Image
Apr 14 | 01:30 PM
6
-
4
Anonymous
| Posted: 14 Apr 2012 | Updated: 8 Nov 2020
PROVO, Utah - Down one run in the bottom of the seventh and final inning, the BYU softball team hit two clutch home runs to beat Utah State 6-4 and complete a three-game sweep Saturday at Gail Miller Field.
BYU improves its record to 28-12 overall and 7-3 in the Western Athletic Conference.
BYU improves its record to 28-12 overall and 7-3 in the Western Athletic Conference.
“I’m glad we were able to get the games in with the weather forecast and fortunately we were able to come away with the three wins,” said BYU coach Gordon Eakin. “We didn’t play perfect ball this weekend, but we battled to the very end and good things happened. I’m proud of our team.”
Video Highlights and Interviews
Batting first in the bottom of the seventh, senior Delaney Willard went way over the left field fence to tie the game at 4-4 and give BYU its first run since the first inning. Named one of 25 finalists for the 2012 USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year earlier in the week, Willard's home run was her 14th of the season.
In the Cougars' ensuing at bat, Katie Manuma drew a walk to set up Stacie Toney. Toney obliged with a walk-off bomb to center field, completing the comeback for BYU.
Sophomore Tori Almond picked up the win to go 10-2 on the year, pitching 2.2 innings with two strikeouts, no hits and no runs.
Sophomore Tori Almond picked up the win to go 10-2 on the year, pitching 2.2 innings with two strikeouts, no hits and no runs.
The Cougars jumped on the board early in the bottom of the first after a double by Willard to center field brought home JC Clayton and Jessica Dugas. The double was her third in the three-game series.
Manuma followed with a single down the first base line, bringing Willard home and leading to a quick 3-0 lead for the Cougars.
The Aggies answered and collected two runs in both the third and the fourth innings to take the lead, 4-3, before BYU's late-game home runs gave the Cougars the win.
Willard led the Cougars going 2 for 4 with two runs and three RBI. Manuma also had two hits while Toney added one hit, one run and two RBI.
BYU will take the early part of next week off due to finals before making its first-ever trip to play at Louisiana Tech. The three-game series will begin on Friday, Apr. 20.
BYU will take the early part of next week off due to finals before making its first-ever trip to play at Louisiana Tech. The three-game series will begin on Friday, Apr. 20.
jchristiansen
| Posted: 11 Apr 2012 | Updated: 8 Nov 2020
PROVO, Utah - After defeating No. 15 Hawai'i last weekend, the BYU softball team (24-12, 4-3 WAC) plays two in-state opponents, facing Utah Valley before hosting Utah State in a three-game Western Athletic Conference series over the weekend.
Utah Valley
Wed., Apr. 11
6 p.m. MT
BYUtv
Utah State
Fri., Apr. 13
4 p.m., 6 p.m. MT
BYU Radio
Sat., Apr. 14
1:30 p.m. MT
BYUtv
COUGAR QUICK HITS
— BYU is 120-23 (.839) all-time against in-state opponents, including a 22-1 record vs. UVU and a 25-2 record against Utah State. At Miller Field, BYU is 16-0 vs. the Wolverines and 12-1 vs. the Aggies, with the lone loss occuring in 2006.
— BYU head coach Gordon Eakin is five wins away from 400 career victories with a record of 395- 172 in his 10th year at head coach.
— With the newest RPI rankings released on Monday, BYU was ranked 30th, second-highest in the WAC. The Cougars have wins over two current top-10 teams, including Oregon at 9th and Hawai’i at 10th. All but one of BYU’s 12 losses have been to teams ranked 56th or better.
— BYU’s regular season, non-conference home win streak of 39 consecutive games is still intact. The Cougars have not lost since Southern Utah earned a 10-5 victory on Apr. 11, 2006. BYU had a 29-game home win streak, the longest in program history, snapped last weekend in a 1-0 loss against No. 15 Hawai’i.
UTAH VALLEY
• Utah Valley had a four-game win streak snapped on Tuesday in a 8-7 loss in Logan to Utah State in the third game of an eight-game road trip.
• Amanda Robinson leads UVU with a .343 average and 37 hits, eight home runs and a .639 slugging percentage.
• In the circle, Tiffany Mills has a 2.39 ERA to lead the Wolverines. Cassie Herrera is the other pitcher with a 3.63 ERA and 7-4 record.
• UVU has an RPI of 113, second-best in the Pacific Coast Softball Conference where BYU will play beginning next season.
UTAH STATE
• The Aggies have an RPI of 187, last among Western Athletic Conference teams.
• Utah State is 2-7 in the WAC, winning one of two in series against Louisiana Tech and Nevada and being swept at Fresno State last week.
• BYU has won five-straight against Utah State, outscoring the Aggies 35-6 over that time.
• This is the first time in 27 games that the two teams will meet as conference opponents.
• Christine Thomsen has had a great year for USU, hitting .396 with 42 hits on the year while also drawing a team-high 16 walks.
• Three Aggie pitchers have thrown at least 40.0 innings or more, including Mandy Harmon who leads Utah State with a 6-13 record and a 4.56 ERA.
GETTING OUT EARLY...OR NOT
Of BYU’s 24 wins this season, the Cougars have won eight in less than seven innings so far this season due to the mercy rule. However, in the Cougars’ 16 other victories, seven have come by just a single run.
TOP NOTCH
BYU’s Delaney Willard hit a home run in seven of the Cougars’ first 10 games, including a streak of four-straight games from Feb. 11-17. Willard also hit a home run in four straight in early April last year. The two marks tie the senior for the third-longest such streak in NCAA history and make her the only person in NCAA history to have two streaks of four games or more in a career.
A two-time WAC Hitter of the Week, Willard has emerged as an All-America candidate. The right fielder is ranked in the NCAA top-20 in six different categories, including RBI per game (5th, 1.40), slugging percentage (8th, .920), home runs per game (13th, 0.37), batting average (14th, .440), home runs (14th, 13) and on base percentage (19th, .537).
