ST. GEORGE, Utah – Coco Taualii shrugged off a slow start to spark BYU to a split on the first day of the season Thursday winning against Southern Utah and losing to Weber State.

The Cougars (1-1) dropped the first game 4-3 to Weber State (1-0). BYU rebounded in the second game getting the 10-2 win over the Thunderbirds (0-2).

“I feel like today had some positive things happen and some not so positive,” BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. “With a young team, and especially with young pitchers, we have to be patient. I saw signs that we are going in the right direction. So I am confident that when we really need it, it will be there.”

Taualii went 3-for-5 from the plate to go with two RBIs. Carly Duckworth hit .500 on the day to go along with two RBIs. Gordy Bravo led BYU in the first game going 2-for-2 and scoring a run. While Megan Arnold got the nod in the second game and went 2-for-3 with a three-run homerun.

GAME 1

After allowing the first three batters to load the bases, freshman McKenna Bull retired the next three batters in order to get out of the inning. The Cougars took the momentum into the bottom of the inning when Taualii drew a walk and Lacey Millett-Hofstedt had a bunt single. From there a sacrifice bunt and a fielder’s choice helped Taualii to cross the plate for the game’s first run.

Bravo led off the bottom of the fourth with a bunt single. Katie Manuma then reached on an error and a bunt single from Duckworth loaded the bases. Ashley Thompson hit into a fielder’s choice and Sydney Broderick's sacrifice fly to brought in two more and gave the Cougars a 3-0 lead.

Weber State answered in the top of the fourth scoring a run with a single to left center to bring the score to 3-1. After retiring the side in the bottom of the fifth, the Wildcats took a 4-3 lead on a three-run homer from Aly Kulp.

Bravo singled again in the bottom of the sixth and used a couple of fielder’s choice to get to third, but BYU was unable to bring her across the plate. That was as close as the Cougars would get in the final innings.

GAME 2

BYU’s bats heated up in the second game starting with a lead-off homerun from Taualii. After Manuma drew a walk, Duckworth belted a two-run homerun to give the Cougars the 3-0 lead.  

Southern Utah answered in the top of the second loading the bases on walks and then scoring two on an error. In the bottom of the second the Cougars got runners on first and second with a single from Arnold and a walk to McKenzie St. Clair. After a fielder’s choice, Taualii doubled down the left field line to bring St. Clair across the plate. Freshman Lauren Bell hit into a fielder’s choice to bring across Mercedes O’Connor and give the Cougars a 5-2 lead.

Freshmen led the way for BYU in the bottom of the fourth. Broderick led off the inning drawing a walk and two batters later, St. Clair hit her first career homerun to right-center pushing the lead to 7-2.

Duckworth started out the bottom of the fifth with a single and Broderick drew a walk to get runners on first and second. Arnold then came and sent a walk-off three-run shot over the left-field fence. Thompson earned the first win of her BYU career allowing only one hit.

The Cougars next play Nevada and East Carolina on Friday as the Classic continues.

PROVO, Utah – BYU travels to St. George, Utah, to open up the 2014 season in the Red Desert Classic beginning Thursday.

Red Desert Classic
Feb 6-8
Canyons Complex, Field 1
St. George, Utah

Weber State
Thursday, Feb 6 at 2 p.m. MST

Southern Utah
Thursday, Feb 6 at 4 p.m. MST

Nevada
Friday, Feb 7 at 11 a.m. MST

East Carolina
Friday, Feb 7 at 1:30 p.m. MST

University of Texas at Arlington
Saturday, Feb 8 at 11 a.m. MST

BYU

BYU finished the 2013 season with a 33-25 record and took home the Pacific Coast Softball Conference Championship. They return 12 letterwinners, including seven starters. The Cougars are coached by Gordon Eakin, who holds a 449-200 record entering his 12th year as head coach.

Quick hits

• BYU starts seasons off fast, they are 43-22 all-time in their season opening tournaments.
• They have played in the Red Desert Classic nine times and own a 31-10 record in the tournament.
• Gordy Bravo’s 70 hits as a freshman was second only to JC Clayton’s 80 in her freshman year.
• Lacey Millett-Hofstedt will look to break the all-time steals record trailing Clayton by four in only her junior season.
• Coco Tauali’i enters the season having reached base over the final 16 games of the 2013 season.

