Cougars Down Bison, Improve Win Streak to Eight

PROVO, Utah -- Delaney Willard recorded the game-winning RBI on a three-run home run in the bottom of the third as the BYU softball team (32-15) defeated North Dakota State (24-25) 6-3 on Monday at Gail Miller Field.

With the victory, the Cougars improved their home-game win streak to 20 games and are currently on a run of eight-consecutive wins.

"North Dakota has a good program and it was good to play a quality opponent," said BYU head coach Gordon Eakin. "They posed challenges and our kids stepped up and met them."

Second baseman Kristin Delahoussaye improved her team-leading hitting streak to eight games with her fifth home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to give the Cougars a 6-3 cushion. Delahoussaye went 1-for-2 with two RBI, two runs and two walks for the game.

Making her 14th start of the season, freshman Tori Almond struck out four Bison batters and held NDSU hitless through the first two innings.

Back-to-back singles in the top of the third for the Bison set the table for two-consecutive RBI base hits, giving North Dakota State a 3-0 lead. Sophomore Hannah Howell relieved Almond in the inning and retired two-consecutive Bison to end the scoring en route to recording the win and improving her record to 4-2.

With the bases loaded in the Cougar half of the third, senior catcher Jessica Fitu put BYU on the board with a sacrifice fly. Fitu’s 52 RBI was followed by a three-run home run by Willard, her 10th of the season, to give the Cougars a 4-3 lead.

Willard finished going 2-for-3 with three RBI and one run.

After North Dakota State put two runners on in the top of the fifth, Paige Affleck replaced Howell and alleviated the threat by striking out two Bison.

Despite walking the bases loaded in the sixth, Affleck settled down and retired three-consecutive Bison batters to get out of the jam, going on to record five strikeouts and her third save of the season.

A quick turnaround for the Cougars pits them against Utah Valley on Tuesday at the Wolverine Softball Field. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. MDT.

