STILLWATER, Okla. – The BYU softball team beat Arkansas 6-3 in the first game of the day at the NCAA Stillwater Regional but was eliminated from the tournament by Tulsa 6-4, Friday afternoon at Cowgirl Stadium.

The Cougars ended the 2019 season with a record of 30-26 overall, going 12-3 in the West Coast Conference to earn their sixth-straight WCC title, 11th-consecutive league championship and 15th-straight NCAA Regional appearance. 

Game One

Game Highlights:

• In the bottom of the third, Rylee Jensen hit her 11th homer and followed it up in the bottom of the sixth with her 12th of the season.
• Autumn Moffat retired the side in order in the first three innings with two strikeouts from the circle. She earned her 13th win of the season after pitching a complete game.
• Both Rylee Jensen and Erin Miklus each scored two of BYU’s runs

Player Highlights:

• Rylee Jensen: 2-4, 2R, 2RBI, 2HR
• Arissa Paulson: 2-3, 2RBI
• Autumn Moffat: W (13-11), 7.0 IP, 3R, 1BB, 2 K

The Cougars came out strong in the top of the first as Moffat retired the side in the top of the first. BYU continued the momentum into the bottom of the inning and came out swinging. With two on, Paulson hit one to left field to score Miklus and Godfrey giving the Cougars a 2-0 lead.

The Razorbacks again went down in order again in both the top of the second and third. In the bottom of the third, Jensen rocketed a solo shot over the fence to increase BYU’s lead to 3-0. The Cougars tacked on two more runs in the inning to make the score 5-0.

Arkansas fought their way back in the top of the fifth. A three-run homer to left field got the Hogs on the board to cut BYU’s lead to 5-3. Jensen blasted another bomb to put the Cougars up 6-3 and BYU took the win to stay alive in Stillwater.

Game Two

Player Highlights:

• Rylee Jensen: 1-3, 2R, 1BB
• Erin Miklus: 2-3, 2RBI, 1BB
• Taylei Williams: 2-3, 2R

In the top of the first in the game against Tulsa, BYU quickly got on the board as Sugg singled to left field to send in Jensen to make the score 1-0. The Golden Hurricane answered back in the bottom of the frame with two runs to take the lead 2-1.

A two-run double in the bottom of the fourth brought Tulsa’s lead to 4-1 and then added on another run before the inning was over to make it 5-1.

A run from Jensen as Miklus singled to center field cut into the Hurricane lead 5-2. With bases loaded in the top of the sixth, Tulsa’s pitcher walked in a run and a passed ball scored another run for the Cougars to make it a one-run game.

In the bottom of the sixth, BYU made a similar mistake, walking in a Golden Hurricane player to increase the lead to 6-4.

Tulsa hung on to knock the Cougars out of the tournament and end the 2019 campaign. 

PROVO, Utah – After winning the West Coast Conference title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Regionals, BYU softball will head to the Stillwater Regional to take on No. 13 Oklahoma State on Thursday, May 16, announced Sunday night.

BYU NCAA Regional Game Notes

This will be the 15th-consecutive NCAA Regional appearance for the Cougars (29-24, 12-3 WCC) and 16th in program history. BYU has taken the WCC crown for six straight seasons, part of 11 conference championships in a row through four different leagues.

The four-team, double-elimination tournament will take place May 16-18 at Stillwater, Oklahoma. The host Oklahoma State (39-14), will take on the Cougars, while Arkansas (38-18) and Tulsa (35-18) match up in the first round. Detailed game schedules and broadcast plans will be announced later. 

The top team from each of the 16 regional sites will advance to the NCAA Super Regionals held May 23-26 on eight campus sites. At each site, two teams play in a best-of-three tournament format. The winners from each site advance to the NCAA® Women’s College World Series (WCWS). 

The Cougars and the Pokes will play at 7:30 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ESPN3. The remaining schedule is as follows:

Thursday:

5:00 p.m. – (Game 1) Arkansas vs. Tulsa
7:30 p.m. – (Game 2) Oklahoma State vs. BYU

Friday:

12:00 p.m. – (Game 3) Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 2
2:30 p.m. – (Game 4) Non-Winner Game 1 vs. Non-Winner Game 2 5:00 p.m. – (Game 5) Winner Game 4 vs. Non-Winner Game 3

Saturday:

3:00 p.m. – (Game 6) Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 5 5:30 p.m. – (Game 7) If necessary

Opponent Outlook

No. 13 Oklahoma State | Thursday, May 16 | 7:30 p.m. CT | ESPN3
• The Pokes finished the regular season with a 39-14 overall record with a 13-5 conference record. Oklahoma State won the Big 12 Championship beating Iowa State 17-2.
• This is the first time Oklahoma State has hosted a NCAA Regional since 1998. The Pokes are 14-4 all- time during NCAA Regional action in Stillwater
• This is the first time the Cougars will play the Cowgirls in Stillwater with BYU holding the advantage in the series 6-5 after winning 10-2 in 2015 at Gail Miller Field.

Tulsa (35-18, 16-5 American)

• The Hurricanes finished with a 35-18 overall record with a 16-5 record in the American Conference.
• BYU has played Tulsa three different times with BYU holding the series 2-1.

Arkansas (38-18, 12-12 SEC)

• The Razorbacks hold a 38-18 record in the 2019 season while going 12-12 in SEC play.
• This will be the first time that the two teams have met.

BYU Storylines

• NCAA REGIONAL APPEARANCES. The Cougars are making their 15th-straight NCAA Regional appearance and 16th overall. This is the first time that BYU has traveled to Stillwater for a Regional or a regular season game.

• TOP WCC AWARDS. Following a sixth-straight West Coast Conference championship, BYU softball received three top awards: Lexi Tarrow earned WCC Player of the Year, Arissa Paulson won BYU’s third-consecutive WCC Pitcher of the Year award and Erin Miklus earned WCC Defensive Player of the Year.

• ALL-WCC TEAMS. Seven Cougars earned All-WCC honors, including five named to the All-WCC First Team: Marissa Chavez, Rylee Jensen, Autumn Moffat, Arissa Paulson and Lexi Tarrow. On the All- WCC Second Team Libby sugg received a nomination Taylei Williams was on the All-WCC Honorable Mention list.

• CLOSING IN ON BYU RECORDS. While many BYU players are making their way up the BYU record books, senior Libby Sugg is closing in on BYU’s all-time records. Currently No. 2 in both doubles
with 47 and RBI at 209. Sugg is four doubles away from holding the BYU record. She is also No. 4 in homers (48) and walks (105). Redshirt sophomore Arissa Paulson has also made a dent in the charts, currently holding the No. 6 spot in complete games (30), No. 7 in shutouts (9) and No. 8 in strikeouts (274). Lexi Tarrow also holds the No. 5 spot in triples (7) and No. 6 in stolen bases (36).

• NATIONAL ACTIVE CAREER LEADER. Libby Sugg has been one of BYU’s biggest contributors through her four years at BYU. Currently among active players in the nation Sugg ranks No. 5 in RBI (209), No. 17 in homers (49) and No. 26 in total bases (417).