BYU starting pitcher Hailey Shuler (4) pitches during the third inning of a softball game against Utah at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
By Bruce Smith

The bus ride back to Provo didn’t go well for the BYU softball team Friday evening.

The Cougars had fewer than 24 hours to recover from their 9-0 loss to rival Utah, so they sent Duke transfer Hailey Shuler back to the circle Saturday, and her teammates brought a new attitude.

That turned out to be plenty in a 5-1 win over the Utes, enabling BYU to end the three-game series on a high note.

Shuler was in command the entire game. She allowed just five hits and also hit a run-scoring double in the fifth inning as the Cougars salvaged the series after two consecutive losses.

Coach Gordon Eakin felt his team may still have a chance to be eligible for the Big 12 Conference tournament next week in Oklahoma City.

“This was a complete game,” he said. “With all we’ve been through, it felt good to see it happen. If we can play like this next week, we might be alright.”

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BYU infielder Danica Acosta (15) reacts after scoring on a two-RBI double by right fielder Ilove'a Brittingham (8) during the third inning of a softball game against Utah at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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BYU and Utah line up for the national anthem before a softball game at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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BYU infielder Danica Acosta (15) jogs to first after ball four during the first inning of a softball game against Utah at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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Utah infielder Shonty Passi (3) throws to first during the first inning of a softball game against BYU at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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BYU infielder Miranda Mansfield (22) fields a ground ball during the first inning of a softball game against Utah at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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Utah outfielder Reese Lee (22) throws to first after fielding a ground ball during the first inning of a softball game against Utah at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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Utah starting pitcher Shelbee Jones (17) bumps gloves with infielder Hailee White (42) after an out during the first inning of a softball game at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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Utah outfielder Danika Wilson (10) can’t quite make a catch on a fly ball during the second inning of a softball game against BYU at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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Utah starting pitcher Shelbee Jones (17) pitches during the second inning of a softball game against BYU at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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BYU relief pitcher Rita Tavita (24) slides in before the tag by Utah infielder Shonty Passi (3) after hitting a double during the second inning of a softball game at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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BYU starting pitcher Hailey Shuler (4) pitches during the second inning of a softball game against Utah at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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BYU starting pitcher Hailey Shuler (4) pitches during the second inning of a softball game against Utah at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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BYU shortstop Tristen Turlington (28) reacts after a strike during the second inning of a softball game against Utah at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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Utah infielder Hailee White (42) beats the tag by BYU shortstop Tristen Turlington (28) during the second inning of a softball game at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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The ball pops out of Utah outfielder Danika Wilson’s (10) glove as she can’t make a diving catch during the third inning of a softball game against BYU at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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Fans look on during a pitching change during the third inning of a softball game between Utah and BYU at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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Utah head coach Amy Hogue pulls Utah starting pitcher Shelbee Jones (17) in the third inning of a softball game against BYU at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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BYU starting pitcher Hailey Shuler (4) pitches during the third inning of a softball game against Utah at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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Utah outfielder Reese Lee (22) beats the throw to second base during the third inning of a softball game against BYU at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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BYU infielder Maddie Udall-Woolley (34) reacts after an out during the third inning of a softball game against Utah at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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BYU plays Utah in a softball game at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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Utah utility Cian Noli (40) bobbles a ground ball during the fifth inning of a softball game against BYU at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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BYU utility Lily Owens (13) reacts after hitting a double during the fifth inning of a softball game against Utah at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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BYU infielder Maddie Udall-Woolley (34) reacts after hitting an RBI double during the fifth inning of a softball game against Utah at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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BYU starting pitcher Hailey Shuler (4) reacts after hitting an RBI double during the fifth inning of a softball game against Utah at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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BYU starting pitcher Hailey Shuler (4) beats the throw home on an RBI double by BYU right fielder Ilove'a Brittingham (8) during the fifth inning of a softball game at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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BYU infielder Danica Acosta (15) reacts after the final out of the fifth inning of a softball game against Utah at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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Utah outfielder Danika Wilson (10) runs into the tag of BYU infielder Danica Acosta (15) as she turns a double play during the fifth inning of a softball game at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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Utah relief pitcher Anna Reimers (8) pitches during the sixth inning of a softball game against BYU at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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BYU utility Lily Owens (13) can’t make the play on a line drive to left field during the seventh inning of a softball game against Utah at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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The BYU bench reacts to a strikeout by BYU starting pitcher Hailey Shuler (4) during the seventh inning of a softball game against Utah at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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Utah catcher Kennedy Proctor (37) looks on as the rest of the team huddles before a softball game against BYU at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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BYU shortstop Tristen Turlington (28) dives to tag second base on a fielder's choice to record the final out of a softball game against Utah at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. BYU won 5-1, but Utah took the series two games to one. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News
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Utah outfielder Danika Wilson (10) reacts after hitting a triple during the seventh inning of a softball game against BYU at the Dumke Family Softball Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, April 25, 2026. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News

The top eight teams earn berths into the tourney. BYU improved to 18-30 overall and 7-14 in league, which puts it in 10th place with three home games left. The Utes are 32-18-1 and 8-12-1, which has them in seventh.

The Cougars take on Arizona State and the Utes play host to Arizona to end the regular season. The outcomes of those games will decide if they will qualify for the conference tournament.

Eakin said BYU’s season has been injury-plagued, and several players have had to move to different positions to pick up the slack. Shuler is one of BYU’s leading hitters, but has also been needed in the circle, and she has welcomed the chance for more playing time, which was one of the reasons why she left Duke.

She held Utah’s leadoff batter — Mia Gomez — hitless after Gomez had spanked three singles off her Thursday, and she frustrated most of the other Utes, too.

Shuler said she felt today’s game might be something special after the second or third inning.

“I felt more in control with all of my pitches,” she said, noting she has five different ones in her repertoire.

Shuler allowed only two singles until the seventh inning. Her teammates also played error-free and she felt comfortable being in the lead.

The Cougars scored twice in the third inning as Danica Acosta and Lily Owens hit singles to get on base and then Ilovea Burningham doubled them home.

The Utes changed pitchers, replacing Thursday starter Shelbee Jones with Hailey Maestretti, who threw a gem Friday in the 9-0 Utah win.

Maestretti looked good Saturday until the fifth inning, when Owens and Shuler ripped doubles and then Burningham followed with a single.

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“We got some hits when we needed, but I didn’t feel good until we got that last out in the seventh (inning),” Eakin said.

Utah finally scored with one out in the last inning when Danika Wilson tripled and came home on Reese Lee’s sacrifice fly, but the rally ended on a groundout with runners on first and second.

Eakin noted that his team rallied from seven runs behind last year to beat Utah and, since he has felt “snakebitten” so much this year, he didn’t want to even crack a smile until the scorebook was closed.

This time, it’s likely the bus ride home was much better.

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