PROVO, Utah – The Utah Valley University softball team found itself on the wrong end of an 11-3 UCCU Crosstown Clash to neighboring rival BYU in non-conference action on Tuesday evening at Gail Miller Field in Provo.
 
The Cougars (30-20) scored 11 runs on 11 hits on their way to recording the run-rule in-state victory, while UVU mustered three runs on four hits to drop to 19-25 on the season. Despite suffering the setback, the Wolverines have won nine of their last 12 ballgames.  
 
Utah Valley struck first by manufacturing a run in the top of the first to take an early 1-0 advantage. After Brianna Moeller was hit by a pitch, Peyton Angulo singled to right and Lyndsay Steverson walked to load the bases, Madison Sisco later drew a bases loaded walk to drive in Moeller and give UVU the early 1-0 lead.
 
The Cougars then quickly answered back with three in bottom of the first and four more in the second to take a 7-1 lead. Libby Sugg delivered the big hit for BYU in the frame with a three-run round tripper to left center to give Brigham Young its first lead of the contest. Lexi Tarrow, Sugg and Bridget Fleener all followed with RBI hits in the second to extend Brigham Young's lead.
 
The Wolverines then countered back in the third with a two-run homer from Sisco to make it a 7-3 game. Following a leadoff walk in the frame from Angulo, Sisco later drove out her team-leading seventh long ball of the season to make it a four-run game.
 
BYU later tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the third and another in the fourth to take an 11-3 lead. Rylee Jensen and Tarrow both drove in runs for the Cougars in the third, and Alexa Strid later capped Brigham Young's scoring with a solo home run to left center in the last of the fourth.
 
Lauren Frailey Spendlove (4-5) suffered the loss for UVU in the circle, while BYU's Kerisa Viramontes (16-6) earned the win after going 4.2 innings for the Cougars.
 
Sisco paced Utah Valley at the plate in the ballgame by going 1-for-2 with three RBIs and a run scored, while Moeller and Angulo each finished 1-for-2 with a run scored. Sugg led Brigham Young by going a perfect 3-for-3 offensively with four runs batted in and two runs scored.
 
With the setback, BYU takes the season series over the Wolverines two games to none.
 
The Wolverines will now close their regular season with a three-game non-conference series at Nevada of the Mountain West Conference this weekend. The series will consist of a Saturday doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. MT/noon PT and a single game on Sunday at 1 p.m. MT/noon PT in Reno. Following the weekend series, UVU will head to Las Cruces, New Mexico for the 2018 WAC Tournament. The second-seeded Wolverines will open play on Thursday, May 10 at 1 p.m. MT against either No. 3 Seattle U or No. 6 UMKC.