PALM SPRINGS, Calif. –  Two-run home runs from Huntyr Ava and Rylee Jensen-McFarland lifted the BYU softball team to a 5-2 win over UC Riverside before falling to Notre Dame 11-1 Thursday night on the first day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.

Game One

Game Highlights:

• In the bottom of the third inning, Huntyr Ava hit a two-run bomb over the fence followed by another two-run homer from Rylee Jensen-McFarland in the bottom of the fourth.
• Autumn Moffat earned her second win of the season as well as her third complete game.

Player Highlights:

• Rylee Jensen-McFarland: 1-2, 2R, 2RBI, HR, BB
• Huntyr Ava: 1-2, 1R, 2RBI, HR
• Autumn Moffat: W (2-1), 7.0 IP, 2R, 3K

Two back-to-back walks started off the Cougars in the bottom of the first inning. Ava then laid down a sacrifice bunt but reached base on an error by UC Riverside’s first baseman giving Jensen-McFarland the opportunity to make it home as BYU went up 1-0.

In the bottom of the third, Ava hit one out of the park to score Erin Miklus who had drawn a walk to make the score 3-0. The Highlanders answered back with a run of their own in the top of the fourth frame. Jensen-McFarland followed it up with a two-run homer in the bottom of the fourth to push BYU to a 5-1 lead.

UC Riverside would score one more run in the top of the sixth, but ultimately could not catch BYU and the Cougars took the 5-2 win.

Game Two

Notre Dame got on the board in the first inning with a homer to left field. BYU was unable to answer back and the Fighting Irish put up two more runs in the top of the third inning.

Notre Dame scored four runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings to make the score 11-0. BYU scored one run in the bottom of the fifth inning but it was too late as the game ended 11-1.

The Cougars continue on the second day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Challenge with a game against Nebraska at 3:30 p.m. PT. The game will be played at the Big League Dream Softball Complex with live streaming available on FloSoftball.  

PROVO, Utah – In its third week of the season, the BYU softball team will travel back to California to play in the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic in Cathedral City Thursday, Friday and Saturday. 

BYU at Mary Nutter Classic Game Notes

This will be the first tournament this season where the Cougars will face five different teams including three from the Power 5 conferences. 

On the first day of the tournament, BYU will take on UC Riverside on Thursday, Feb. 20 in a 6 p.m. PT match-up followed by a game against Notre Dame at 8:30 p.m. On Friday, Feb. 21, BYU will play only one game against Nebraska with a 3:30 p.m. start time. 

Mississippi State and Bethune-Cookman are on the slate for Saturday, Feb. 22 on the final day of competition at 2:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., respectively. 

All five games will be played at the Big League Dreams Complex in Cathedral City, California. The first three games will be played on Yankee Field while the Saturday contests will be at the Pawtucket Field. All of the games will be streamed on FloSoftball with live stats on the BYU schedule page. 

BYU Storylines

20 Years of BYU Softball. The start of the 2020 season marks the 20th anniversary of the start of BYU softball. February 4, 2000, the Cougars defeated Sacramento State 3-2 in San Jose to start the program off with a win. In the 20 years, BYU has captured 14 conference titles and made 16 appearances in the NCAA tournament. Head coach Gordon Eakin has been part of the BYU softball program since its inception and took over the head coaching duties in 2002.

Ranked Opponents. Throughout the 2020 season, BYU will play six top 25 teams as well as a handful of teams that received votes in the poll. 

California Calling. In their second week of travel to California, the Cougars return to the Mary Nutter Classic. This is BYU’s 12th-straight season going to Cathedral City after first attending in 2005.  

Return to the WCC. This will be BYU’s seventh season as a member of the West Coast Conference after joining in the 2014 season. Since its first season, BYU has claimed the WCC Championship for six-straight years. Last season, BYU earned three of three of the top season awards including Player of the Year (Lexi Tarrow), Pitcher of the Year (Arissa Paulson) and Defensive Player of the Year (Erin Miklus) as well as having seven players be named to the All-WCC teams. 

BYU Record Book. Left fielder Rylee Jensen-McFarland returns for her senior season at BYU already ranked in multiple categories in the BYU record books. Jensen-McFarland ranks top 10 at BYU in career batting average (.350), runs (143) and on-base percentage (.444). Only a junior, starting pitcher Arissa Paulson ranks top ten at BYU in career wins (34), complete games (32), shutouts (7), strikeouts (288) and all-time consecutive scoreless innings pitched (20.0).

Opponent Outlook

UC Riverside | Thursday, Feb. 20 | 6 p.m. PT | FloSoftball  
Overall: 3-0
Home: 0-0
Away: 0-0
Neutral: 3-0
Under Eakin: 3-0
Longest win Streak: 3
Last win: 9-5, 3/26/04
Longest Losing Streak: --
Last loss: --

Notre Dame | Thursday, Feb. 20 | 8:30 p.m. PT | FloSoftball
Overall: 0-3
Home: 0-0
Away: 0-0
Neutral: 0-3
Under Eakin: 0-3
Longest win Streak: -
Last win: --
Longest Losing Streak: 3
Last loss: 4-2, 3/13/16

Nebraska | Friday, Feb. 21 | 3:30 p.m. PT | FloSoftball 
Overall: 4-9
Home: 0-0
Away: 0-2
Neutral: 4-7
Under Eakin: 3-5
Longest win Streak: 2
Last win: 12-1, 2/9/17
Longest Losing Streak: 4
Last loss: 3-1, 5/17/01

Mississippi State | Saturday, Feb. 22 | 2:30 p.m. PT | FloSoftball|
Overall: 2-2
Home: 0-0
Away: 0-0
Neutral: 2-2
Under Eakin: 2-2
Longest win Streak: 2 
Last win: 8-0, 5/18/17
Longest Losing Streak: 2
Last loss: 1-0, 2/15/07

Bethune-Cookman | Saturday, Feb. 22 | 5:00 p.m. PT | FloSoftball
Overall: 2-0
Home: 0-0
Away: 0-0
Neutral: 2-0
Under Eakin: 2-0
Longest win Streak: 2 
Last win: 3-0, 2/25/16
Longest Losing Streak: --
Last loss: --