BYU softball: Cougars slated to play five games at Mary Nutter Classic

The Wildcats started the season with a difficult schedule that had them playing four teams in the top 15. Three of their losses came to those teams in No. 13 Arizona, No. 2 Oklahoma and No. 13 Georgia. In their first tournament of the year, the Wildcats couldn’t produce a win and left the Kajiwaka Classic in Arizona with an 0-5 record. Since then the team has picked up three wins and only one loss and looks to improve upon that record in its third tournament of the 2013 campaign. The team has five batters who are hitting over .300 and are led by Andrea DiPrima who is hitting .524 with three doubles and two runs scored. The Wildcats have four pitchers on their roster but are led by Meghan Lamberth and Amy Letourneau who have pitched a combined 50.2 innings of the 60 total.

UC Santa Barbara

The Gauchos started their 2013 season with a record of 5-0 in the Mardi Gras Classic and outscored their opponents 30-5, with two shutouts. However, Missouri handed UCSB both of its losses in its next tournament by outscoring them 23-4 to take both victories. The Gauchos are led by senior Keilani Jennings who has a team-high 13 RBIs to go along with a .438 clip and seven extra-base hits, including four home runs. Sophomore Shelby Wisdom has a record of 6-2 with 34 strikeouts for UCSB, while also hitting .306 with seven RBIs.

Last time out

BYU started the Easton Desert Classic with an upset of No. 20 Hawai’i, but gave up both of its leads on day two to go 2-3 in the tournament.

BYU (3-3) had seven hits in its first game of the tournament and took advantage of three Hawai’i (5-2) errors for the 4-2 win. Lacey Millett added two stolen bases to her three hits and two runs, while JC Clayton, Katie Manuma, Megan Arnold and Carly Duckworth each contributed one hit. Manuma also had two of the Cougar RBIs. BYU’s defense came up big as well, turning its first two double plays of the season against the Rainbow Wahine. Tori Almond pitched her way to her second win of the season and had seven strikeouts in the outing.

On day two, the BYU softball team led heading into the seventh inning of both its games at Stephanie Lynn Craig Park, but squandered both of its leads to go 0-2 on the day, losing 7-3 to Oregon State and 6-5 to Louisiana Monroe.

“Our team fought hard today against two very good teams to take multiple run leads into the seventh inning of both games,” Eakin said. “With just three outs to go and the lead, our pitchers could not get the job done. Our veteran pitching staff needs to step up and close the door in those situations.”

BYU (4-6) turned things around in its first game on Saturday and held onto its one-run lead to take the 4-3 victory against Cal State Fullerton (2-5), but wasn’t able to finish the day with a win as Portland State hit three homeruns en route a 5-3 victory.

Almond pitched the first three innings against Fullerton and gave up two runs on two hits with five strikeouts. Hannah Howell pitched the remaining four innings and held CSF to one run on two hits for her first win of the season. Ashlee Brawley Robinson and Clayton led the team offensively with two hits apiece. Robinson also scored one run and brought in the game-winning run in the bottom of the fourth.

BYU used a two-run fourth inning to take the 3-2 lead against the Vikings, but a single, double and home run in the bottom of the frame helped Portland State take back the lead at 5-3. BYU wasn’t able to answer and fell to the Vikings for its sixth loss of the season.

Jamie Morris is the softball sports information director for BYU Athletic Communications.