OSU Softball: Cowgirls Drop Game 1 of Lincoln Super Regional

After weather pushed Game 1 of the Lincoln Super Regional to Friday, the restart didn’t go the Cowgirls’ way, to say the least.

Nebraska won the first game 8-1 on Friday in a game that felt mostly decided after three innings.

The Cornhuskers roughed up Ruby Meylan, scoring three runs in the first and another four in the third before she was pulled. She didn’t get an out in that third, meaning her final line was two innings pitched where she gave up seven runs on eight hits while walking one and striking out two.

The game resumed in the bottom of the first inning with a runner on first. A single on the restart put two on before Jesse Farrell sent a three-run home run to left-center.

Even in the second where the Cowgirls didn’t allow a run, Meylan got in some trouble, giving up back-to-back singles to start the frame before getting out of the jam with three straight outs.

She had no such Houdini act in the third. She issued a walk before Ava Kuszak doubled, putting two runners in scoring position for Farrell, who sent the first pitch of her at-bat back up the middle to score both. Another Nebraska double ended Meylan’s day, as RyLee Crandall came in and forced two RBI groundouts and a fly out to finally end the inning. It was 7-0, Nebraska.

The bright spot about this getting a bit out of hand early was that the Cowgirls could sit Meylan, who they’ll need in Game 2 if they want to fight back.

With Meylan in the dugout, OSU gave Nebraska all sorts of looks. Crandall threw two scoreless innings (the RBI groundouts went on Meylan’s stat line). Then freshman Makala Smith made her collegiate debut, throwing 1 1/3 where she gave up a run on four hits while walking two. Then freshman Preslee Downing came in and got the final two outs.

The Cowgirls scored their run in the sixth when Karli Godwin hit a solo home run to the left. Godwin is on a hot streak, having homered in four of her past six games.

HR No. 🔟 on the year for Karli 🚀

📺 ESPN2 #GoPokes | @karligodwin2 https://t.co/vbX8gaFFXI pic.twitter.com/9VcsWgRwkX

— OSU Cowgirl Softball (@cowgirlsb) May 22, 2026

So, it’s do or die for the Cowgirls on Saturday. Game 2 of the series will get rolling at 4 p.m. Saturday on ESPN2. With Game 1 getting pushed from Thursday to Friday, there aren’t yet details available on a would-be Game 3.