
       CADIENTE dh..............  2  0  0  0   2  0  0  0   1           ERICKSON, Brittania dh...  2  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   2
       BOYDSTON 3b..............  4  0  1  0   0  0  1  1   0            HECHT, Amber ph.........  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
       HANSON 1b................  4  1  0  0   0  0  5  0   1           KITCHEN, Angie 3b........  3  0  1  0   0  1  0  2   2
       ERICKSON ss..............  3  1  2  0   0  0  1  1   1           HEISEL, Arica c..........  3  0  0  0   0  2  0  0   2
       CHRISTIANSEN c...........  3  0  0  0   0  0  6  1   0           STONE, Kai cf............  3  0  0  0   0  0  2  0   0
       WALLENTINE p.............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2   0           KIESTER, Kyla p..........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  3   0
       Totals................... 30  6  7  3   4  0 21  6   7           Totals................... 28  2  7  2   1  6 21 12   6
       Score by Innings                  R  H  E
       -----------------------------------------
       Brigham Young Univ.. 002 200 2 -  6  7  0
       Colorado State...... 200 000 0 -  2  7  3
       -----------------------------------------
       E - BENTON; SCHMILLEN; OROZCO. LOB - BYU 7; CSU 6. 2B - KEOHOHOU; SCHMILLEN. SB - HODGEN-KELLY 2; SMITH 2; ERICKSON.
       Brigham Young Univ.    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF                   Colorado State         IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
       -----------------------------------------------                  -----------------------------------------------
       WALLENTINE..........  7.0  7  2  2  1  6 28 29                   KIESTER, Kyla.......  7.0  7  6  1  4  0 30 34
       Win - WALLENTINE (9-9).  Loss - KIESTER (2-9).  Save - None.
       WP - KIESTER. PB - HEISEL.
       Umpires -
       Start: 12:00 pm   Time: 2:00   Attendance:
       Game: CSU-BYU1