Weber State

Weber State finished last season with a 10-38 record and made a coaching change in the offseason. They hired coach Mary Kay Amicone who had led SLCC to three straight appearances in the NJCAA national championship game. The Wildcats return 17 players from last year’s team and bring in six new players.

BYU Series Record vs. Weber State
Overall Series Record: 1-0
BYU Record in Provo: 1-0
BYU Record in Ogden: 0-0
BYU Record at Neutral Sites: 0-0
BYU Record under Gordon Eakin: 1-0
Longest BYU Win Streak: 1 (2011-Present)
Longest Weber State Win Streak: none
Largest BYU Margin of Victory: 8 (2011)
Largest Weber State Margin of Victory: none
Most Runs Scored by BYU: 9 (2011)
Most Runs Scored by Weber State: 1 (2011)

Southern Utah

Despite their 18-34 record, Southern Utah got hot when it mattered most advancing all the way to the championship round of the Big Sky Conference tournament before falling to eventual champion Portland State 4-0. The Thunderbirds return nine players, seven of them are returning starters. The Thunderbirds are coached by Kyle Magnusson who is in his fourth year and holds a 72-93 record.

BYU Series Record vs. SUU
Overall Series Record: 44-4
BYU Record in Provo: 20-2
BYU Record in Cedar City: 14-1
BYU Record at Neutral Sites: 10-1
BYU Record under Gordon Eakin: 35-2
Longest BYU Win Streak: 29 (2006-Present)
Longest SUU Win Streak: 2 (2000-01)
Largest BYU Margin of Victory: 20 (2010)
Largest SUU Margin of Victory: 5 (2006)
Most Runs Scored by BYU: 20 (2010)
Most Runs Scored by SUU: 11 (2003)

Nevada

The Wolfpack ended the season with a 30-23 record finishing fourth in their first year as a member of the Mountain West Conference. They tied or broke several offensive team records including doubles, slugging and on-base percentage. They return 17 players, including six starters, while welcoming three new faces. They are coached by Matt Meuchel who has a career record of 121-140 in his sixth year.

BYU Series Record vs. Nevada
Overall Series Record: 3-1
BYU Record in Provo: 0-0
BYU Record in Reno: 3-0
BYU Record at Neutral Sites: 0-1
BYU Record under Gordon Eakin: 3-1
Longest BYU Win Streak: 3 (2012)
Longest Nevada Win Streak: 1 (2013-Present)
Largest BYU Margin of Victory: 10 (2012)
Largest Nevada Margin of Victory: 8 (2013)
Most Runs Scored by BYU: 10 (2012)
Most Runs Scored by Nevada: 14 (2013)

East Carolina

East Carolina put together a 21-31 season last year and finished with six straight losses. They return 11 letterwinners from the 2013 season. They welcome in 12 new players including former BYU pitcher Caroline Umphlett. The last time BYU faced East Carolina was in the championship game of the Austin Regional. The Cougars won to advance to their first and only Super Regional. They are coached by Beth Keylon-Randolph who is in her second year as the head coach of East Carolina. She has a 623-149 record in her 12 year coaching career.

BYU Series Record vs. East Carolina
Overall Series Record: 3-0
BYU Record in Provo: 0-0
BYU Record in Greenville: 0-0
BYU Record at Neutral Sites: 3-0
BYU Record under Gordon Eakin: 3-0
Longest BYU Win Streak: 3 (2008-Present)
Longest ECU Win Streak: None
Largest BYU Margin of Victory: 5 (2010)
Largest ECU Margin of Victory: None
Most Runs Scored by BYU: 8 (2010)
Most Runs Scored by ECU: 6 (2008)

University of Texas Arlington

UTA wrapped up their 2013 campaign with a 25-28 record finishing sixth in the Western Athletic Conference. They return nine players from last year’s team including five starters and they have 10 newcomers. They are in their first year as a member of the Sun Belt Confernce. They are coached by second year coach Kristie Fox.

BYU Series Record vs. UTA
Overall Series Record: 1-1
BYU Record in Provo: 0-0
BYU Record in Arlington: 0-1
BYU Record at Neutral Sites: 1-0
BYU Record under Gordon Eakin: 1-0
Longest BYU Win Streak: 1 (2006-Present)
Longest UTA Win Streak: 1 (2001)
Largest BYU Margin of Victory: 3 (2006)
Largest UTA Margin of Victory: 1 (2001)
Most Runs Scored by BYU: 5 (2006)
Most Runs Scored by UTA: 2 (2006)