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Cougars Notch 20 Runs in Two-Game Sweep of Rams BYU improves to a season-high seven-game winning streak.
April 20, 2007 PROVO, Utah - BYU (27-16, 6-2) moved to within a half-game of Mountain West Conference leader UNLV with a double-header sweep of Colorado State (23-22, 2-4) Thursday night. The Cougars beat the Rams 10-6 and 10-3. With the wins, BYU improves to a season-high seven-game winning streak. "The whole team has kind of turned it around," BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. "We're hitting from top to bottom. We've worked hard and it's paying off." Melissa Routh and Lauren Cusick both singled on in the top of the third to get things started for the Rams. Jessica Strickland then hit a line drive to second baseman Tracee Hoch who caught the ball and tagged second for the unassisted double play. However, the Cougars were unable to get out of the inning unscathed as center fielder Allison Majam smashed a two-run shot to left field. Freshman Angeline Quiocho struck back in the bottom of the inning with a long lead-off home run to center field to make it 2-1 CSU. Quiocho's hit landed well beyond the 220 feet listed on the center field wall and into the pine trees outside of the park. The Rams would get that run back on the first pitch of the next inning. Freshman Ashley Munoz took Christie Zinanti deep to give CSU the 3-1 lead. BYU junior Emi Snow kept the home run derby going with a first-pitch crush to left field in the bottom of the order. Sister-in-law Dani Urincho-Snow and Tracee Hoch both got on with singles up the middle. That set the stage for Quiocho's double to left field bringing in Urincho-Snow to tie the game. Monica Gonzales singled next scoring Hoch and Quiocho. "I'm pleased with how we all played together," said Quiocho, who was celebrating her 19th birthday Thursday. "I'm glad these games were on T.V. so everyone can see who the Cougars are." Cortney Nix-Clark continued the Cougars' rally by reaching on a fielding error. Jennifer Whiteley grounded out but sent Gonzales home on the hit, while senior Jodi Norton capped the run with a two-run bash to left field. The dinger was Norton's sixth in her last five games. When it was all said and done the Cougars held an 8-3 advantage heading into the fifth.
The Rams got back to within two with a three-run home run by Majam in the top of the fifth, but Nix-Clark put up a couple insurance runs for BYU with a two-run swat in the sixth that turned out to be the 10-6 final. CSU began scoring in game two with a two-run first inning. Norton responded with her sixth home run in as many games in the bottom of the inning to bring the Cougars within one run going into the second. Munoz drove Lauren Cusick home with a two-out single in the third increasing the Rams' lead to 3-1. BYU would take its first lead of the game in the third inning thanks to a swing of the bat and some alert base running from Snow. With two on and one out, the one-time Mountain West Conference Player of the Week hit a two-RBI triple to notch things up at three apiece. Snow crossed home plate after tagging up on an Andrea Ramirez pop out on the opposite side of the field. Quiocho hammered her second home run of the day to left field to give the Cougars the 5-3 lead in the fourth. Whiteley drove in Gonzales in the fifth, and Snow followed with an RBI-single making it 7-3 BYU after five innings of play. In the sixth, Nix-Clark smacked an RBI-double to center field driving in Quiocho. Norton sent Nix-Clark home from third and Snow topped off the night with an RBI-double for the game's final of 10-3. BYU continues league play at home with matchups Friday and Saturday against visiting New Mexico. Game time on Friday is slated for 7 p.m. (MST) with Saturday's contest set for 2 p.m. Friday night is Fireworks Night at Gail Miller Field. Fans are encouraged to come out and break the all-time attendance record at Gail Miller Field. |
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