BYU stuns Utah again with another late-inning rally
The BYU softball squad shocked Utah for the second straight night — and in equally dramatic fashion.
On Friday, the Cougars stormed back from a seven-run deficit in the last inning to win on a walk-off homer by Aleia Agbayani. This came just a day after overcoming a four-run gap with only one out remaining.
The final score Friday was 10-8 in BYU’s favor.
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“I’ve coached for a long time,” said BYU head coach Gordon Eakin. “That’s likely the most incredible win I’ve ever experienced.”
Utah took a 2-1 lead in the first inning, and then the teams went silent offensively for five innings, neither recording an extra-base hit before the final frame.
Then chaos erupted.
Utah tallied six runs in the seventh inning, building an 8-1 lead. Victory looked certain.
“I figured we’d come alive, but they got there first,” Eakin said. “I told our team, if they can do it, so can we — and sure enough, something amazing happened.”
BYU players swarm the plate after Agbayani’s game-winning homer in Provo on April 18, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News
Keila Kamoku got BYU’s final inning started with a 2-RBI single to trim the lead to five. Then it was four, then three, and with one out and two on, Agbayani came up with BYU down by one.
On a full count, she crushed a shot to center field — the game’s only home run — that ended the contest in walk-off fashion.
“That was the biggest moment of my softball life,” Agbayani said. “After six years playing, that topped it all.”
Asked what sparked the rally, Agbayani said, “(Coach Eakin) told us to fight.
“We weren’t going to get walked over. We wanted to prove who we are — we’re BYU, and we can win.”
After Thursday’s walk-off, BYU coaches and players emphasized how important this rivalry is to them.
Agbayani echoed that after her heroics.
“We just showed them who really owns this state,” she said.
Until the seventh inning, both starting pitchers were stellar. Utah’s Hailey Maestretti allowed just one run in six innings, while BYU’s Kate Dahle threw 123 pitches before being relieved.
“(Kate) was on fire,” Eakin said. “We kept wondering if it was time to pull her, but she just kept dealing.”
Though the game featured 18 total runs, both starters pitched impressively — an odd contrast in a wild game. Without the seventh, defense would’ve been the headline.
Instead, it’s Agbayani’s homer that will be remembered.
BYU and Utah conclude the series Saturday at 1:30 p.m. MDT.
