FRESNO, Calif. – After a 7-1 win against Sacramento State, No. 25 BYU softball dropped its second game to Fresno State, 6-1, in the Fresno State Invitational on Friday.

As a team, BYU (12-7, 0-0 West Coast Conference) totaled 15 hits. Arissa Paulson and McKenna Bull started the two games today, combining for nine strikeouts.

Game one

Freshman pitcher Paulson led BYU past Sacramento State (6-8-1, 0-0 Big Sky), 7-1, for her first career win. Paulson threw five strikeouts and gave up just one run in her winning effort. At the plate, catcher Libby Sugg notched three RBI while shortstop Alexa Strid had a season-high three hits with one run scored. Freshman Rylee Jensen went 2 for 4 with two RBI and two runs.

To start the game, the Hornets got a runner on third, but Strid made a diving play to get the force out at second to end the frame. In the bottom of the first, Jensen led off with a solo homer over right field, the first of her career. Her home run put the Cougars up 1-0 early in the game.

In the bottom of the second, BYU surged further ahead of Sacramento State. Brooke Vander Heide and Jensen each had an RBI single, pushing the lead to 3-0. With the bases loaded, Sugg hit a double against the fence in right center, scoring all three runners. The Cougars led 6-0 after two innings.

For the next three innings, both teams were scoreless. Paulson and the BYU defense held Sacramento State to just two hits during that span, not allowing more than four hitters to get a chance at the plate in each inning.

The Hornets avoided the shutout by bringing in a run in the top of the sixth off of a single to center, making it 6-1. The Cougars responded in the bottom of the frame with a double from Ashley Thompson to bring in Lauren Bell. That run pushed the lead back up to 7-1, which would hold as the final score.

BYU vs. Sacramento State Box Score

Game two

BYU dropped the second game of the day, a 6-1 loss to Fresno State (14-8, 0-0 Mountain West). The Cougars had just four hits in the loss, along with three fielding errors. The lone RBI in the game came from Lexi Tarrow in the sixth inning. McKenna Bull and Olivia Sanchez split the pitching duties.

After the Cougars started the game going three up, three down, the Bulldogs struck first. They scored a run in the bottom of the first to take the early 1-0 lead.

Fresno State pushed the lead to 2-0 after a solo shot over left field in the bottom of the second. BYU trailed 2-0 after two.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Bulldogs added a two-run homer for a 4-0 lead over the Cougars through four innings. BYU had just two hits through four innings, both coming in the second frame.

The Cougars got on board thanks to a Tarrow single in the top of the sixth that scored Vander Heide and loaded the bases with the score at 6-1. However, BYU was unable to capitalize on the opportunity, leaving all three runners stranded. The score would stand, giving the Bulldogs the win.

BYU vs. Fresno State Box Score

On Saturday, BYU will play another doubleheader against Sacramento State and Fresno State. The games will be at 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. PST, respectively, with live stats available on the BYU softball schedule page.

PROVO, Utah – Following a successful trip to San Diego last week, No. 25 BYU softball will head back to California to participate in the Fresno State Invitational from March 10-11.

BYU Game Notes

The Cougars (11-6, 0-0 West Coast Conference) will play the host team Fresno State (13-8, 0-0 Mountain West) along with Sacramento State (4-7, 0-0 Big Sky) in doubleheaders on both Friday and Saturday. They will play the Hornets and Bulldogs on Friday at 12 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. PST, respectively. Then on Saturday, BYU will face the same two teams, battling Sacramento State and Fresno State at 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. PST, respectively.

Live stats will be available for all four games on the BYU softball schedule page. Fans in the Fresno area can listen in to 790 AM ESPN2 Radio for the matchups against Fresno State. 

BYU Storylines

• After throwing 11 strikeouts against Miami, senior McKenna Bull became BYU’s career strikeout leader. In the sixth inning, she surpassed Paige Affleck’s record of 803 to take the top spot. By the end of the weekend, Bull upped her total to 808. She now owns the career records for strikeouts (808), saves (11), shutouts (24) and complete games (77) at BYU. For her efforts, she was named WCC Pitcher of the Week and the College Sports Madness WCC Softball Player of the Week.
• The Cougars came out of the San Diego Classic Ilast week with a 4-1 outing, including two run-rule wins. The 16 runs scored against Detroit Mercy notched a season high for BYU, including 7 runs in one inning.
• Following one week sitting on the outside of the rankings, BYU jumped back to No. 25 in thisweek’s USA Today/NFCA Coaches Top 25. The Cougars have been ranked as high as No. 23, reached back in week 3. They are receiving votes in the ESPN.com/USA Softball Top 25. Neither of BYU’s opponents this week receivedvotes.
• For the second time this season, BYU swept the WCC weekly awards. The Cougars have had at least one player in the weekly awards since the beginning of the season. McKenna Bull earned the WCC Pitcher of the Week nod, her second of the year, and Libby Sugg took her first WCC Player of the Week honor. Bull broke the BYU career strikeout record en route to throwing 25 Ks with a 0.33 ERA over her four games played. Sugg hit her second career grand slam in the win over Boston University. Over the week, she had a .467 batting average and a 1.133 slugging percentage.

Opponents Outlook

Fresno State (13-8, 0-0 Mountain West)

• The Bulldogs have played a tough schedule in 2017, playing three ranked teams en route to a 13-8 record so far.
• They finished 2016 with a 42-12-1 overall record, going 22-1 in conference play. They advanced to the NCAA Fullerton Regional, winning one and losing two.
• BYU trails 9-5 in the series history against Fresno State, with the Bulldogs holding a 7-2 advantage in Fresno.

Sacramento State (4-7, 0-0 Big Sky)

• The Hornets have a 4-7 record so far in 2017 and are playing two more games on Tuesday and Wednesday before the Fresno State Invitational.
• They went 28-22 in 2016 with a 15-6 record in Big Sky play, finishing in second place.
• The series history between BYU and Sacramento State is tied 3-3. The Hornets hold a 3-2 edge at neutral sites.