May 8, 2015 Game One Box Score | Game Two Box Score
2015 Schedule | Inside LMU Softball | LMU on Facebook |
LOS ANGELES - Powered by a pair of grand slams by Alicia Brown and Caitlin Harman, the LMU softball team handed BYU its first road and West Coast Conference losses of the season in a 6-5, 8-4 doubleheader sweep Friday at Smith Field.
The Lions improve to 26-27 overall and 8-6 in WCC play, while the Cougars, who clinched the 2015 WCC title last week, move to 38-12 overall and 12-2 in league play.
The Cougars opened game one with an unearned run in the top of the first, but the Lions would load the bases in the home half of the frame courtesy a hit-by-pitch and back-to-back walks. That brought Brown to the plate and the freshman came through, launching the 1-0 pitch over the center-field fence.
BYU got one run back in the second, but the Lions answered with a solo home run by Hannah Montalban in the third, making it 5-2 LMU. A Mercedes O'Connor solo homer in the fifth briefly cut the spread back down to two, but the Lions answered again with a Caitlin Harman RBI-single.
Coco Tauali'i launched her 10th home run of the season in the sixth and the Cougars came within one with an unearned run in the top of the seventh. But Rachael Farrington shut down the final two BYU batters, getting a fly out center and ground out to third to end the late rally.
The win was Farrington's 20th of the season as the sophomore moved to 20-13 overall. She struck out two, walked three and scattered nine hits for five runs (three earned) in her 23rd complete game.
Ashley Thompson dropped to 4-2 on the year for BYU after giving up six walks and three hits for five earned runs in 3.1 innings of work.
In game two, the Lions posted all eight of their runs in the third inning, beginning with a pair of bases loaded walks and an RBI-singles by Brown and Aria Pogni. Then came Harman's grand slam to left-center, her fourth home run of the season.
BYU got one run back in the top of the fifth courtesy a Madison Merrell solo home run. After limiting the Cougars to just three hits through the first six frames, LMU pitcher Stephanie Crist finally ran into a bit of trouble in the seventh as back-to-back singles followed by a three-run shot by Caitlyn Larsen made it an 8-4 ballgame.
Farrington would come in to relieve Crist for the final two outs of the game, preserving the win for the Lions. Crist improved to 5-10 on the year while BYU starter Arianna Paulson dropped to 1-3.
The Lions and Cougars conclude the series, and the 2015 regular-season, with a single game on Saturday at Smith Field. First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m.
