ALBUQUERQUE -- The Cougar offense came out swinging against New Mexico in a 13-4 win Friday night. The BYU softball team advanced to 25-14 overall and 2-0 in Mountain West Conference play.

Senior outfielder Stephanie Hopkins led the team with a three-run homer, going 2-for-3. Andrea Ramirez hit two doubles as the junior finished the night 3-for-4.

The Cougars took a definitive four-run lead before the Lobos were able to record an out. Both Kristin Delahoussaye and Tiffany Messerschmidt set the table for Angeline Quiocho who tripled to centerfield. Clean-up hitter Jessica Purcell singled to bring around Quiocho, and Coreen Lopez also singled to bring in a run before the first out occurred.

BYU took a 5-0 lead into the bottom of the inning as Lopez eventually scored on a wild pitch before the third out.

After giving up a bases-loaded single in the second inning, BYU answered back with a run in the fourth. Quiocho hit an RBI grounder to bring the Cougar lead to 6-1. Lopez hit an RBI double in the top of the fifth before a wild pitch scored another BYU runner to take an 8-1 lead.

In the bottom half of the frame the Lobos rallied against BYU’s pitcher, Paige Affleck. They scored two runs off of two hits as Affleck walked two and hit another.

The Cougars answered back, protecting their pitcher with five runs in the top of the sixth, highlighted by Hopkins; three-run home. Purcell and Ramirez also grabbed an RBI apiece in the BYU rally.

After the Lobos singled, junior righthander Christie Zinanti came in for relief in a non-save situation. Zinanti’s ability to close the inning ended the game, as the eight-run rule was enacted.

Affleck received the winning decision, improving to 13-7 on the season. She was charged with all four runs, allowing six hit and striking out four batters.

BYU looks improve its season-best six-game win streak as the Cougars are slated to face New Mexico again Saturday at 7 p.m. Livestats and video are available at www.byucougars.com.

