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Provo • BYU sophomore slugger Libby Sugg is going to petition that BYU and Utah get together more than once a year to renew their softball rivalry.

The 804 fans who witnessed Wednesday's intense, well-played contest would probably agree.

Sugg hit a pair of two-run home runs — the first a disputed blast that cleared the left-field foul pole and the second a no-doubt bomb over the center-field fence — and McKenna Bull struck out five in a complete-game performance as the Cougars edged the No. 11 Utes 4-3 at Gail Miller Field on Wednesday night.

"I guess it is the intensity of the game," said Sugg, who hit a two-run homer last year in BYU's 5-4 win over Utah in Salt Lake City. "It is a huge rivalry. This is one of my favorite games of the year, and I loved it."

The Cougars, ranked No. 26 if the polls extended that far, improved to 19-7. Utah, fresh off a Pac-12 sweep of UCLA, fell to 21-5.

"It doesn't matter if they are No. 11 in the country, or No. 111 in the country, or if we are," said BYU coach Gordon Eakin. "The rivalry game is the rivalry game, so yes, it is a huge win. The fact that they are a great team and ranked 11th makes it possibly a little sweeter."

Bull picked up her second win against Utah and 14th this season, but that doesn't tell half the story. The senior from Ogden got Utah slugger Hannah Flippen to strike out and Arissa Urtez to ground out with the bases loaded in the sixth inning and BYU clinging to its 4-3 lead.

"My nerves are shot right now. I need a nap," said Bull. "Getting out of that sixth inning unscathed, with Hannah Flippen up, with one out, I was like, 'Oh, please help me.' She's such a good player and I give her props. To get out of that inning was pretty exciting."

drew@sltrib.com Twitter: @drewjay —

BYU 4, Utah 3

R BYU's Libby Sugg hits a pair of two-run homers off Utah reliever Katie Donovan as Cougars win only softball matchup of season between the rivals.

• McKenna Bull strikes out five and pitches out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning to get her 14th win, and second against Utah.

• Donovan replaced Utah ace Miranda Viramontes in the third inning with an apparent injury and Utah leading 1-0.