Zavodnik's grand slam gives BYU 7-1 win over Tarleton State

AUSTIN – Freshman Violet Zavodnik hit her first career grand slam to help BYU softball to a 7-1 win over Tarleton State on its final day in Texas.

"With the rain delay and Texas jumping out to a four-run lead, we could have quit but we didn't," BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. "We fought our way back and competed. I was happy with our effort today."

Game One vs. No. 10/11 Texas

Game Highlights:

• HannahJo Peterson hit a three-run homer in the top of the fifth inning to bring the score within one at 7-6.
• Freshman Lo Salcedo made her BYU pitching debut in the bottom of the fifth striking out her first batter, allowing no runs and no hits.

Player Highlights:

• Rylee Jensen: 2-4, 2R, RBI, 2B, HR
• HannahJo Petereson: 1-4, R, 3RBI, HR

After a four-run bottom of the first inning for Texas, BYU began its fight to get back into the game. With runners on first and third, Alyssa Podhurcak stole home to get BYU on the board. One play later Autumn Moffat-Korth singled to right field to bring Paulson home, cutting Texas’ lead in half at 4-2.

The Longhorns put up another three runs in the bottom of the third boosting their lead to 7-2, but BYU was not done scoring.

A three-run homer from Peterson in the top of the fifth brought the score within two and a single from Martha Epensa drove in Zavodnik, moving the score within one at 7-6. However, three runs in the bottom of the inning pushed Texas to a 10-6 lead.

A Jensen homer in the top of the sixth rounded out the scoring and moved the score to 10-7. Unfortunately, the Cougars were unable to get a run across in the top of the seventh and ultimately took the 10-7 loss.

Game Two vs. Tarleton State

Game Highlights:

• Freshman Violet Zavodnik hit her first career grand slam to give BYU a 7-0 lead in the top of the seventh

Player Highlights:

• Violet Zavodnik: 1-2, R, 4RBI, HR, 2BB
• Rylee Jensen: 3-4, 2R, 2B
• Autumn Moffat-Korth: 7.0 IP, 1R, 0ER, 4K, 0BB

Jensen got BYU started in the top of the first inning in the game against Tarleton State making it home on a fielder’s choice to go up 1-0. In the following inning, Paulson homered on the first pitch she saw and boosted BYU’s lead to 2-0.

After a scoreless third, Moffat-Korth singled up the middle driving in Taylei Williams and BYU advanced to a 3-0 score. Following two more scoreless innings, Zavodnik hit a grand slam in the top of the seventh pushing BYU to a 7-0 mark.

The Texans managed to get one run across in the bottom of the seventh but Moffat-Korth struck out the final batter of the inning and gave BYU the 7-1 win.

Up Next

Earlier in the week, BYU announced that its original home opener against in-state rival Utah had been rescheduled. So, the Cougars will take a week off before a rematch against Arizona State on March 24 for its new home opener at Gail Miller Field.