Purcell Named MWC Player of the Week

COLORADO SPRINGS -- BYU sophomore catcher Jessica Purcell was named Mountain West Conference Softball Player Week on Wednesday.

“Jessica was incredible this past weekend,” Eakin said. “She got timely hit after timely hit, and she did a great job behind the plate. She was nothing short of amazing.”

Purcell, who hails from Walnut, Calif., led BYU to a 4-1 record and an eventual Bayer Cropscience Tournament Championship last weekend in Fresno, Calif. The sophomore, who batted .526 on the week, finished the tournament with a total of nine RBI and seven extra-base hits on her way to becoming Tournament MVP.

Against No. 24/21 Fresno State, she hit a game-winning triple in the top of the 10th inning. She broke the scoreless game by bringing in two runs, which gave the Cougars their first win against a top-25 team this season. Purcell finished the game 3-for-5, including a double in the second and a single in the sixth.

She grabbed two RBI against Providence on a single in the sixth inning and finished batting .500. In BYU's first matchup against Northern Illinois, she went 2-for-4 with a solo homer to lead off the fourth inning, and a one-run double in the sixth.

In game two vs. the Huskies, she tallied another home run, this time with one runner on base, to give the Cougars a 5-0 lead. In BYU's final game of the tournament against #10/9 California, Purcell doubled to center to bring in a run that gave her squad a 2-0 lead before falling, 4-2.