OREM, Utah – The Utah Valley University softball team found itself on the wrong end of an 11-0 non-conference contest to neighboring foe BYU as part of the UCCU Crosstown Clash on Tuesday afternoon at Wolverine Softball Field.
 
The Wolverines drop to 10-22 overall with the setback, while the preseason favorite West Coast Conference Cougars improve to 22-18 with the win.
 
"It was good to see Lauren Frailey Spendlove and Karly Bunderson get out there and compete for us off of the bench. There were a few bright spots, but overall we've got to do a better job of controlling the tempo and the pace of the game," head UVU coach TJ Hubbard said. "It definitely wasn't what we expected or what we wanted, but we'll learn from it and move on."
 
BYU got things going early as Libby Sugg doubled down the line to score Rylee Jensen from second. Madison Merrell followed up with a double of her own to left center field that drove in both Lexi Tarrow and reigning WCC Hitter of the Week Sugg to give the Cougars a 3-0 lead in the middle of the first inning.
 
Utah Valley then threatened in the bottom of the first by loading the bases with just one away, but Brigham Young's Kerisa Viramontes managed to escape the jam by retiring both Basia Query and Madison Sisco with back-to-back infield pop-ups to keep the Wolverines off of the board.
 
Brigham Young then added to its lead in the second with four unearned runs to take a 7-0 advantage. After Caitlyn Alldredge came home on a two-out UVU throwing error, Sugg delivered the big blow with a three-run homer to extend the Cougars lead.
 
In the top of the third inning, BYU's Alldredge then blasted out a solo homer center and Ashley Godfrey later followed by coming home on another UVU miscue to extend Brigham Young's lead to 9-0.  
 
BYU then tacked on a run in both the fourth and fifth innings while continuing to hold the Wolverines scoreless as the Cougars completed the 11-0 five-inning run-rule shutout victory. 
 
Viramontes (11-6) picked up the win in the circle for the Cougars as she pitched four scoreless innings with two strikeouts while giving up only two hits. UVU's Addie Jensen (6-9) was tagged with the loss for the Wolverines after allowing three earned runs (seven total) on six hits in 1.2 innings of work.
 
As a team, Utah Valley collected just three hits on the day. Brianna Moeller, Lyndsay Steverson, and Karly Bunderson all singled for the Wolverines in the contest.  
 
UVU will now hit the road to return to WAC play at UMKC this weekend. With cold weather forecasted in Kansas City, the series has been altered to a doubleheader on Friday afternoon (12 and 2 p.m. MT/1 and 3 p.m. CT) and a single game on Saturday at noon MT/1 p.m. CT. Following the series, Utah Valley will return to the state of Utah for a midweek in-state game at Utah State on Wednesday, April 18.