BYU pitching, defense improve in losses to No. 6 Tennessee and No. 11 Texas

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — BYU softball battled No. 6 Tennessee and No. 11 Texas again on Saturday at the Tennessee Invitational, suffering a 3-0 loss to the Longhorns and a 5-1 defeat to the host Volunteers. 

“The team competed better today,” BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. “Both Autumn Moffat and Arissa pitched well and we found our defense.”

The Cougars (10-15, 0-0) held No. 11 Texas (24-6, 0-0) to just three runs in the 3-0 loss after a 14-run outburst by the Longhorns in the first matchup. In a 5-1 loss to No. 6 Tennessee (22-3, 0-0), the Cougars gave up all five runs in the first inning but managed to hold the Volunteers scoreless for the final six innings.

Rylee Jensen scored BYU's lone run in the two games against the nationally ranked teams. Jensen tallied three hits on the day and Emilee Erickson tallied an RBI with Libby Sugg and Martha Epenesa both drawing walks.

Game 1
Rylee Jensen and Marissa Chavez both doubled in the game, giving the Cougars their two hits in the game while Chavez and Libby Sugg drew walks. 

Texas put two runs on the board in the bottom of the second inning, followed by a single run in the third to give the Longhorns a 3-0 run. BYU held Texas scoreless in the fourth and fifth inning.

The sixth inning looked promising for the Cougars as Jensen got on base with a double to left center field followed by Martha Epenesa drawing a walked. Sugg reached on an error by the shortstop to load the bases for the Cougars. BYU, however, wasn’t able to get a runner home as Olivia Sanchez grounded to the pitcher to end the inning.

The game ended as BYU went three-up three-down in the top of the seventh and the Longhorns took the win 3-0.

Game 2
Jensen went 2 for 3 at the plate with one run in the game against No. 6 Tennessee, while Emilee Erickson tallied one RBI and one hit. Arissa Paulson pitched six frames giving up no runs and only one walk.

The Volunteers started the scoring off early, putting up five runs in the bottom of the first inning. But both teams went three-up, three-down in the second and third frames to keep the score at 5-0.  

In the fourth inning, Jensen tallied a single to get BYU on base and then advanced to second on a ground out from Paulson. Erickson recorded an RBI by singling down the left field line, driving in Jensen for the Cougars first run of the day. BYU turned a double play in the bottom of the fourth to keep the score at 5-1.  

The Cougars retired the side in the bottom of the sixth inning but were unable to score in the top of the seventh as the Volunteers secured the win 5-1.

BYU will take a week off before playing its first in-state game of the season at Utah Valley University in the UCCU Crosstown Clash. The game is slated for Tuesday, March 26 at 4 p.m. MT at Wolverine Field in Orem, Utah.