OKLAHOMA CITY — The No. 6 seed BYU Cougars opened their 2025 Big 12 Softball Tournament run with a commanding 4-0 shutout over No. 11 seed Houston on Wednesday night at OGE Energy Field at Devon Park.
The victory propels BYU into the quarterfinals, where they’ll face No. 3 seed Iowa State on Thursday evening. Meanwhile, the loss brings Houston’s 2025 season to a close with a final record of 22-25.
Brittingham’s Power Sparks BYU’s Offense
Ilove’a Brittingham continued her incredible freshman season on Wednesday night by opening up the Cougars’ scoring in the third inning with a two-run homer to right field, scoring Megan Mansfield and giving BYU a 2-0 lead. The blast marked Brittingham’s 21st home run of the season, solidifying her position as the Big 12 leader and ranking her 11th nationally in home runs. Brittingham was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year earlier today, and after going yard once again, and 2-for-3 at the plate, it’s hard to argue the decision.
Agbayani Adds Insurance with Sixth-Inning Homer
In the sixth inning, Aleia Agbayani extended BYU’s lead with a two-run homer to center field, bringing the score to 4-0 and effectively killing any hope that Houston might be able to follow Utah’s lead and put together a late rally. Overall, BYU’s offense recorded eight hits on the day and avoided even a single strikeout, as they moved the bats and made Houston’s pitchers pay in key moments.
Dominant Pitching Seals the Shutout
BYU’s pitching staff delivered a stellar performance, holding Houston to just two hits over seven innings and recording eight strikeouts on the night. The Cougars’ pitchers effectively neutralized Houston’s offense, holding an offense that averages over 5.3 runs per game scoreless over a full seven innings. If BYU continues to get that kind of performance in the circle, we could see the Cougars pull off an impressive run in OKC.
Looking Ahead
With the win, BYU advances to face No. 3 seed Iowa State in the quarterfinals on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. CT. The Cougars will need to be at their best to take down the Cyclones, who’ve put together one of the most impressive in-season turnarounds that we’ve seen. BYU took two of three from Iowa State in Ames last month and certainly have plenty to feel good about heading into this matchup.
