Norton Hits Record-Tying Homer in Win

PROVO -- BYU (34-16, 10-2) continues its record-breaking season with its 14th consecutive win, as the team defeated Utah Valley State (22-27) 12-3 at Gail Miller Field.

Senior Jodi Norton, who was named Mountain West Conference Player of the Week today, hit her 21st home run of the season in the bottom of the sixth, ending the game early due to the NCAA softball mercy rule, which calls for stopping play after a team amasses a lead of eight runs or more after the fifth inning. Norton's swat ties the Cougars' all-time single-season home run record.

"We've been playing really well right now," BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. "Today we were able to score runs in different ways. We continue to play well offensively and hit the ball well. All the way around it was a good win for us."

Lindsey Dyer hit a two-out solo home run in the second, putting the Wolverines on the board first. Dyer's hit marked the first time Utah Valley had scored on BYU in three games this season.

Sophomore Stephanie Platt, who was standing in for usual starter Emi Snow, made an immediate impact with a solo swat of her own in the bottom of the order. With the game knotted at one apiece, Andrea Ramirez smacked a double to center field. Junior Dani Urincho-Snow then hit a line drive down the right field line, placing runners at the corners for Angeline Quiocho.

The freshman, who recorded two stolen bases on the night, perfectly executed a bunt allowing Ramirez to score. The next batter, Monica Gonzales loaded up the bases with a slapper to third. A wild pitch brought in Urincho-Snow, and Cortney Nix-Clark followed with an RBI-single to left field. Jennifer Whiteley hit one down the middle, bringing in Gonzales for the 5-1 lead. Utah Valley catcher Jamie Tonis scored another one for the Cougars with a botched pick-off attempt at first base. The error brought Nix-Clark across home plate and sent Whiteley to third.

Two batters later, the player who started it all -- Platt -- hit an RBI-single to end BYU's rally at 7-1. The Cougars recorded a total of nine hits and left just two on base in the game-breaking inning.

The Wolverines got a couple back in the third when Cari Hamilton hit an RBI-triple to center field and Cheryl McGraw hit into a fielder's choice that brought Hamilton home. Another wild pitch by Ashly Forsberg, however, would give BYU the 8-3 advantage heading into the fourth. A run by Quiocho in the fifth inning and Norton's record-tying three-run dinger in the sixth gave the game its final score of 12-3.

Junior Christina Gwyn got her 14th win of the season, allowing just four hits and striking out two.

BYU heads to New Mexico to take on the Lobos in a double-header on Thursday. Games begin at noon (MST) and 2 p.m. and will be available through live stats and live video.

