Cougars Extend Winning Streak to Eleven

PROVO -- Jessica Purcell’s seven RBI propelled BYU softball to an 8-7 win over Southern Utah Tuesday at Miller Park, extending the Cougars’ season-best winning streak to 11 games.

Christie Zinanti improved to 16-7 on the season allowing four runs, pushing her ERA to 1.69. The junior went six innings, throwing nine strikeouts on 125 pitches helping BYU to a 30-14 record.

“Christie is having an excellent year, but she struggled today,” BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. “I liked that she came back in and got the job done. She is a competitor and she did a nice job.”

After surrendering the lead, BYU needed a sixth inning rally to defeat the Thunderbirds for the 17th straight time.

Southern Utah (15-26) struck first on an Aly Daniels triple down the left field line scoring Brittany Henderson.

BYU quickly responded in the bottom of the first inning with a three-run blast off the bat of Purcell. Purcell’s homerun drove in Kristin Delahoussaye and Tiffany Messerschmidt putting the Cougars up 3-1.

“Purcell is a game-changing hitter,” Eakin said. “With one swing of the bat she can change the whole ball game and she has been doing that all season.”

Purcell, a two-time Mountain West Conference Player of the Week this season, continued her hitting dominance in the second inning by driving in three more runs with a double to left center.

Daniels’ solid afternoon performance kept SUU in the game. She recorded her second hit of the day with a double in the third inning scoring the Thunderbirds third run. Daniels scored later in the same inning closing in on the BYU lead 6-4.

Page Affleck relieved Zinanti in the top of the fifth and SUU took advantage of the cold pitcher, who gave up three runs and the lead in the same inning.

Zinanti re-entered the game in the sixth inning with the bases loaded and held SUU scoreless.

BYU remained patient in the bottom of the sixth inning re-taking the lead after SUU pitcher Kristina Brooks walked in both the tying and winning runs, securing an 8-7 victory for the Cougars.

The teams were scheduled to play a second game on Tuesday, but the doubleheader was canceled do to inclement weather.

BYU returns to MWC play on Thursday when they host San Diego State at 7 p.m. The Cougars currently lead the conference at 5-0, while SDSU trails one game back.

