PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – The BYU softball team beat Nebraska 4-1 Friday afternoon on the second day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.

"It was a solid team win today," BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. "It showed great character and heart rebounding from a tough showing last night."

Game Highlights:

• Arissa Paulson and Autumn Moffat allowed only one run in the game. Paulson recorded her fourth win of the season while Moffat tallied the team’s first save.
• Martha Epenesa hit her first career homer to give BYU a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.
• Reggie Kanagawa kept the Cougars rolling in the top of the seventh inning with a base hit in her first career at bat.

Player Highlights:

• Arissa Paulson: W (4-1), 4 IP, 1R, 3K
• Autumn Moffat: S (1), 3.0 IP, 1H, 0R, 2 K
• Martha Epenesa: 1-3, 1R, 1RBI, HR, BB

BYU vs. Nebraska Box Score

After a scoreless first inning, Martha Epenesa hit one over the fence to give BYU a 1-0 edge.

In the third inning, Rylee Jensen-McFarland singled to left field and Taylei Williams followed it up with a single of her own. Huntyr Ava singled on a hard-hit ball to the outfield and gave Jensen-McFarland enough time to make it home as BYU went up 2-0.

The Cornhuskers kept the game close, putting up one run in the bottom of the fourth decreasing the Cougars led to 2-1. Both teams went scoreless in the next two innings pushing the game into the seventh.

In the top of the seventh, Reggie Kanagawa came in to pinch hit for her first career at bat. The redshirt freshman singled up the middle to get BYU on base. HannahJo Peterson was then subbed in for her to pinch run. Williams was hit by a pitch advancing Peterson to second. Ava then tallied her second single of the night to load the bases for Arissa Paulson. Two errors from Nebraska resulted in BYU tallying two more runs to make the score 4-1.

In the bottom of the seventh, with runners at second and third base, a groundout to BYU’s shortstop ended the game and BYU won 4-1.

BYU will finish out the Mary Nutter Classic, Saturday, Feb. 21 with a game against Mississippi State at 2:30 p.m. PT followed by the last contest against Bethune Cookman at 5 p.m. PT. Both games will be broadcast 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: --