Utah Valley State at Brigham Young Univer
                May 01, 2007 at Provo, Utah (Gail Miller Field)
Utah Valley State 3 (22-27)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Jasmine Joyce rf.........  3  1  1  0   0  0  0  0   0
Cari Hamilton cf.........  3  1  1  1   0  1  0  0   0
Cheryl McGraw ss.........  3  0  0  1   0  0  3  3   0
Heidi Boyer dp...........  3  0  1  0   0  1  0  0   0
Jamie Tonis c............  3  0  0  0   0  0  2  2   0
Lindsay Dyer 3b..........  2  1  1  1   0  1  4  0   0
Natalie Paulsen 1b.......  0  0  0  0   2  0  4  1   0
Sara Roskelley lf........  2  0  0  0   0  0  1  0   2
 Jordan Chaney lf........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Lauren Augino 2b.........  2  0  0  0   0  0  1  2   0
Ashly Forsberg p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
Totals................... 21  3  4  3   2  3 15  9   2
Brigham Young Univer 12 (34-16)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Cortney Nix-Clark c......  3  1  1  0   0  1  1  2   0
 Shaylyn Jenkins c.......  1  1  1  0   0  0  1  0   0
Jennifer Whiteley lf.....  4  2  2  1   0  0  0  0   0
Jodi Norton ss/dp........  3  1  1  3   1  0  0  1   0
Stephanie Platt rf.......  3  1  3  2   0  0  1  0   0
Andrea Ramirez dp/ss.....  3  1  2  0   0  0  0  1   1
Daniela Urincho 1b.......  3  1  1  0   0  1 10  0   2
Tracee Hoch 2b...........  3  0  0  0   0  0  0  3   0
Angeline Quiocho 3b......  3  3  3  1   0  0  3  4   0
Monica Gonzales cf.......  3  1  2  0   0  0  2  0   0
Christina Gwyn p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 Christie Zinanti p......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 29 12 16  7   1  2 18 11   3
Score by Innings                R  H  E
---------------------------------------
Utah Valley State... 012 000 -  3  4  2
Brigham Young Univer 071 013 - 12 16  2
---------------------------------------
E - TONIS; PAULSEN; HOCH 2. DP - BYU Cougars 1. LOB - UVSC 2; BYU Cougars 3.
2B - RAMIREZ. 3B - HAMILTON. HR - DYER; NORTON; PLATT. SB - QUIOCHO 2. CS -
AUGINO; NIX-CLARK; GONZALES.
Utah Valley State      IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Ashly Forsberg......  5.0 16 12 11  1  2 29 30
Brigham Young Univer   IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Christina Gwyn......  5.0  4  3  3  2  2 18 20
Christie Zinanti....  1.0  0  0  0  0  1  3  3
Win - GWYN (14-8).  Loss - FORSBERG (4-6).  Save - None.
WP - FORSBERG 3. PB - TONIS.
Umpires - HP: Terry Balser  1B: Clair McBride  3B: Ray Meibos
Start: 6:00 pm   Time: 1:49   Attendance: 337
FORSBERG faced 3 batters in the 6th.
Game: BY_UVSC3
Play-by-Play
Score by Innings                R  H  E
---------------------------------------
Utah Valley State... 012 000 -  3  4  2
Brigham Young Univer 071 013 - 12 16  2
---------------------------------------
Utah Valley State starters: 6/rf JOYCE; 4/cf HAMILTON; 12/ss MCGRAW; 8/dp
BOYER; 2/c TONIS; 18/3b DYER; 13/1b PAULSEN; 9/lf ROSKELLEY; 3/2b AUGINO; 15/p
FORSBERG;
Brigham Young Univer starters: 10/c NIX-CLARK; 3/lf WHITELEY; 8/ss NORTON; 5/rf
PLATT; 31/dp RAMIREZ; 22/1b URINCHO; 4/2b HOCH; 33/3b QUIOCHO; 24/cf GONZALES;
11/p GWYN;
Utah Valley State 1st - JOYCE popped up to 1b. HAMILTON grounded out to
ss. MCGRAW flied out to cf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univer 1st - NIX-CLARK struck out swinging. WHITELEY
grounded out to 2b. NORTON popped up to ss. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0
LOB.
Utah Valley State 2nd - BOYER singled. TONIS popped up to 3b; BOYER out
at first 3b to 1b. DYER homered, RBI. PAULSEN walked. ROSKELLEY grounded out to
3b. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young Univer 2nd - PLATT homered, RBI. RAMIREZ doubled. URINCHO
singled; RAMIREZ advanced to third. HOCH flied out to ss. QUIOCHO singled,
bunt, RBI; URINCHO advanced to second; RAMIREZ scored. GONZALES singled, bunt;
QUIOCHO advanced to second; URINCHO advanced to third. URINCHO scored on a wild
pitch, scored. QUIOCHO advanced to third on a wild pitch, scored. NIX-CLARK
singled; GONZALES advanced to third. WHITELEY singled, RBI; NIX-CLARK advanced
to second; GONZALES scored. WHITELEY advanced to second on an error by c,
advanced to third; NIX-CLARK scored. NORTON walked. PLATT singled, RBI; NORTON
advanced to second; WHITELEY scored, unearned. RAMIREZ singled; PLATT advanced
to second; NORTON advanced to third on a fielder's choice, out at third p to
3b. RAMIREZ advanced to second on a passed ball; PLATT advanced to third on a
passed ball. URINCHO struck out. 7 runs, 9 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB.
Utah Valley State 3rd - RAMIREZ to ss for NORTON. NORTON to dp for
RAMIREZ. AUGINO grounded out to 2b. JOYCE singled. HAMILTON tripled, RBI; JOYCE
scored. MCGRAW reached on a fielder's choice, out at first 2b to 1b, RBI;
HAMILTON scored. BOYER flied out to rf. 2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univer 3rd - HOCH flied out to lf. QUIOCHO singled.
QUIOCHO stole second. GONZALES reached on a fielder's choice, out at first ss
to 1b; QUIOCHO advanced to third. QUIOCHO scored on a wild pitch. NIX-CLARK
reached on an error by 1b. NIX-CLARK out at second c to ss, caught stealing.
1 run, 1 hit, 1 error, 0 LOB.
Utah Valley State 4th - TONIS flied out to cf. DYER struck out looking.
PAULSEN walked. ROSKELLEY grounded out to 3b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1
LOB.
Brigham Young Univer 4th - WHITELEY popped up to 3b. NORTON to dp for
RAMIREZ. RAMIREZ to ss for NORTON. NORTON popped up to 3b. PLATT singled.
RAMIREZ grounded out to ss. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Utah Valley State 5th - AUGINO reached on an error by 2b, advanced to
second. AUGINO out at third c to 2b to 3b, caught stealing. JOYCE grounded out
to ss. HAMILTON struck out swinging, out at first c to 1b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 1
error, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univer 5th - CHANEY to lf for ROSKELLEY. URINCHO lined out
to 3b. HOCH grounded out to 2b. QUIOCHO singled. QUIOCHO stole second. GONZALES
singled; QUIOCHO advanced to third. GONZALES out at second c to ss to 1b to 2b,
caught stealing; QUIOCHO scored. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Utah Valley State 6th - JENKINS to c for NIX-CLARK. ZINANTI to p for
GWYN. MCGRAW reached on an error by 2b. BOYER struck out swinging. TONIS lined
into double play 3b to 1b; MCGRAW out on the play. 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 error,
0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univer 6th - JENKINS singled. WHITELEY singled; JENKINS
advanced to second. NORTON homered, 3 RBI; WHITELEY scored; JENKINS scored.
3 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.