Box Score                            The Automated ScoreBook
                 Southern Utah at Brigham Young Univ. (Game 1)
                   Apr 14, 2009 at PROVO, Utah (Miller Park)
Southern Utah 7 (15-26)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Jenavieve Purcell cf.....  5  0  2  1   0  2  2  0   0
Brittany Henderson dp....  4  2  1  0   1  2  0  0   5
Aly Daniels ss...........  3  1  2  2   2  0  2  0   0
Darlene Fernandez 3b.....  2  1  1  1   2  1  2  0   0
Shannon Lum 1b...........  5  1  1  0   0  2  2  1   4
Natalie McBurney lf......  4  2  3  2   0  0  0  0   1
Caroline Fernandez c.....  3  0  0  0   1  3  8  0   0
Trish Clapham rf.........  4  0  0  0   0  2  1  0   3
Stephanie DeJesus 2b.....  2  0  1  1   2  0  1  1   0
Kristina Brooks p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2   0
Totals................... 32  7 11  7   8 12 18  4  13
Brigham Young Univ. 8 (30-14)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
DELAHOUSSAYE, Kristi 2b..  2  1  0  0   1  0  0  2   0
MESSERSCHMIDT, Tiffa dp..  1  3  1  0   1  0  0  0   0
 ALLEN, Cydney c.........  1  0  0  0   0  0  3  0   0
QUIOCHO, Angeline cf.....  4  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   0
PURCELL, Jessica c.......  3  1  2  7   1  0  8  0   1
 NIX-THOMAS, Whitney pr..  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
RAMIREZ, Andrea 1b.......  4  0  1  0   0  2  8  0   1
LOPEZ, Coreen 3b.........  3  0  1  1   1  1  0  2   0
 DUGAS, Jessica pr.......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
HOPKINS, Stephanie rf....  3  0  0  0   0  3  1  0   1
 DAVIS, Caschjen ph......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
HICKS, Krista ss.........  2  1  1  0   0  0  1  1   1
GONZALES, Monica lf......  1  2  0  0   2  0  0  0   1
ZINANTI, Christie p......  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  2   0
 AFFLECK, Paige p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 24  8  6  8   6  7 21  7   7
Score by Innings                  R  H  E
-----------------------------------------
Southern Utah....... 112 030 0 -  7 11  2
Brigham Young Univ.. 330 002 X -  8  6  1
-----------------------------------------
E - T. Clapham; K. Brooks; RAMIREZ(8). LOB - SUU 13; Cougars 7. 2B - A.
Daniels; PURCELL(15). 3B - A. Daniels. HR - N. McBurney; PURCELL(12). HBP -
MESSERSCHMID; HICKS. SH - D. Fernandez; DELAHOUSSAYE(5). SB - A. Daniels.
Southern Utah          IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF  NP
--------------------------------------------------
Kristina Brooks.....  6.0  6  8  6  6  7 24 33 117
Brigham Young Univ.    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF  NP
--------------------------------------------------
ZINANTI, Christie...  6.0  8  4  4  4  9 25 30 125
AFFLECK, Paige......  1.0  3  3  3  4  3  7 11  38
Win - ZINANTI (16-7).  Loss - K. Brooks (14-21).  Save - None.
WP - AFFLECK 2(8). HBP - by K. Brooks (MESSERSCHMID); by K. Brooks (HICKS).
Pitches/strikes: K. Brooks 117/70; ZINANTI 125/72; AFFLECK 38/19.
Umpires - HP: Claire McBride  1B: Willie Newman  3B: Ray Meibos
Start: 2 p.m.   Time: 3:32   Attendance: 75
Weather: Rain, 54 degrees
Game: livegame
Play-by-Play
                            The Automated ScoreBook
          Southern Utah at Brigham Young Univ. (Game 1) - Play-by-Play
                   Apr 14, 2009 at PROVO, Utah (Miller Park)
Score by Innings                  R  H  E
-----------------------------------------
Southern Utah....... 112 030 0 -  7 11  2
Brigham Young Univ.. 330 002 X -  8  6  1
-----------------------------------------
Southern Utah starters: 24/cf J. Purcell; 18/dp B. Henderson; 22/ss A. Daniels;
9/3b D. Fernandez; 19/1b S. Lum; 13/lf N. McBurney; 26/c C. Fernandez; 16/rf T.
Clapham; 17/2b S. DeJesus; 15/p K. Brooks;
Brigham Young Univ. starters: 4/2b DELAHOUSSAYE; 20/dp MESSERSCHMID; 33/cf
QUIOCHO; 10/c PURCELL; 31/1b RAMIREZ; 7/3b LOPEZ; 5/rf HOPKINS; 22/ss HICKS;
24/lf GONZALES; 14/p ZINANTI;
Southern Utah 1st - J. Purcell struck out swinging (2-2). B. Henderson
walked (3-2). A. Daniels tripled down the lf line, RBI (3-2); B. Henderson
scored. D. Fernandez struck out swinging (1-2). S. Lum grounded out to 2b
(2-2). 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 1st - DELAHOUSSAYE walked (3-2). MESSERSCHMID hit by
pitch (1-0); DELAHOUSSAYE advanced to second. Rain Delay. Game will resume.
QUIOCHO popped up to ss (2-2). PURCELL homered to center field, 3 RBI (0-1);
MESSERSCHMID scored; DELAHOUSSAYE scored. RAMIREZ struck out swinging (1-2).
