Cougars drop game one to Red Raiders, 9-4

BYU faced a 5-0 deficit before plating its first run, ultimately dropping the series opener to Texas Tech.

Author Lauren Thomas Bosco
Cougars drop game one to Red Raiders, 9-4Cougars drop game one to Red Raiders, 9-4
Box Score

PROVO, Utah — BYU softball fell in its series opener with No. 11 Texas Tech, 9-4 on Thursday evening at Gail Miller Field.

BOX SCORE

The Cougars (30-15, 12-10 Big 12) were held scoreless through three innings until a solo homer by Ilove’a Brittingham handed BYU its first run of the game. The Cougars would add their three other runs late in the seventh inning.

Texas Tech's pitcher NiJaree Canady, the No. 1 rated pitcher in the country by Softball America for the month of May, earned eight strikeouts over the Cougars.

Player Highlights

The Red Raiders scored an early run off an RBI double to left field, taking a 1-0 lead through just two at-bats. Another RBI double through the left side by Texas Tech gave the Red Raiders a second run, upping their lead to two in the top of the second.

Aleia Agbayani singled in the bottom of the second for BYU’s lone hit in the second frame.

Texas Tech then piled on three more runs in the third to secure a 5-0 lead. Canady would also strike out all three of BYU’s batters in the bottom of the third for her fifth knockout of the evening.

BYU’s Brittingham sent a bomb past left field for a solo homer, her 19th home run of the season, taking the score to 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth. 

Texas Tech would up its lead to 6-1 off an RBI single in the top of the fifth.

BYU subbed in Alyssa Aguilar to the circle in the top of the sixth, and she would strikeout her first batter. 

Texas Tech added two runs off a home run to left center, taking an 8-1 lead in the top of the seventh. The Red Raiders then collected one more run off a fielder's choice.

Lauren Flanders scored for BYU in the bottom of the seventh off an RBI single to shortstop by Maddie Udall-Woolley for a 9-2 score. A two RBI double by pinch hitter Tristen Turlington then cut Texas Tech's lead to five, but a fly out would conclude the game, 9-4.

On Deck
BYU will face Texas Tech in game two of the series on Friday, May 2 at 5 p.m. MDT, with live coverage on ESPN+.