'We're going to keep building': BYU softball comes up short in 4-3 loss to UVU

Gail Miller Field, the home of BYU softball, used to be a place of dominance where BYU held the edge over its regional rival, the Utah Valley Wolverines, but that’s begun to shift as UVU has now won back-to-back games there for the first time in program history, including Tuesday night’s 4-3 result.

This result adds to what has been a frustrating season for the Cougars, who fall to 11-26 on the year following the loss to their foe from up University Avenue.

Coming off a tough road trip against No. 2 Texas Tech — where BYU suffered three lopsided defeats — BYU had a chance to build momentum against a non-Big 12 opponent. However, that opportunity proved difficult to capitalize on, as the home team found itself trailing 4-0 midway through the third inning, a familiar position for a group still trying to reinvent itself.

BYU found a spark from Lily Owens, who hit a sacrifice ball that allowed Miranda Mansfield to score in a photo finish at the plate. The play was reviewed and upheld, cutting the deficit to three.

After holding UVU scoreless for the second consecutive inning, BYU carried that momentum into the bottom of the fifth. Hailey Shuler capitalized on Owens’ earlier effort with a double to center field that rolled to the wall, allowing Owens to score all the way from first and making it 4-2.

The Cougars continued their strong defensive play behind pitcher Gianna Mares, who allowed just one hit across five innings of work. She capped off her outing with two strikeouts in the seventh.

With pressure mounting, one out recorded, and Danica Acosta on first, Owens delivered again. She drove a deep ball that narrowly missed clearing the wall and got past the outfielder’s glove for a triple, bringing Acosta home and trimming the deficit to 4-3 with one out and Owens standing on third.

After Shuler grounded out, the game came down to Ilova Brittingham. She sent a ball into left field, but it was caught to end the game, giving UVU just its third win in Provo in 28 matchups.

Owens, who went two-for-two at the plate with a pair of RBIs and a run scored to extend her team-leading total to 26, spoke postgame about what went right as the team prepares for a homestand against Houston.

“We put the balls in play pretty well. We squared up the ball pretty well though a lot of them went straight to their fielders,” Owens said. “Being able to build off of our offense tonight is going to be really important for us when we go into our Houston series.”

Photo by BYU Photo

Owens pointed to the team’s development and chemistry as a key focus throughout the season.

“Every year is different; you get a new batch of girls. Sometimes, you get girls that leave, who graduate," she said. "It's a new group of personalities and talent and all the things, honestly, our biggest accomplishment that we've been working towards this year is just unity and growing together and building an even better culture."

Owens remains confident in the team’s long-term outlook despite the current results.

“We are a postseason team," she said. "We're not showing it right now, but, you know, postseason runs don't always happen after two years or three years in the Big 12. It's an insanely hard conference. So, we're just going to keep building.”

In a season riddled with injuries and a demanding schedule, the 2026 campaign hasn’t gone the Cougars' way. Now, they’ll look to turn the tide against the Houston Cougars, who sit right next to BYU at the bottom of the Big 12 standings as a team also looking to flip its season.

That battle to climb out begins Thursday at 6 p.m. MDT, when the two teams open a three-game series at Gail Miller Field.