LOS ANGELES – BYU softball came out with a chip on its shoulder, run-ruling Loyola Marymount University 10-2 in six innings Saturday afternoon at Smith Field in Los Angeles.

“We’re a pretty good team when we show up,” BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. “Our players played for the team today. It’s much different than playing for themselves.”

Pitcher McKenna Bull (34-7) provided a steady hand in the circle, throwing all six innings and allowing two earned runs on four hits with eight strikeouts, including seven of the first eight LMU batters.

The Cougars improved to 39-12 and finished 13-2 in West Coast Conference play as the Lions concluded their season at 26-28 (8-7 WCC).

Ashley Thompson led BYU with two hits in addition to scoring two runs and driving in two. Mercedes O’Connor belted her fifth home run of the year while also adding two RBI. Coco Tauali’i shined at the plate by driving in three runs and hitting her team-leading 11th home run on the season.

The Cougars struck first as Gordy Bravo led off with a single to right field. She scored on a Thompson sacrifice fly for the 1-0 lead after the top of the first.

In the bottom half of the frame, Bull went to work as she struck out the side with two going down swinging and one looking.

In the second inning BYU exchanged three hits and an LMU error for three runs beginning with Tauali’i’s one-out home run to center.

Alexa Strid then reached base on an error prior to Lacey Hofstedt’s single to the gap in right center.

After a passed ball advanced the runners to second and third, Strid scored from third on a wild pitch. The fleet-footed Hofstedt also scored for a 4-0 lead at the middle of the second, taking advantage of the LMU pitcher turning her back when walking back to the circle.

Bull repeated her three strikouts of the first inning, getting three Lions to go down swinging.

LMU got some movement in the third frame, scoring one run off a double to the left-center gap, cutting the lead to 4-1.

In the top of the fifth O’Connor cranked a 1-0 pitch to left, hitting the protective nets between the softball field and the tennis courts for her second home run of the series. Thompson then followed with a single up the middle before Sydney Broderick’s double that hit the wall in the right-center gap.

With runners on second and third, Thompson slid across home plate on McKenzie St. Clair’s fielder’s choice. Broderick added the third run of the inning on Tauali’i’s sacrifice fly for the 7-1 Cougar lead.

Two walks and an infield single gave the Lions an at-bat with bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth, but they couldn’t capitalize as Bull got the cleanup batter to pop out to Bravo in center.

In the sixth Hofstedt led off with a walk before stealing her 24th base of the season. Bravo followed with a walk, and both runners advanced on Lauren Bell’s sacrifice bunt. Hofstedt then scored on O'Connor's groundout for the 8-1 advantage.

Next, Thompson came to the plate, knocking in a run on a single to right-center. Consecutive walks by Broderick, St. Clair and Tauali’i scored Thompson for the 10-1 tally heading into the bottom of the sixth.

LMU scored once in the bottom of the frame but failed to extend the game, giving the Cougars the victory in six innings.

BYU softball will learn of its regional postseason destination on the NCAA Softball Selection Special Presented by Capital One on Sunday at 10 p.m. EDT on ESPNU.

Box Score–BYU vs. LMU game three

PROVO, Utah – After clinching the West Coast Conference for the second year in a row, BYU softball finishes the regular season with a nonconference home finale against Utah Valley and a road series at Loyola Marymount.

The Cougars (37-10, 12-0 WCC) host UVU in the rubber game Tuesday at 5 p.m. MDT on BYUtv. BYU will then head down to Southern California to wrap up WCC play with a three-game series with LMU beginning with a doubleheader Friday at 12 and 2 p.m. PDT with the third game Saturday at noon. The first game Friday will be broadcast on The W.tv.

• At the plate. Junior centerfielder Gordy Bravo has a nine-game hitting streak with a conference-best .464 batting average and 70 hits for the second time in her career. Lacey Hofstedt is second in the conference with her .441 clip at the plate.
• Stolen bases. Hofstedt stole three bases in the conference-clinching win over Santa Clara. She has 23 total stolen bases on the season – two behind the BYU single season record of 25 set by Hofstedt in 2013.
• From the circle. Pitcher McKenna Bull is 32-7 with 220 strikeouts and a 1.99 ERA. She is currently tied with Paige Affleck for the most victories in a single season in BYU history. She also broke Affleck’s mark of most strikeouts by a sophomore pitcher.
• Runs. Sydney Broderick and Ashley Thompson are 1-2 in the RBI category with 41 and 40, respectively. Seven of the eight starters have surpassed their RBI totals from 2014.
• Win total. With the 37-10 mark, BYU is just three wins shy of its ninth season with 40 or more wins.
• 11-straight NCAA Regionals. The postseason is the expectation with the Cougars having a total of 12 NCAA appearances and 11-straight including the recent clinching of the automatic bid. The NCAA Selection/Championship Bracket Announcement is Sunday May 10 at 10 p.m. EDT on ESPNU.

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

UVU (Tues. 5 p.m. MDT | BYUtv)

The Wolverines took the first game of the series on March 21 at Gail Miller Field, and the Cougars knotted the series with a win at UVU on April 7. Utah Valley is 16-38 after dropping a two-game series to No. 5 Oklahoma including a perfect game in a 14-0 loss to the Sooners. UVU leaders at the plate are Brianna Gatlin (.338 BA, 8 HR, 22 RBI), Jaylen Watson (.315 Ba, 11 HR, 27 RBI) and Brittney Vansway (.302 BA, 9 HR, 33 RBI). From the circle Bailey Moore (10-19, 5.33 ERA) leads the team in appearances with 45.

Loyola Marymount University (Fri. 12* & 2 p.m. PDT, Sat. 12 p.m. | *The W.tv)

The Lions (24-27, 6-6 WCC) are coming off their conference bye week after a home series win against Saint Mary’s, taking the first two games by one run before falling in the third game. LMU is paced offensively by Amanda Dirks (.367 BA, 7 HR, 34 RBI), Alicia Brown (.328 BA, 6 HR, 25 RBI), Alex Finie (.325 BA, 5 HR, 29 RBI) and Stephanie Maciel (.313 BA, 9 HR, 20 RBI). Rachael Farrington leads the Lions with a 19-14 record and a 2.77 ERA with 200 innings pitched.