LOPEZ singled up the middle (1-2). HOPKINS struck out looking (2-2). 3 runs,
2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Southern Utah 2nd - N. McBurney homered to left field, RBI (0-1). C.
Fernandez struck out swinging (3-2). T. Clapham struck out looking (1-2). S.
DeJesus grounded out to 3b (1-0). 1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 2nd - HICKS singled up the middle (0-0). GONZALES
walked (3-2); HICKS advanced to second. DELAHOUSSAYE out at first 1b to 2b,
SAC; GONZALES advanced to second; HICKS advanced to third. MESSERSCHMID
singled, bunt (0-0). QUIOCHO struck out swinging (2-2). PURCELL doubled,
advanced to third on the throw, 3 RBI (2-2); MESSERSCHMID scored; GONZALES
scored; HICKS scored. RAMIREZ struck out swinging (1-2). 3 runs, 3 hits, 0
errors, 1 LOB.
Southern Utah 3rd - J. Purcell grounded out to ss (0-0). B. Henderson
singled to right field (2-1). A. Daniels doubled to left center, advanced to
third on the throw, RBI (2-2); B. Henderson scored. D. Fernandez reached on an
error by 1b, SAC, RBI (2-0); A. Daniels scored. S. Lum struck out swinging
(3-2). N. McBurney grounded out to p; D. Fernandez advanced to second. 2
runs, 2 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 3rd - LOPEZ struck out looking (2-2). HOPKINS struck
out swinging (1-2). HICKS hit by pitch (1-0). GONZALES popped up to 3b (0-0).
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Southern Utah 4th - C. Fernandez struck out swinging (3-2). T. Clapham
flied out to rf (0-2). S. DeJesus singled, bunt (2-1). J. Purcell singled to
right field (2-0); S. DeJesus advanced to second. B. Henderson struck out
looking (1-2). 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 4th - DELAHOUSSAYE flied out to cf (1-1). ALLEN to c
for MESSERSCHMID. PURCELL to dp. ALLEN grounded out to p (1-1). QUIOCHO reached
on an error by p (0-0). PURCELL grounded out to 2b (1-1). 0 runs, 0 hits, 1
error, 1 LOB.
Southern Utah 5th - AFFLECK to p for ZINANTI. A. Daniels grounded out to
3b (1-1). D. Fernandez singled to right center (2-0). D. Fernandez advanced to
second on a wild pitch. S. Lum struck out swinging, reached first on a wild
pitch; D. Fernandez advanced to third. N. McBurney singled to left field, RBI
(0-1); S. Lum advanced to second; D. Fernandez scored. C. Fernandez walked
(3-1); N. McBurney advanced to second; S. Lum advanced to third. T. Clapham
struck out swinging (1-2). S. DeJesus walked, RBI (3-2); C. Fernandez advanced
to second; N. McBurney advanced to third; S. Lum scored. J. Purcell singled to
third base, RBI (2-1); S. DeJesus advanced to second; C. Fernandez advanced to
third; N. McBurney scored. B. Henderson struck out looking (1-2). 3 runs, 3
hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 5th - RAMIREZ singled up the middle (0-0). LOPEZ
reached on a fielder's choice (0-0); RAMIREZ out at second p to ss. HOPKINS
struck out swinging (0-2). HICKS flied out to cf. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 1
LOB.
Southern Utah 6th - A. Daniels walked (3-2). A. Daniels stole second. D.
Fernandez walked. ZINANTI to p for AFFLECK. S. Lum singled, bunt (3-1); D.
Fernandez advanced to second; A. Daniels advanced to third. N. McBurney singled
(2-1); S. Lum advanced to second; D. Fernandez interference, out at second ss
unassisted. C. Fernandez struck out swinging (0-2). T. Clapham grounded out to
1b unassisted (0-0). 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 6th - GONZALES walked (3-2). DELAHOUSSAYE flied out
to rf (2-2). MESSERSCHMID to dp for ALLEN. PURCELL to c. MESSERSCHMID walked
(3-2); GONZALES advanced to second. QUIOCHO reached on an error by rf (0-0);
MESSERSCHMID advanced to second; GONZALES advanced to third. PURCELL walked,
RBI (3-1); QUIOCHO advanced to second; MESSERSCHMID advanced to third; GONZALES
scored, unearned. NIX-THOMAS pinch ran for PURCELL. RAMIREZ popped up to 3b
(2-1). LOPEZ walked, RBI (3-2); NIX-THOMAS advanced to second; QUIOCHO advanced
to third; MESSERSCHMID scored, unearned. DAVIS pinch hit for HOPKINS. DUGAS
pinch ran for LOPEZ. QUIOCHO out at home c unassisted. 2 runs, 0 hits, 1
error, 2 LOB.
Southern Utah 7th - PURCELL to c for NIX-THOMAS. LOPEZ to 3b for DUGAS.
DAVIS to rf. S. DeJesus walked (3-2). J. Purcell struck out looking (0-2). B.
Henderson grounded out to p (1-1); S. DeJesus advanced to second. A. Daniels
walked (3-1). D. Fernandez walked (3-2); A. Daniels advanced to second; S.
DeJesus advanced to third. S. Lum grounded out to 2b (1-0). 0 runs, 0 hits,
0 errors, 3 LOB.