BYU 2019 season comes to an end in Stillwater

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.