Box Score
The Automated ScoreBook
Brigham Young Univ. at New Mexico
Apr 03, 2009 at Albuquerque, N.M. (Lobo Field)
Brigham Young Univ. 13 (25-14,2-0)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
DELAHOUSSAYE, Kristi 2b..  3  1  1  0   1  1  4  3   1
 DAVIS, Caschjen ph......  1  0  1  0   0  0  0  0   0
MESSERSCHMIDT, Tiffa dp..  3  2  1  0   1  1  0  0   0
 DUGAS, Jessica ph.......  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   2
QUIOCHO, Angeline cf.....  4  2  2  3   0  0  0  0   0
PURCELL, Jessica c.......  3  2  2  2   1  0  4  1   2
RAMIREZ, Andrea 1b.......  4  2  3  1   0  1  5  2   0
LOPEZ, Coreen 3b.........  3  1  2  2   0  0  0  1   0
 NIX-THOMAS, Whitney pr..  0  1  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
HOPKINS, Stephanie rf....  3  1  2  3   0  0  1  0   1
HICKS, Krista ss.........  2  1  0  0   2  0  3  1   0
GONZALES, Monica lf......  3  0  1  0   1  0  1  0   1
AFFLECK, Paige p.........  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  1   0
 ZINANTI, Christie p.....  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 30 13 15 11   6  3 18  9   7
New Mexico 4 (10-24,1-1)
Player                    AB  R  H RBI BB SO PO  A LOB
------------------------------------------------------
ANDERSON 2b..............  3  0  0  0   0  0  5  1   0
HODGINS rf/p.............  4  1  2  2   0  1  0  0   0
HUGHES cf................  3  0  0  0   0  1  1  0   2
RUBALCAVA dp/p...........  2  0  0  0   1  0  0  1   0
GILMORE 1b...............  1  1  1  1   2  0  3  1   0
GARCIA c.................  3  0  1  0   0  0  4  1   3
DRESSLAR lf..............  2  0  0  0   1  1  1  0   1
DUARTE 3b/rf.............  3  1  2  1   0  1  0  1   0
GEORGE ss................  2  1  1  0   1  0  4  4   2
CASTRO p/dp..............  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0   0
Totals................... 23  4  7  4   5  4 18  9   8
Score by Innings                R  H  E
---------------------------------------
Brigham Young Univ.. 500 125 - 13 15  0
New Mexico.......... 010 021 -  4  7  1
---------------------------------------
E - GEORGE. DP - Cougars 1; Lobos 2. LOB - Cougars 7; Lobos 8. 2B - DAVIS;
RAMIREZ 2; LOPEZ 2; GEORGE. 3B - QUIOCHO. HR - HOPKINS. HBP - HOPKINS;
ANDERSON; HUGHES. SH - LOPEZ. CS - QUIOCHO; ANDERSON.
Brigham Young Univ.    IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
AFFLECK, Paige......  5.1  6  4  4  4  4 20 26
ZINANTI, Christie...  0.2  1  0  0  1  0  3  4
New Mexico             IP  H  R ER BB SO AB BF
-----------------------------------------------
CASTRO..............  0.0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0
RUBALCAVA...........  2.0 10 10  9  3  0 15 20
HODGINS.............  4.0  5  3  3  3  3 15 18
Win - AFFLECK (13-7).  Loss - RUBALCAVA (5-13).  Save - None.
WP - HODGINS 2. HBP - by RUBALCAVA (HOPKINS); by AFFLECK (ANDERSON); by AFFLECK
(HUGHES). BK - AFFLECK. PB - PURCELL.
Umpires - HP: Steve McCown  1B: Scott Sparks  3B: Winn Garrett
Start: 7 p.m.   Time: 2:03   Attendance: 674
Weather: Partly Cloudy, Windy
RUBALCAVA faced 7 batters in the 1st.
HODGINS faced 3 batters in the 5th.
Game: NM1
Play-by-Play
                            The Automated ScoreBook
                Brigham Young Univ. at New Mexico - Play-by-Play
                 Apr 03, 2009 at Albuquerque, N.M. (Lobo Field)
Score by Innings                R  H  E
---------------------------------------
Brigham Young Univ.. 500 125 - 13 15  0
New Mexico.......... 010 021 -  4  7  1
---------------------------------------
Brigham Young Univ. starters: 4/2b DELAHOUSSAYE; 20/dp MESSERSCHMID; 33/cf
QUIOCHO; 10/c PURCELL; 31/1b RAMIREZ; 7/3b LOPEZ; 5/rf HOPKINS; 22/ss HICKS;
24/lf GONZALES; 12/p AFFLECK;
New Mexico starters: 1/2b ANDERSON; 21/rf HODGINS; 4/cf HUGHES; 2/dp RUBALCAVA;
24/1b GILMORE; 18/c GARCIA; 12/lf DRESSLAR; 22/3b DUARTE; 7/ss GEORGE; 15/p
CASTRO;
Brigham Young Univ. 1st - RUBALCAVA to p. CASTRO. DELAHOUSSAYE walked.
MESSERSCHMID singled to shortstop; DELAHOUSSAYE advanced to second. QUIOCHO
tripled to center field, 2 RBI; MESSERSCHMID scored; DELAHOUSSAYE scored.
PURCELL singled to center field, RBI; QUIOCHO scored. RAMIREZ doubled to center
field; PURCELL advanced to third. LOPEZ doubled to center field, RBI; RAMIREZ
advanced to third; PURCELL scored. HOPKINS hit by pitch. HODGINS to p.
RUBALCAVA to 3b. DUARTE to rf. HICKS reached on a fielder's choice to third
base; HOPKINS advanced to second; LOPEZ advanced to third; RAMIREZ out at home
3b to c. HICKS advanced to second on a wild pitch; HOPKINS advanced to third on
a wild pitch; LOPEZ scored on a wild pitch. GONZALES lined into double play ss
unassisted; HICKS out on the play. 5 runs, 5 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
New Mexico 1st - ANDERSON hit by pitch. HODGINS struck out swinging.
HUGHES popped up to 2b. ANDERSON out at second c to ss, caught stealing. 0
runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 2nd - DELAHOUSSAYE struck out looking. MESSERSCHMID
