PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico – With a huge win over Nebraska to start the 2017 campaign, BYU softball split its two games, dropping its second to No. 1 Oklahoma, on the first day of the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge on Thursday.

“We saw some really good things today against exceptional competition,” BYU head coach Gordon Eakin said. “We will take away the good things and build and adjust on the things we need to work on. I like our team.”

To kick off the 2017 season, BYU (1-1, 0-0 West Coast Conference) played Nebraska (0-1, 0-0 Big Ten) in the first game for all of NCAA softball. An all-around team performance propelled BYU to a 12-1 run-rule win in five innings. It was a rematch of the 2016 NCAA regional game that ended the Cougars’ season.

When BYU faced Oklahoma (1-1, 0-0 Big 12), the Sooners had come off of a 3-2 loss to No. 2 Auburn and were ready to go. The Cougars fell 7-1.

McKenna Bull ruled the day from the circle, throwing seven strikeouts and one walk in the win against Nebraska. Freshman outfielder Rylee Jensen made her collegiate debut with a big day, with a hit in each of her first five at-bats.

Game one

BYU’s 12-1 win in five innings over Nebraska was the biggest margin of victory in a season opener in BYU history. It surpassed the 11-1 win against Idaho State back in 2007, which also was a run-rule win in five innings.

Jensen had the best season-opening performance for a BYU freshman in history, going 4 for 4 with three runs. The five RBI from Libby Sugg tied her career high set against Louisville in the 2016 NCAA regional matchup. Ashley Thompson’s three RBI were second-highest on the team, adding two runs on her 2 for 3 effort. Senior Lauren Bell added another perfect performance from the plate, hitting 3 for 3 with two RBI and three runs.

Pitching all five innings, Bulll threw seven strikeouts with just one walk and one earned run.

Starting off the game strong, Bull threw two strikeouts right off the bat. Jensen caught a fly ball to left field to end the top of the first. Then in the Cougars’ first chance at bat, they loaded up the bases and scored two, one off of a fielder’s choice from Sugg and the other from Alexa Strid’s sacrifice fly.

The second and third innings saw huge scoring burst for BYU, bringing in five runs in each inning. In the bottom of the third, singles from Bell and Thompson brought in two-straight runs. Sugg walked up to the plate with two runners on and drilled a home run over the centerfield fence to increase the lead to 7-0.

McKenzie St. Clair got the bottom of the third rolling with a double to left field. Bell, Sugg and Strid all hit one-run singles, while Thompson’s single toward the right field line brought in both Jensen and Lexi Tarrow.

Nebraska was able to get on the board in the top of the fourth with a home run over left field, which was its only hit of the game. Strong defense in the top of the fifth sealed the run-rule win for BYU. The Cornhuskers brought three different pitchers to the circle to try to stop the Cougar offense to no avail.

BYU vs. Nebraska Box Score

Game two

After holding No. 1 Oklahoma to two scoreless innings, BYU fell 7-1 against the defending national champions in the second game of the day. The Cougars were outhit just 7 to 6 in the loss.

No BYU player had more than one hit in the win. The lone RBI came off the bat of Tarrow, driving in Madison Merrell for the one run. Jensen continued her hitting streak, starting her college career 5 for 5 before coming up empty in her two other at bats. Arianna Paulson, Olivia Sanchez and Arissa Paulson shared pitching duties, with the latter Paulson getting the only strikeout of the game.

Both teams ended their frames in the first inning with runners left on base, Jensen stranded on third for BYU and a runner on second for Oklahoma. To end the first, Strid chased a pop fly, diving and tumbling to complete the catch for the third out.

The Sooner bats came alive in the bottom of the third, scoring five runs, including a two-run homer over right field.

In the top of the fifth, the Cougars got on board behind Tarrow's single that popped over the second baseman’s head. That brought in Madison Merrell to cut into the Oklahoma lead, making it 5-1.

To push their lead, the Sooners brought in two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to extend the advantage to 7-1. BYU was retired in order at the top of the seventh to end the game.

BYU vs. No. 1 Oklahoma Box Score

The Puerto Vallarta College continues for BYU on Friday against No. 13 Washington. The two teams begin at 7 p.m. CST. Live stats will be available on the BYU softball schedule page.

PROVO, Utah – To open the 2017 season, BYU softball travels to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to participate in the 2017 Puerto Vallarta College Challenge against four of the top teams in the nation, including 2016 National Champion Oklahoma.

BYU will play top national programs Nebraska, No. 1 Oklahoma, No. 13 Washington and No. 2 Auburn. On Thursday, Feb. 9, the Cougars will play the Huskers at 10 a.m. CST and the Sooners at 4 p.m. CST. BYU will face Washington on Friday, Feb. 10, at 7 p.m. CST. The final day of competition on Saturday, Feb. 11, will feature the Cougars against the Tigers at 10 a.m. CST.

