BYU Sweeps Nevada, Win Streak at 11 Games

RENO, Nev. - The BYU softball team earned two wins two different ways, defeating Nevada 10-0 and 7-4 to sweep the series and finish out the regular season on Saturday.

The wins give BYU (40-13, 15-4) at least a No. 2 seed and a first-round bye in next week's Western Athletic Conference Tournament. The Cougars have won 11 games in a row and 16 of their last 17, giving BYU its eighth-straight 40-win season.

"The girls played great," said BYU coach Gordon Eakin. "I'm really proud of them and for getting 40 wins this season."

Game 1

After winning 8-0 in five innings on Friday, BYU continued to dominant the Wolf Pack, winning 10-0 in five in the second game of the weekend.

Every Cougar in the starting lineup had at least one hit and all but one scored at least one run. In the circle, Tori Almond pitched the shutout with eight strikeouts.

The Cougars scored their runs in two innings, getting four in the third and six in the fifth inning. JC Clayton hit a triple to knock in Shelbi Everett after Everett lead off the inning wtih a double. 

Delaney Willard and Katie Manuma came up in the next two at bats, hitting back-to-back home runs, the third straight game with a homer for Willard and the third homer in two games for Manuma.

Six hits resulted in six more runs to end the game in the fifth. Willard hit an RBI-single before a Stacie Toney triple brought in two more runs. Krista Hicks then followed with a double to score Toney. Everett and Jessica Dugas also had an RBI apiece before the inning ended.

Game 2

Down 3-0 early, BYU came back to take a 7-4 victory in game three. The Wolf Pack hitters came alive with 14 hits, but BYU answered with 15 of its own.

Ashlee Brawley went 3 for 4 with 3 RBI and a home run while five other players had multiple hits. Almond picked up the win again, this time in 4.1 innings of relief.

After Hicks hit her second double of the day, Brawley got BYU on the board for the first time with a homer to left field in the fourth inning. Tiffany Messerschmidt tied the game later in the inning with a single up the middle.

Two singles by Brawley and Everett each brought in a run in the fifth to give BYU the lead. In the sixth, a 2-RBI double from Toney gave the Cougars a 3-run lead.

BYU will take its win streak to the WAC Tournament next week in Las Cruces, N.M. First round games will begin Wednesday with BYU taking the field on Thursday in the double elimination tourney.