North Dakota State at BYU
May 02, 2011 at Provo, Utah (Gail Miller Field)
North Dakota State 3 (24-25)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
Nicole Rivera ss.........  4  0  0  0   0  2  1  0   0
Elisa Victa lf...........  3  1  1  1   1  1  1  0   0
Taylor Mortensen rf......  4  0  1  2   0  3  0  0   1
Brea Konz 3b.............  2  0  0  0   2  1  3  1   1
Katie Tamayo dh..........  2  0  0  0   1  1  0  0   1
Kristina Victa cf........  2  0  0  0   1  0  2  0   0
Jenina Ortega c..........  3  0  0  0   0  0  9  0   1
Jamie Gay 1b.............  3  1  1  0   0  0  2  0   0
Brandi Enriquez 2b.......  1  1  1  0   1  0  0  2   0
 Brittany McCray ph......  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   3
Whitney Johnson p........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 25  3  4  3   6  8 18  3   7
BYU 6 (32-15)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
DELAHOUSSAYE, Kristi 2b..  2  2  1  2   2  0  1  2   0
MESSERSCHMIDT, Tiffa dh..  3  0  1  0   1  1  0  0   1
CLAYTON, JC ss...........  3  1  1  0   1  1  0  2   0
FITU,Jessica c...........  3  0  1  1   0  1 10  1   1
 MILLETT,Lacey pr........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
ATAGI,Caschjen 3b........  2  1  0  0   1  1  1  5   2
WILLARD, Delaney rf......  3  1  2  3   0  0  1  0   0
DUCKWORTH,Carly lf.......  2  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   0
 HUDSON,Alexandra lf.....  1  0  0  0   0  1  0  0   2
GRAHAM, Stacie 1b........  2  0  0  0   1  1  8  2   0
DUGAS,Jessica cf.........  2  1  0  0   1  1  0  0   1
ALMOND,Tori p............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 HOWELL,Hannah p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
 AFFLECK,Paige p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 23  6  6  6   7  8 21 12   7
Score by Innings                  R  H  E
-----------------------------------------
North Dakota State.. 003 000 0 -  3  4  1
BYU................. 004 002 X -  6  6  1
-----------------------------------------
E - Konz(9); DELAHOUSSAYE(8). LOB - NDSU 7; BYU 7. 2B - Mortensen(5). HR -
DELAHOUSSAYE(5); WILLARD(10). SF - FITU(3). SB - MILLETT 2(11); ATAGI(6);
WILLARD(2).
North Dakota State     IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
Whitney Johnson.....  6.0  6  6  6  7  8 23 31
BYU                    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
ALMOND,Tori.........  2.1  4  3  3  1  3 11 12
HOWELL,Hannah.......  1.2  0  0  0  1  0  6  7
AFFLECK,Paige.......  3.0  0  0  0  4  5  8 12
Win - HOWELL (4-2).  Loss - Johnson (17-11).  Save - AFFLECK (3).
PB - Ortega(9); FITU(9).
Umpires - HP: Brett Higgins  1B: Ray Meibos  3B: Jason Bluemel
Start: 1 p.m.   Time: 2:27   Attendance: 201
Weather: Sunny, warm
HOWELL faced 2 batters in the 5th.
North Dakota State starters: 5/ss Rivera; 4/lf E.Victa; 15/rf Mortensen; 16/3b
Konz; 8/dh Tamayo; 12/cf K.Victa; 2/c Ortega; 17/1b Gay; 1/2b Enriquez; 7/p
Johnson;
BYU starters: 4/2b DELAHOUSSAYE; 20/dh MESSERSCHMID; 16/ss CLAYTON; 10/c FITU;
9/3b ATAGI; 28/rf WILLARD; 3/lf DUCKWORTH; 21/1b GRAHAM; 19/cf DUGAS; 8/p
ALMOND;
North Dakota State 1st - Rivera struck out swinging, out at first c to
1b. E.Victa grounded out to ss. Mortensen struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0
hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BYU 1st - DELAHOUSSAYE walked. MESSERSCHMID walked; DELAHOUSSAYE
advanced to second. CLAYTON struck out swinging. FITU struck out looking. ATAGI
struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
North Dakota State 2nd - Konz walked. Konz advanced to second on a
passed ball. Tamayo struck out swinging. K.Victa out at first 1b to 2b; Konz
advanced to third. Ortega grounded out to 3b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1
LOB.
BYU 2nd - WILLARD singled down the rf line. DUCKWORTH popped up to 3b;
WILLARD advanced to second on an error by 3b. GRAHAM flied out to cf. DUGAS
struck out looking. 0 runs, 1 hit, 1 error, 1 LOB.
North Dakota State 3rd - Gay singled to third base. Enriquez singled
through the left side; Gay advanced to second. Rivera grounded out to 3b;
Enriquez advanced to second; Gay advanced to third. E.Victa singled, advanced
to second on the throw, RBI; Enriquez advanced to third; Gay scored. Mortensen
doubled, 2 RBI; E.Victa scored; Enriquez scored. HOWELL to p for ALMOND. Konz
flied out to rf; Mortensen advanced to third. Tamayo grounded out to 3b. 3
runs, 4 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
BYU 3rd - DELAHOUSSAYE walked. MESSERSCHMID singled to shortstop;
DELAHOUSSAYE advanced to second. MESSERSCHMID advanced to second on a passed
ball; DELAHOUSSAYE advanced to third. CLAYTON walked. FITU flied out to cf, SF,
RBI; DELAHOUSSAYE scored. ATAGI reached on a fielder's choice; CLAYTON advanced
to second; MESSERSCHMID out at third 3b unassisted. WILLARD homered to right
field, 3 RBI; ATAGI scored; CLAYTON scored. DUCKWORTH struck out looking. 4
runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
North Dakota State 4th - K.Victa grounded out to ss. Ortega grounded out
to 3b. Gay lined out to 3b. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
BYU 4th - GRAHAM walked. DUGAS fouled out to 3b. DELAHOUSSAYE flied out
to lf; GRAHAM advanced to second. MESSERSCHMID struck out swinging. 0 runs,
0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
North Dakota State 5th - Enriquez walked. Rivera reached on an error by
2b; Enriquez advanced to third. AFFLECK to p for HOWELL. E.Victa struck out
swinging; Enriquez out at home 2b to c. Mortensen struck out looking. 0
runs, 0 hits, 1 error, 1 LOB.
BYU 5th - CLAYTON grounded out to 2b. FITU singled up the middle.
MILLETT pinch ran for FITU. MILLETT stole second. MILLETT stole third. ATAGI
walked. ATAGI stole second. WILLARD reached on a fielder's choice; ATAGI
advanced to third; MILLETT out at home 2b to c. HUDSON to lf for DUCKWORTH.
WILLARD stole second. HUDSON struck out looking. 0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, 2
LOB.
North Dakota State 6th - FITU to c for MILLETT. Konz walked. Tamayo
walked; Konz advanced to second. K.Victa walked; Tamayo advanced to second;
Konz advanced to third. Ortega reached on a fielder's choice; K.Victa advanced
to second; Tamayo advanced to third; Konz out at home 1b to c. Gay reached on a
fielder's choice; Ortega advanced to second; K.Victa advanced to third; Tamayo
out at home 2b to c. McCray pinch hit for Enriquez. McCray grounded out to 3b.
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.
BYU 6th - Enriquez to 2b for McCray. GRAHAM struck out swinging. DUGAS
walked. DELAHOUSSAYE homered to center field, 2 RBI; DUGAS scored. MESSERSCHMID
fouled out to ss. CLAYTON singled to shortstop. FITU grounded out to 3b. 2
runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
North Dakota State 7th - Rivera struck out swinging. E.Victa walked.
Mortensen struck out swinging. Konz struck out swinging. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0
errors, 1 LOB.