BYU Game Notes
Puerto Vallarta Game Notes

The opening game against Nebraska will be televised live on ESPN3 and WatchESPN.com at 10 a.m. CST. Radio broadcast will be available for the Nebraska, Oklahoma and Auburn games. Links for radio and live stats can be found on the BYU softball schedule page.

All games will be played at Nancy Almaraz Stadium in Puerto Vallarta. The field is just under a quarter mile from the beach.

BYU Storylines

• After winning the 2016 West Coast Conference title, BYU has won three straight WCC championships. Additionally, it was the Cougars’ eighth-consecutive conference title, spanning four different conferences. The auto-bid to the 2016 NCAA tournament was BYU’s 12th-straight and 13th overall.
• In 2015, BYU participated in the inaugural Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, taking the victory over Nevada in the first NCAA softball game played outside the United States. The Cougars went undefeated at the 2015 tournament, defeating Nevada, Northern Colorado and Southern Illinois (twice).
• BYU returns four seniors: Lauren Bell, McKenna Bull, McKenzie St. Clair and Ashley Thompson. Between them, they have started in 585 games. Bull is a two-time WCC Pitcher of the Year, Thompson is the reigning WCC Player of the Year and Bell was the 2016 WCC Defensive Player of the Year. Bull and Thompson were also named to the 2016 NFCA All-Pacific Region Second Team.
• In 2016, senior McKenna Bull was named 2016 WCC Pitcher of the Year, had two no-hitters (San Jose State and UC Santa Barbara) and broke the record for strikeouts, career saves and shutouts in a season and career at BYU. She totaled 286 strikeouts (nine games with double-digit Ks), 102 walks and 10 shutouts, earning six WCC Pitcher of the Week honors and a No. 6 ranking in shutouts and No. 7 in strikeouts in the NCAA.
• Sophomore catcher Libby Sugg had a huge freshman season. She led the team with 58 RBI and 18 home runs, including a grand slam against Saint Mary’s. She had a .319 overall batting average in 2016 and finished No. 17 in home runs and No. 21 in home runs per game in the NCAA.

Opponents Outlook

Nebraska | Thursday, Feb. 9 | 10 a.m. CST | ESPN3 | Team notes

• The Huskers finished the 2016 season with a 35-21 record, 13-9 in Big Ten play.
• They advanced to the NCAA Columbia Regional, the same as the Cougars. The two teams faced off in a win-or-go-home matchup, with BYU falling 2-0. Nebraska lost to host Missouri 9-0 in five innings in the regional final.
• Nebraska leads in the overall series record against BYU, 7-3. The Cougars’ last win over the Huskers came on a 5-1 victory on March 12, 2010 at the Diamond Devil Invitational in Tempe, Arizona.
• Head coach Rhonda Revelle has an 879-464 record in her 24 seasons at Nebraska. This is her 25th season as a head coach, compiling an 887-480 record.

No. 1 Oklahoma | Thursday, Feb. 9 | 4 p.m. CST | Team notes

• In 2016, the Sooners had a 57-8 record, going 17-1 in the Big 12 to win the conference title.
• Oklahoma won its third NCAA National Title in 2016, defeating Auburn in the Women’s College World Series two games to one. The team went undefeated in the postseason until an 11-7 setback in extra innings against Auburn.
• BYU has never defeated Oklahoma in the four-game series history. The last matchup was last season when the Cougars played the Cougars twice in Oklahoma, losing both games 8-0 and 3-0.
• Head coach Patty Gasso is entering her 23rd season at Oklahoma with a 1,085-313-2 record. It is her 27th year as a head coach, earning a 1,246-372-3 career record.

No. 13 Washington | Friday, Feb. 10 | 7 p.m. CST

• The Huskies finished 2016 with a 39-15 overall record, 16-8 in Pac-12 play.
• They advanced to the 2016 NCAA Super Regionals in Alabama, dropping two games to cap off the season.
• Washington has the advantage in the series history with BYU, 7-2. The Cougars have lost six in a row, playing the Huskies most recently in the 2014 NCAA Seattle Regional, falling 9-0. The last win for BYU came back in 2002, a 6-4 win in the Red Desert Classic in St. George, Utah.
• Head coach Heather Tarr has been at UW for 12 seasons, compiling a 482-211-1 record.

No. 2 Auburn | Saturday, Feb. 11 | 10 a.m. CST | Team notes

• The Tigers had a 58-12 record in 2016, earning a 16-7 record in the SEC to finish in a tie for third.
• Auburn was the 2016 NCAA National Runner-up, falling to Oklahoma despite winning one game.
• BYU has played Auburn just twice, with the Cougars coming out on top both times. The two games were played in the 2011 NCAA Regionals in Seattle.
• Head coach Clint Myers has a 1,066-187-1 record in his 20 seasons with the Tigers. He has a career record of 1,472-379-1 in his 31 seasons as a head coach.