LAS VEGAS - The BYU softball team scored 25 runs and had 24 hits combined in two games at the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic, defeating Cal State Northridge 11-1 and Memphis 14-8 on Friday.

The wins improve BYU's record to 6-2 and the Cougars' win streak to five straight games.

Senior Stacie Toney went 5 of 6 on the day with four runs, five RBI, a double and a home run while senior Delaney Willard hit a home run in each game to extend her consecutive home run streak to four games, tied for the fifth-longest such streak in NCAA history and making her the only player in NCAA history to have two separate streaks of four games or more with a home run. Willard also hit a home run in four straight games last season in early April.

In the first game against CSUN, the Cougars actually trailed 1-0 after a Matador home run in the third inning. That changed quickly in the bottom of the fourth when BYU exploded for 11 runs, the second largest single-inning tally in program history.

Freshman Megan Arnold brought in Toney for the first run of the inning. Dugas brought in the second run with a perfectly executed slap hit that didn't come down to the fielder off its initial bounce in the dirt until Dugas had about reached first base.

With the bases still loaded, Willard followed up with a grand slam to center field, the third bases-loaded bomb of her career, to widen the lead.

In her second at bat of the inning, Toney hit an RBI-double to bring in Katie Manuma followed by Alexandra Hudson clocking a two-RBI single for BYU.

Toney, Hudson, Dugas and JC Clayton each had two hits and Toney and junior Bailie Hicken tied for the team lead with two runs apiece.

Amongst all the scoring, freshman pitcher Caroline Umphlett stayed perfect with a 4-0 record following the win, allowing just one hit with no walks in five innings of work.

Game Two

Six extra base hits, including three home runs, propelled BYU to a win in its second game of the day.

Sophomore Carly Duckworth hit a 3-run homer in the first, Toney added another 3-run homer in the third and Willard added a 2-run shot in the fifth as BYU scored three or more runs in four different innings.

Junior Hannah Howell earned the win starting at pitcher for BYU, racking up seven strikeouts.

Toney added an RBI-single to give her a team-high four RBI in the game while Clayton scored four runs after reaching on two hits - one a triple - and two walks.

Also adding to the cause was sophomore first baseman Jenna Goar. Goar hit an RBI-double before scoring a run after an illegal pitch in the fifth inning before bringing in Duckworth and Willard on double to right center in the sixth for the Cougars.

BYU will look to finish the Desert Classic undefeated on Saturday when the Cougars face Indiana at 11:15 a.m. PT and DePaul at 1:30 p.m. PT. Visit the BYU softball schedule page for a live stats link for the first game and go to the BYU Softball Facebook page for updates during the contest against DePaul.

LOUISVILLE SLUGGER DESERT CLASSIC
Feb. 16-18, 2012
UNLV Campus & Stephanie Lynn Craig Park
Las Vegas & Henderson, Nev.

Portland State
Thurs., Feb. 16
3 p.m. PT
UNLV Campus

Cal State Northridge
Fri., Feb. 17
3:45 p.m. PT
SLC 1 Field

Memphis
Fri., Feb. 17
6 p.m. PT
SLC 1 Field

Indiana
Sat., Feb. 18
11:15 a.m. PT
SLC 2 Field

UC Santa Barbara
Sat., Feb. 18
1:30 p.m. PT
SLC 2 Field

COUGAR QUICK HITS
— Last season at the Louisville Slugger Desert Classic, BYU went 4-1 with wins over SIUE, Cal Poly, Boise State and Cal State Northridge with the lone loss coming against No. 18 Stanford.
— BYU defeated two top-15 teams last weekend, beating No. 15 Texas A&M and No. 11 Oregon at the Kajikawa Classic.
— Senior outfielder Delaney Willard earned WAC Hitter of the Week after collecting nine hits, nine RBI, six runs, three doubles, three home runs, one walk and 21 total bases in five games last week- end. Willard is currently batting .529 with a 1.235 slugging percentage.
— BYU head coach Gordon Eakin began his 10th season with a 371-160 (.699) record, placing him No. 18 among active coaches in career win percentage and would be No. 19 all-time on the same list (all-time list requires minimum of 10 years coaching). Last season, Eakin won his third-straight MWC Coach of the Year.

