Oklahoma State Softball doninates as Cowgirls blank Utah 7-0 in Big 12 Quarterfinals, advance to Friday semifinals at Devon Park.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK — The No. 2-seeded Oklahoma State Cowgirls delivered shutout performance Thursday night at Devon Park, blanking the No. 7-seeded Utah Utes 7-0 in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Big 12 Softball Tournament.
The victory, played under the lights at the same OGE Energy Field at Devon Park that will host the Women’s College World Series later this summer, sent Oklahoma State (now 38-14 overall) into the semifinals while ending Utah’s season at 35-20-1.
Senior ace Ruby Meylan was untouchable for the Cowgirls. She tossed a complete-game one-hitter, her eighth shutout and 20th complete game of the season, allowing just three walks and striking out three while throwing an efficient 92 pitches. Meylan carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Utah’s Kennedy Proctor led off the frame with a single, the Utes’ lone hit of the night.
Utah starter Hailey Maestretti kept the game scoreless early, stranding Oklahoma State runners in scoring position in the first two innings and navigating scoreless third and fourth frames, but the Cowgirls’ offense eventually broke through in a big way.
Oklahoma State’s bats came alive in the bottom of the fifth. Jayelle Austin was hit by a pitch to start the rally, and Rosie Davis followed with an RBI single up the middle to plate the first run.
After another hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, Amanda Hasler delivered a key extra-base hit that cleared the bases and scored multiple runners, including Libby Jaques, Davis, and Kaya Booker. Madison Hoffman then singled through the middle to score Hasler, pushing the lead to 5-0.
The Cowgirls added insurance in the sixth when Austin walked and Karli Godwin crushed a two-run home run to center field, her seventh long ball of the season, for the final 7-0 margin. Godwin finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Davis went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Hoffman was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Austin reached base in all three of her plate appearances.
For Utah, the loss was a tough end to a season that saw remarkable improvement, a 22-win jump from the previous year, one of the largest in program history.
Maestretti battled effectively early but couldn’t contain the OSU lineup once the floodgates opened. Shonty Passi drew a walk in the sixth, and Proctor’s seventh-inning single provided the only hint of a rally, but Meylan induced a double play to slam the door. Utah coach Amy Hogue noted afterward that while the Utes hit some balls hard, they found fielders’ gloves all night after Oklahoma State scored its first run.
The other quarterfinal results Thursday painted a competitive picture across the bracket. No. 5 Kansas edged No. 4 UCF 6-5 in a comeback, rallying from behind and holding on in the seventh.
No. 1 Texas Tech cruised past No. 8 Baylor 7-0 in a shutout victory. And in the nightcap, No. 6 Arizona State upset No. 3 Arizona 2-1 in a pitchers’ duel.
With the win, Oklahoma State advances to Friday evening’s semifinal against Arizona State at 7 p.m. CT at the same Devon Park venue. The Cowgirls will look to continue their momentum behind Meylan and a deep lineup that has been clicking at the right time.
Should Oklahoma State defeat Arizona State on Friday, they would advance to Saturday’s championship game against the winner of the other semifinal between Kansas and Texas Tech. A Big 12 title would not only cap a strong conference tournament run but also help the Cowgirls’ NCAA Tournament seeding hopes heading into the postseason.
Oklahoma State’s attack, combining elite pitching from Meylan with top notch hitting from the likes of Godwin, Hasler, Davis, and Hoffman, proved too much for Utah. The Cowgirls now sit just two wins away from hoisting the Big 12 Tournament trophy on their home turf in Oklahoma City.