PROVO, Utah — Sophomore McKenna Bull pitched a dominating performance for BYU softball against San Diego Friday night in Provo, giving up only one hit in the first game of a rain-shortened doubleheader. 

The Cougars (32-9, 7-0 West Coast Conference) took the first game 8-0 in five innings over the Toreros (28-19, 7-3 WCC) while the nightcap was in the middle of the third frame when it was suspended until Saturday at 11 a.m. MDT.

"We played really good softball tonight in all areas,” BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. "We pitched, played defense and hit the ball really well. Ashley Thompson really stepped up, but I thought it was a collective team effort in that first game."

Sophomores Thompson, Sydney Broderick and McKenzie St. Clair each drove in two runs while fellow sophomore Lauren Bell recorded two hits to lead the BYU from the plate. 

Game One

The game began with a scoreless first inning in which BYU left three runners on base in the bottom half of the frame.

Bull then struck out two of three Toreros as the Cougars retired the side in the top of the second. San Diego responded with a quick 1-2-3 inning in the field.

In the top of the third, the Toreros' Tatum Schultz singled up the middle to reach base. Bull walked the next two batters to load the bases for the visitors, but much like in the first, San Diego failed to score any runs. 

Gordy Bravo singled to right center to get on base for the Cougars in the bottom of the third. That was followed with a single by Bell to get two on base. A fielder's choice from Thompson scored Bravo, and a double from Broderick scored two more to bring the advantage to three, 3-0.

Freshman Alexa Strid collected her first double of the season which was quickly followed by a Lacey Hofstedt single up the middle in the fourth. Bravo ensued driving in a run with a fielder's choice, and Bell then singled up the middle to collect an RBI for the 5-0 score with runners on the corners. After a Torero pitcher change, Thompson doubled to center field, scoring another run. With the bases loaded St. Clair hit the gap in right center for a two-run single to increase the advantage to 8-0 at the end of the inning.

Three quick outs in the top of the fifth ended the game 8-0 before the weather turned for a downpour.

Box Score--BYU vs. San Diego (game one)

Game Two

Due to rain, the second game was postponed in the middle of the third and will be resumed Saturday at 11 a.m. MDT. The teams will play the third game of the series at 1 p.m. broadcast on BYUtv. 

PROVO, Utah – A conference showdown caps off the week as BYU softball first hosts Utah State Wednesday and West Coast Conference foe San Diego in a three-game series beginning Friday.

The Cougars (30-9, 6-0 WCC) continue their homestand looking to rebound after having their 10-game win streak snapped last week. They host the Aggies Wednesday at 6 p.m. MDT and the Toreros for a Friday doubleheader with game times at 5 and 7 p.m. and senior day Saturday at 1 p.m. The team will be honoring its two seniors Megan Arnold and Lacey Hofstedt.

Hofstedt continues her stellar season leading the team with a .465 batting average while extending her hitting streak to a career-long 10 games last week. Gordy Bravo is second on the team at the plate, batting .453 with two home runs and 22 RBI.

Coco Tauali’i knocked in three runs with her two-out home run in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game at 5-5 agaisnt Southern Utah. She has a team-high eight dingers on the season. Ashley Thompson is second on the squad with seven and Sydney Broderick has six. 

Pitcher McKenna Bull is 26-6 with 183 strikeouts on the season. She currently is tied for second in BYU history for single-season wins. Her 2.09 ERA has helped pace the BYU defense.

Bull has received run support all season from the team with Mercedes O’Connor leading the team with 36 RBI. Thompson has 34 and Broderick has 33 RBI on the year.

Links to video and live stats will be available on the softball schedule page.

Utah State (Wed. 6 p.m. MDT | BYUtv | BYU Radio)

The Aggies (16-30, 8-10 Mountain West Conference) have lost five games in a row and face Weber State for a doubleheader Tuesday before traveling down to Provo for their second game this season with the Cougars. BYU took the first game in Logan, winning 13-2 in five innings.

Utah State’s offense is powered by Sarah Chow (.432 BA, 6 SB), Alleyah Armendariz (.341 BA, 9 HR, 23 RBI) and Hailey Froton (.354 BA, 2 HR, 41 RBI). Noelle Johnson (14-14, 3.73 ERA) has seen the bulk of the innings from the circle.

San Diego (Fri. 5 & 7 p.m. MDT (The W.tv) | Sat. 1 p.m. (BYUtv))

The Toreros (28-18, 7-2 WCC) recently set a program record in total wins for a season with 28 as they took two out of three games against Santa Clara. San Diego boasts the second-best record in the WCC with conference losses coming against Santa Clara and LMU. The Torero offense is highlighted by freshman Kailey Hill (.388 BA, 12 HR, 31 RBI) and sophomore Olivia Sandusky (.336 BA, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 8 SB). Freshman pitcher Paige von Sprecken (21-8, 1.83 ERA) leads San Diego from the circle.