The sixth week of Big 12 softball saw the top five teams in the league standings solidify while one team stepped out to Baton Rouge for non-conference.
Texas Tech lost a game on its lead in the Big 12 standings on Arizona, even though the Wildcats went to LSU and lost two of three matchups a key non-conference showdown that could help Arizona secure a Top 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The Wildcats remained in second place, but Kansas dropped a game behind while taking a series win over Baylor. Oklahoma State held steady in fourth place while UCF is in fifth, thanks in part to a tie that puts the Knights percentage points behind OSU.
Here’s a wrap of Week 6 of Big 12 softball play.
Series Recaps
Houston (20-25, 3-15) at BYU (14-26, 5-10)
Game 1: BYU 13, Houston 10
Game 2: BYU 10, Houston 6
Game 3: BYU 10, Houston 9
BYU executed the sweep but it turned into a scorefest as BYU outscored Houston 33-25 over the series. Ilove’a Brittingham hit a home run for BYU in each of the final two games of the series. She also had two hits, including a double, in the first game. The sweep kept BYU out of the cellar of the conference standings. Houston occupies last place, two games back.
Houston put up a lot of runs in the series. The final game was a good example. Kylei Griffin went 4-for-4, while Maddie Hartley hit two home runs and Makenna Mitchell hit another. Now Houston heads back to town to prepare for its final conference home series in Big 12 action against Arizona State.
No. 19 Oklahoma State (27-11, 9-6) at Iowa State (24-17, 5-10)
Game 1: Oklahoma State 8, Iowa State 3
Game 2: Iowa State 12, Oklahoma State 0
Game 3: Oklahoma State 9, Iowa State 2
The Cowgirls and the Cyclones had to adjust their schedule due to weather, so it was a doubleheader on Friday and a single game on Sunday.
OSU claimed the series win on Sunday with a huge offensive performance from shortstop Aubrey Jones, who produced her second three-hit day of the weekend and hit a home run, along with a long ball from Amanda Hasler. Ruby Meylan improved to 17-6 with her 11th complete game of the season. Meylan also took the win in the first game on Friday.
Iowa State’s win was fueled by home runs from Kadence Shepherd and Reagan Bartholomew, while Lauren Schurman tossed a shutout, allowed four hits and notched her 14th win of the season.
The series kept the Cowgirls in the Top 4 in the league standings.
Baylor (24-18, 7-8) at No. 23 Kansas (29-12, 10-5)
Game 1: Baylor 8, Kansas 7
Game 2: Kansas 1, Baylor 0
Game 3: Kansas 5, Baylor 4
The most compelling series of the weekend saw all three games decided by a run and Kansas win the series, keeping the Jayhawks in the Top 4 in the conference standings.
Kansas won the series on a walk-off, as September Flanagan’s RBI single scored Kadence Stafford to clinch the win. The Jayhawks got home runs from Hailey Cripe and Ava Wallace. Baylor got home runs from Marshall Kaygen and Averie Waddell.
Game two was the second game of a doubleheader and Kansas pitcher Blakely Barber threw a four-hit shutout while Kadence Stafford sacrifice fly scored the only run. Baylor pitcher Peyton Tanner only gave up two hits.
Baylor’s win in the opener was its first win in Lawrence since 2022. Faith Piper drove in the go-ahead run and had a double. Cambree Creager claimed the win for the Bears for her eighth victory of the season.
No. 1 Texas Tech (40-3, 16-2) at Utah (27-15-1, 5-9-1)
Game 1: Texas Tech 10, Utah 2
Game 2: Utah 5, Texas Tech 0
Game 3: Texas Tech 7, Utah 1
Texas Tech won the series but, notably, the Red Raiders lost the second game of the series to the Utes. Tech thought enough of the loss in Game 2 to put NiJaree Canady back in the circle and to blast five home runs off the Utes to reach 40 wins for the second straight season. Jackie Lis, Mia Williams, Lauren Allred and Taylor Pannell hit home runs, with Lis hitting two.
Utah’s win was a big one for the Utes. It was the program’s first win over a No. 1 ranked team since 2017. Hailey Maestretti threw a complete-game, five-hit shutout while Cian Noli hit a two-run home run.
The opener looked a lot like the finale. Canady claimed the win and Lis hit two of the Red Raiders’ four home runs.
No. 19 UCF (32-11-1, 10-7-1) at No. 23 Arizona State (31-13, 5-10)
Game 1: Arizona State 7, UCF 1
Game 2: UCF 8, Arizona State 1
Game 3: UCF 4, Arizona State 3
UCF took the series with a win on Sunday by taking a 4-0 lead to begin the game and escaping a two-home run game by Arizona State’s Samantha Swan.
The Knights showed off the power in Game 2 of the series, as Beth Damon, Kendall Yarnell and Sierra Humphreys all hit home runs and pitchers Reagan Vokoun and Lena Elkins combined to secure the win.
In the series opener, Arizona State pitcher Kenzie Brown struck out 13 UCF hitters to help the Sun Devils secure thew win.
ASU’s Swan had an insane series. She went 7-for-8 with two home runs, a double, four RBI, three runs and was hit by a pitch. Both teams passed 30 wins for the season.