OPPONENT NOTES

Portland State
Portland State comes in after also competing in the Kajikawa Classic, losing to BYU’s former MWC foes San Diego State and Utah. The Vikings have been sparked early by Karmen Holladay who has five hits and nine total bases. Starting pitcher Anna Bertrand is 2-1 with a 2.95 ERA and has thrown a complete game in each of her three appear- ances. Last season, BYU lost after stellar performances by Jessica Fitu who hit two home runs and Paige Affleck who no-hit the Vikings through seven innings. A walk and a collection of singles gave PSU the win in eight innings.

Cal State Northridge
Last season, BYU had no trouble with the Matadors, winning 11-0 behind Jessica Fitu’s BYU single game record five hits, including a grand slam. Pitching as a freshman, current hurler Tori Almond threw the complete game shutout, striking out six with only three hits. Cal State Northridge has had a tough season after the first weekend, going 0-5 with games against ranked teams Stanford, Nebraska and Arizona.

Memphis
BYU will face the Tigers for the first time in team history this weekend. Morgan Mosby is the only Memphis player with more than three hits after last weekend and leads the team with eight hits. The Tigers have struggled hitting for extra bases with only three doubles and one home run as a team. They currently have more strikeouts (27) than hits (22) - no doubt in part to opening against Alabama.

Indiana
BYU has not allowed a run against the Hoosiers in the teams’ two-games series, winning 2-0 in 2004 and 6-0 in 2009. In the ‘09 contest, current Cougars Jessica Dugas (1 walk), Tiffany Messerschmidt (1 hit, 1 run) and Krista Hicks (1 hit) all contributed. Indiana is hitting very well with a .344 team batting average, led by Jenna Abraham’s seven hits, including two doubles and two homers. Pitcher Meaghan Murphy has 18 strikeouts in three appearances.

DePaul
Besides getting in the way of a hot Hawaii team in Honolulu, DePaul has cruised this season. Lynsey Ciezki and Mary Connolly are both batting above .400 with Ciezki leading the team with seven hits and Connolly hitting two home runs while drawing three walks and totaling a 1.111 slugging percentage. Kirsten Verdun is 2-1 for the Demons with a team-high 16 strikeouts. BYU last played DePaul in a doubleheader in 2006 when the two teams split the series.

LAST TIME OUT
TEMPE, Ariz. - A rollercoaster week for the BYU softball team left the cougars with a 3-2 record after the first weekend of the season.
Competing at the Kajikawa Classic, the Cougars suffered their worst loss in program history in the season opener, falling 22-5 to Oregon State. BYU could not end a 16-run second inning by the Beavers and used five pitchers in the game.
BYU bounced back in a big way the next day with a 3-2 win over No. 15 Texas A&M. Senior Delaney Willard hit a three-run homer in the first inning and pitchers Caroline Umphlett and Hannah Howell, along with a much improved defense, did the rest to earn the win. in BYU’s second game of the day, Willard hit another home run, this a two-run shot, but Texas State’s hitting did the Cougars in, giving the Bobcats a 6-2 victory.
On the final day of competition, BYU again bounced back from a loss, winning both its games on Saturday. The first was a gutsy victory over No. 11 Oregon. Howell pitched into the sixth inning allowing just one run to the Ducks while Umphlett closed out the game. Ashlee Brawley hit a chopper to the Duck shortstop who fumbled the ball just enough to throw late to first. Brawley was ruled safe while the game-winning run by Carly Duckworth scored, giving BYU a 2-1 win. BYU closed out the weekend with a 12-4 romp over UC Santa Barbara highlighted by Willard’s third home run of the weekend, a bases clearing double by Alexandra Hudson and an eight-strikeout performance from Umphlett.