COLUMBIA, Mo. – In the first elimination game of the 2016 NCAA Columbia Regional, BYU defeated Louisville, 6-4. The Cougars (36-20) stayed alive in postseason play and will meet Nebraska in another elimination game later in the evening at University Field.

The Cardinals' (35-17) season came to an end, as they went 0-2 in 2016 NCAA Regional action. BYU junior starting pitcher, McKenna Bull (Ogden, Utah), earned her team-leading 27th victory of the season.

BYU quickly got on top in the first inning, as sophomore Alexa Strid (Stephens City, Va.) tallied a sacrifice fly. Louisville answered in the bottom half of the opening inning with a two-run home run by junior Maryssa Becker (Medford, Ore.).

Following a scoreless second inning by both teams, the visiting Cougars bounced back with a three-run third inning. BYU posted four hits alone in the frame, highlighted by a three-run home run to left field by freshman Libby Sugg (Franklin, Tenn.). The blast marked Sugg's team-leading 18th home run of the season.

The Cardinals threatened in the fifth inning, as Becker walked to the plate as the potential go-ahead run. Becker smashed a shot to third base, but BYU's Coco Tauali'i Bond (Torrance, Calif.) snagged the ball for an inning-ending 5-3 put out.

BYU's offense responded after its big defensive play the inning before, as it recorded two runs in the sixth inning following a two RBI single from Sugg. The clutch knock gave Sugg five RBI on the afternoon, marking a new single-game career high.

Louisville cut into its late deficit, as sophomore Nicole Pufahl (Moorpark, Calif.) hit a towering two-out two-run home run to left field. The Cougars held a slim 6-4 advantage heading to the seventh inning.  

For complete coverage of the 2016 NCAA Softball Regional in Columbia, Mo., continue to check in to mutigers.com/ncaa.