walked. QUIOCHO reached on a fielder's choice to shortstop; MESSERSCHMID out at
second ss to 2b. QUIOCHO out at second c to ss, caught stealing. 0 runs, 0
hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
New Mexico 2nd - RUBALCAVA grounded out to 2b. GILMORE singled to right
field. GARCIA singled to right field; GILMORE advanced to second. GARCIA
advanced to second on an illegal pitch; GILMORE advanced to third on an illegal
pitch. DRESSLAR walked. DUARTE singled to left field, RBI; DRESSLAR advanced to
second; GARCIA advanced to third; GILMORE scored. GEORGE grounded into double
play 2b to 1b; DUARTE out on the play. 1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 3rd - PURCELL walked. RAMIREZ struck out looking.
LOPEZ out at first 1b to 2b; PURCELL advanced to second. HOPKINS flied out to
lf. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
New Mexico 3rd - ANDERSON out at first 1b to 2b. HODGINS grounded out to
ss. HUGHES struck out looking. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 0 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 4th - HICKS walked. GONZALES singled, bunt; HICKS
advanced to second. DELAHOUSSAYE singled up the middle; GONZALES advanced to
second; HICKS advanced to third. MESSERSCHMID struck out looking. QUIOCHO
reached on a fielder's choice to shortstop, RBI; DELAHOUSSAYE out at second ss
to 2b; GONZALES advanced to third; HICKS scored. PURCELL grounded out to ss.
1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.
New Mexico 4th - RUBALCAVA grounded out to p. GILMORE walked. GARCIA
flied out to rf. DRESSLAR reached on a fielder's choice to shortstop; GILMORE
out at second ss unassisted. 0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 5th - RAMIREZ doubled down the rf line. LOPEZ
doubled to right center, RBI; RAMIREZ scored. NIX-THOMAS pinch ran for LOPEZ.
HOPKINS singled to left field; NIX-THOMAS advanced to third. HOPKINS advanced
to second on a wild pitch; NIX-THOMAS scored on a wild pitch. LOPEZ to 3b for
NIX-THOMAS. HODGINS to rf. RUBALCAVA to p. DUARTE to 3b. HICKS walked. GONZALES
popped up to ss. DELAHOUSSAYE grounded into double play 2b to 1b; HICKS out on
the play. 2 runs, 3 hits, 0 errors, 1 LOB.
New Mexico 5th - DUARTE struck out looking. GEORGE doubled to right
field. ANDERSON grounded out to 3b; GEORGE advanced to third. HODGINS singled
to pitcher, RBI; GEORGE scored. HUGHES hit by pitch; HODGINS advanced to
second. HUGHES advanced to second on a passed ball; HODGINS advanced to third
on a passed ball. RUBALCAVA walked. GILMORE walked, RBI; RUBALCAVA advanced to
second; HUGHES advanced to third; HODGINS scored. GARCIA out at first 1b to 2b.
2 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, 3 LOB.
Brigham Young Univ. 6th - MESSERSCHMID reached on a throwing error by
ss. QUIOCHO singled to third base; MESSERSCHMID advanced to second. PURCELL
singled to left field, advanced to second on the throw, RBI; QUIOCHO advanced
to third; MESSERSCHMID scored, unearned. RAMIREZ singled to center field, RBI;
QUIOCHO scored. LOPEZ out at first 3b to 2b, SAC, bunt; RAMIREZ advanced to
second; PURCELL advanced to third. HOPKINS homered to left field, 3 RBI;
RAMIREZ scored; PURCELL scored. HICKS popped up to cf. GONZALES walked. DAVIS
pinch hit for DELAHOUSSAYE. DAVIS doubled to left center; GONZALES advanced to
third. DUGAS pinch hit for MESSERSCHMID. DUGAS grounded out to ss. 5 runs, 5
hits, 1 error, 2 LOB.
New Mexico 6th - DELAHOUSSAYE to 2b for DAVIS. DRESSLAR struck out
looking. DUARTE singled down the rf line. ZINANTI to p for AFFLECK. GEORGE
walked; DUARTE advanced to second. ANDERSON reached on a fielder's choice to
second base; GEORGE out at second 2b to ss; DUARTE advanced to third. HODGINS
singled up the middle, RBI; ANDERSON advanced to second; DUARTE scored. HUGHES
popped up to lf. 1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, 2 LOB.

PROVO -- The BYU softball team travels to Colorado State to being Mountain West Conference play on Thursday before heading to New Mexico for a two-game series Friday and Saturday.

The Cougars were picked to contend for first place in the MWC pre-season poll, as both BYU and San Diego State were tied in a vote for first place cast by the MWC coaches.

With a 23-14 record over a difficult tournament schedule, the Cougars have look forward to League play.

Last season BYU finished second in the conference with a 42-18 overall record and a 14-6 finish in MWC play. San Diego State beat BYU to a race for first place with a 15-5 MWC finish.

BYU will face Colorado State at 3 p.m. Thursday. They finished fourth in the conference with a 9-11 showing. The Rams are currently 16-9 on the season.

After Thursday’s game the Cougars will face New Mexico, who finished the MWC season 7-13 in fifth place. The Lobos are 9-23 on the season.

Livestats and live video will be available at www.byucougars.com.