BYU softball earned its first Big 12 Conference victory of the season by defeating No. 23/21 Oklahoma State, 7-3, in Stillwater on March 21.
The win is significant for BYU as it marks both their first conference win and their first victory over a Top 25 opponent this season. The Cougars improved to a record of 9-20 overall and 1-5 in Big 12 play.
BYU took an early lead with a two-run home run from Lily Owens in the opening inning. The team added five more runs between the third and fourth innings to pull away from the Cowgirls. BYU outhit Oklahoma State eight to seven and left nine Cowgirl runners stranded on base. Jada Villegas pitched a complete game for her first win of the year, allowing seven hits and two earned runs while striking out one batter.
Key performances included Owens going two-for-four with a home run and two runs batted in, Danica Acosta also going two-for-four with a double and an RBI, Lexie Bennett collecting two hits, Hailey Shuler driving in two runs, and Villegas pitching all seven innings for the win.
Oklahoma State managed to tie the game at two in the second inning after capitalizing on a Cougar fielding error. However, BYU responded by sending eight batters to the plate in the third inning and scoring twice more on Acosta’s double and Rita Tavita’s bases-loaded walk. In the fourth inning, BYU extended its lead through aggressive baserunning during a double steal attempt.
Oklahoma State scored again in the sixth inning but was unable to close the gap further as Villegas secured outs in key moments to finish off her complete game performance.
Looking ahead, BYU will return to Utah next week for a midweek contest against Utah Valley scheduled for Tuesday, March 24 at 6 p.m. Mountain Time.
