Cathedral Classic Ends with 11-4 Victory

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - The BYU softball team finished the Cathedral City Classic with a bang, rounding up 15 hits on its way to an 11-3 victory against Long Island University Brooklyn on Saturday.

Freshman pitcher Caroline Umphlett earned the win as the starter in the circle to improve to 5-1 on the year. Umphlett pitched 4.0 innings giving up one hit and one run with four strikeouts against the Blackbirds.

Eight different Cougars picked up at least one hit, led by senior Delaney Willard with four hits, four RBI and two runs. Sophomore Carly Duckworth had two doubles, two RBI and a walk while sophomore Katie Manuma hit her second home run in as many days on her way to scoring two runs and earning two RBI.

BYU (9-6) chipped away throughout the game, scoring in five of the seven innings. Up 5-1, the Cougars pulled away with four runs in the top of the sixth inning. A Willard single - BYU's third of the inning - scored JC Clayton. Two hitter later, senior Stacie Toney hit a single to center field that proved turned into a run around the bases after an error by the LIU centerfielder enabled Willard and Katie Manuma to score before Toney herself came all the way around to bring the BYU lead to 9-1. 

Toney finished with a 2 for 3 night with two runs, two walks and an RBI.while Clayton added three runs on two hits.

Doubles by Willard in the first inning and Duckworth in the fourth each scored two runs for BYU and Manuma's two-run bomb in the seventh capped the scoring for the Cougars.

Beginning Thursday, Mar. 1, BYU will compete in the San Diego Classic, opening with former Mountain West Conference rival San Diego State on the Aztecs' campus at 7 p.m. PT. Continuing through Saturday the Cougars will also play Cal State Northridge, Saint Joseph's, Long Beach State and Charlotte.