A BYU softball player watches for a chance to steal at home last season. (Ari Davis)
The BYU softball’s season record now stands at 14-10 after four games in Oklahoma this weekend.
The Cougars’ 7-4 victory against Maryland was a team effort, with nine strikeouts and four walks from McKenna Bull and Olivia Sanchez and hits from seven different players. Libby Sugg led the team with two RBI and hit her 11th home run of the season.
BYU was unable to carry that momentum over to their second game on Friday and fell in an 8-0 no-hitter to the University of Oklahoma, the Cougars' first shut-out of the season. Head coach Gordon Eakin said they played like a “road-weary team.”
“We played flat,” Eakin said. “Tomorrow is a new day. We'll put it together and play better.'
Saturday brought a doubleheader split with a 6-5 win over Saint Louis and a 3-0 loss in the Oklahoma rematch.
“Today was a tale of two games,' Eakin said. 'In the first game, our bats were alive. In the second game against a quality Oklahoma pitcher, we struggled to find a hit. But our effort today was good and our team is continuing to develop. I'm optimistic about the rest of the season.'
Against St. Louis McKenzie St. Clair, Alexa Strid and Ashley Thompson all hit home runs but Thompson stood out with a team-high three RBI. Bull threw 11 strikeouts and seven walks.
In the Oklahoma game, BYU prevented the Sooners from scoring for five innings, but were ultimately shut-out again, losing 3-0.
Next the Cougars head up to Salt Lake City to take on rival University of Utah in the Deseret First Duel. The game is Tuesday March 15 at 4 P.M. MDT and will be televised on the Pac-12 Network. Live stats will be available on the BYU schedule page.