BYU softball overpowers CSI and WSU

PROVO, Utah – BYU softball showed its offensive power defeating the College of Southern Idaho 15-2 and Weber State 8-1.

The Cougars were led by sophomore Coco Taualii who went 4-6 with two home runs and eight RBIs. Senior Katie Manuma also had an impressive day going 3-5 with a home run and six RBIs.

Game One

The Golden Eagles started things off scoring on an RBI single to right field in the top of the first inning. The Cougars quickly answered with two runs of their own in the first. Manuma grounded into a fielder’s choice to advance sophomore Gordy Bravo home and junior Megan Arnold added an RBI double to bring around around senior Carly Duckworth.

In the second inning, freshman Sydney Broderick hit a two out single and promptly stole two bases to get into scoring position. After a walk, Bravo came up and hit a double to right center to score both Broderick and freshman Karli Lehr.

The Cougars bats really came alive in the fourth inning starting with a lead-off home run from freshman Ashley Thompson’s, the first of her career, and ending with Taualii’s grand slam. Senior pitcher Tori Almond earned the win after giving up one run over four innings and striking out eight batters.

Game Two

The second game looked to be a pitching battle as neither team gave up a run over the first three innings. However, BYU received had a big fourth inning for the second game in a row. After consecutive singles from freshmen Lauren Bell and Mercedes O'Connor, Manuma got up and hit the ball over the left field fence to give the Cougars a 3-0 lead. In a very similar fashion, Taualii followed singles from Duckworth and Thompson with her second home run of the day to left-center field to put the Cougars on top 6-0.

The Cougars added two more in the bottom of the sixth off an RBI single from Lehr and an RBI double from Taualii to go up 8-0. The Wildcats scored their only run off an RBI triple from Malia Campos in the top of the seventh. Freshman pitcher McKenna Bull earned the win giving up one run on six hits and striking out seven.

BYU has next week off before it takes on Utah Valley on Oct. 8 at 7:00 p.m. MDT at Gail Miller Field.