BYU softball team gets ranked win over Oklahoma State
BYU softball team gets ranked win over Oklahoma State
The BYU softball team attained its second ranked win of the season against No. 2 Oklahoma University Friday. While the Cougars lost the series 2-1, one win against a highly ranked, 36-3 team is one to be proud of.
Game One
With a scoreless, nearly hitless first game, the Cougars were almost guaranteed to lose the first of the series. Pitcher Chloe Temples kept the Sooners at zero runs for the first inning, but after a walk, double and home run, Oklahoma put three runs on the board in the second.
BYU kept Oklahoma to one run in the third inning and zero in the fourth, going into the fifth with a four-run deficit.
Four of the five innings played ended in three consecutive outs for the Cougars, with Lily Owens scoring their only hit in the top of the fifth. Keila Kamoku walked, putting two players on base for BYU, but the team couldn’t put a run on the board before getting three outs.
After being taken out in the bottom of the second inning, Temples pitched again for the Cougars in half of bottom of the fifth. The Sooners scored another four runs, three off a home run, which triggered the eight-run mercy rule.
Final Score: 8-0 Sooners
Game Two
The Cougars went in to the second game of the series swinging, with Ailana Agbayani doubling in the first inning and scoring off Maddie Bejarano’s flyout. Gianna Mares was BYU’s starting pitcher for the game and kept the Sooners scoreless for the first two innings while Kamoku hit a home run in the second, giving BYU a 2-0 lead.
Bejarano walked in the third and scored on Owens’ flyout, and the Sooners scored two runs, ending the third at 3-2. Ailana Agbayani doubled in the fourth and brought in Hailey Morrow to score the fourth run of the game.
Oklahoma tied the score in the bottom of the fourth, but they couldn’t keep the lead for more than a few minutes as BYU scored two more runs in the fifth. Lauren Flanders stole home base, and Udall scored off Morrow’s single.
After one and a half scoreless innings, Lexie Bennett scored off a throwing error, Taryn Lennon scored off Aleia Agbayani’s double and Aleia scored off Ailana Agbayani’s single. Pitcher Kate Dahle threw a scoreless end of the seventh, giving the Cougars a ranked win over the Sooners.
Final Score: 9-4 Cougars
VICTORY FOR BYU
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) April 13, 2024
BYU gets the upset win defeating No. 2 Oklahoma, 9-4!#NCAASoftball x@byusoftball pic.twitter.com/pEdB25UV3A
Game Three
Oklahoma put the first score on the board in the first inning, but BYU quickly retaliated in the second with a home run by Udall. The Sooners scored six more runs in the next three innings, lengthening their lead to 6-1.
Aleia Agbayani hit a home run in the seventh inning and brought Kamoku to home plate, but their two runs weren’t enough to tie Oklahoma, who won the series 2-1.
Final score: 7-3 Sooners
Despite their overall series loss, the Cougars are one of three teams who have defeated Oklahoma so far this season.
BYU hosts Idaho State Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Gail Miller Field.