BYU softball prepares for first NCAA Super Regional

PROVO — For the first time in history, the BYU softball team has hit, fielded and pitched itself into the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament, the Super Regionals.

The Cougars traveled to Austin, Texas, to play in the regionals and had to go up against a tough East Carolina team with a pitcher who was on a hot streak and a No. 12 Texas that had a huge home field advantage and was heavily favored in the matchup.

It all started on Thursday when the Cougars went up against East Carolina in the first round and found themselves matched against Toni Paisley, who hadn't given up a run for 12 games before the BYU team walked onto the field. But she hit Jessica Fitu with the bases loaded to score the only run of the game, allowing the Cougars the hard-fought victory. Paisley then went on to shut Texas out, giving the Cougars the only run against her in 14 games.

After defeating East Carolina in the first round, the Cougars were matched up against the Longhorns in the winners' bracket with the winner making it straight to the championship match of the regional.

The Longhorns boasted the Big 12 Freshman and Pitcher of the Year Blaire Luna and knocked her stuff around for seven earned runs and nine hits, coming back from an 8-6 deficit in the seventh inning.

The Cougars had come back to tie things up in the bottom of the seventh when BYU freshman JC Clayton hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded to bring home the winning run and to send BYU straight into the championship game, waiting on the winner of the one-loss bracket.

The Cougars were led all tournament long by Clayton, who finished the three games hitting 8-for-10 from the batter's box, and Jessica Dugas, who, from the ninth spot in the lineup, went 7-of-9 against two extremely tough pitchers.

"Winning that regional by beating Texas on their home field in a sold-out game when we had a lead and then went down and then came back in the seventh was just storybook," said BYU coach Gordon Eakin. "And then to come in and go against Luna, who's going to be traveling with the USA National team and to knock her off the field added even more joy."

But the Cougars weren't done yet. They then had to come out and defeat the winner of the East Carolina versus Texas game in the Saturday championship matchup.

After East Carolina's Paisley shut out the Longhorns on Friday, the Cougars found themselves up against the tough Carolina pitcher for the second time.