LUBBOCK, Texas – On Saturday afternoon at Rocky Johnson Field, No. 17/16 Texas softball (35-15-1, 10-5 Big 12 Conference) accomplished a road series sweep of Texas Tech (22-26, 5-13 Big 12 Conference) by taking each ends of a doubleheader, 11-1 (5 inn.) & 7-6.
Notes
- Texas’ five-run, first-inning outburst in sport one tied for the second most runs the Longhorns have scored throughout a gap body this season behind solely a six-run outburst in an 11-2 (5 inn.) rout of Kansas in Lawrence on March 27.
- In the fourth inning of Saturday’s opener, senior second baseman Janae Jefferson scored her 2 hundredth profession run to affix former Texas standout Taylor Hoagland (221 runs – 2010-13) as the one UT gamers to achieve the 200-run milestone.
- With three HR’s throughout sport one, Texas has now hit a number of HRs in a single contest 13 instances in 2022.
- Freshman pitcher Sophia Simpson picked up her first collegiate save by tossing two-thirds of an inning of reduction to wrap up the doubleheader finale.
- With a double in Saturday’s opener, Jefferson now has 47 doubles in her profession, only one from tying the Texas profession doubles file at the moment held by former Longhorns Jodi Reeves and Kaitlyn Washington.
- In sport one, sophomore pitcher Logan Hulon returned from a prolonged damage break to toss a scoreless fifth, marking her first work from the circle since March 6 in opposition to Miami (OH).
- By combating out of a 2-0, second-inning gap in sport two, Texas rallied from a deficit to win a sport for the 14th time this season and the second time this weekend.
Major Players
Game One:
Freshman third baseman Mia Scott (1-for-2, two runs, two walks, HR, three RBIs); junior first baseman McKenzie Parker (1-for-3, run, HR, three RBIs); sophomore shortstop Alyssa Washington (1-for-2, stroll, two RBIs); freshman catcher Katie Cimusz (2-for-4, run, two doubles, RBI); senior second baseman Janae Jefferson (2-for-3, three runs, stroll, double); sophomore left fielder Courtney Day (1-for-3, run, HR, RBI)
Game Two:
Scott (2-for-3, run, RBI); Jefferson (1-for-3, run, RBI); senior first baseman Mary Iakopo (2-for-4, double, two RBIs); Washington (2-for-4, two runs, HR, RBI); junior outfielder Lou Gilbert (2-for-2, run, RBI); sophomore middle fielder Alyssa Popelka (1-for-3, run)
In the Circle
Game One:
Freshman Sophia Simpson (7-4) picked up the win after permitting one earned run on simply two hits with a stroll and 5 strikeouts over 4.0 innings of labor. Sophomore Logan Hulon returned from a prolonged damage break to toss a scoreless fifth body whereas permitting one hit and hanging out one.
Game Two:
Senior Hailey Dolcini (16-7) picked up the win after allowing three earned runs on 5 hits with a stroll and three strikeouts over 4.1 innings of reduction. Simpson recorded her first profession save by tossing an ideal 0.2 of an inning out of the bullpen.
The Details
Game One:
Texas wasted no time getting off to a fast begin in opposition to Texas Tech starter Erna Carlin within the prime of the primary. Jefferson singled by means of the left aspect to open the sport, whereas Scott adopted with a stroll to place the primary two aboard. With each speedsters in scoring place on a wild pitch, Parker stepped to the plate and blasted a three-run HR to proper to spice up the Longhorns to a 3-0 benefit. Following an Iakopo stroll, sophomore outfielder Bella Dayton was summoned into the sport to pinch run. The Wylie, Texas, native demonstrated her blazing velocity by stealing second, transferring to 3rd on a wild pitch and scoring on a Washington groundout. The lead finally grew to 5-0 as Day blasted her ninth HR of the season out to left middle.
With Simpson having struck out a pair whereas firing two scoreless innings from the circle, Cimusz acquired the Longhorns offense going once more by christening the third on a double to proper. Washington stepped up and instantly bounced a RBI single up the center to make it 6-0.
Texas Tech pulled a run again within the backside of the third as middle fielder Peyton Blythe hit a solo HR to proper middle to chop the Red Raider deficit to 6-1.
Back-to-back Popelka and Jefferson walks acquired Texas rolling once more to start the fourth. That set the stage for Scott to reveal her energy because the Angleton, Texas, native launched a three-run HR to left middle for a 9-1 lead. The onslaught continued on as Dayton singled and Cimusz adopted with a RBI double to the wall in left middle to make it 10-1.
With the bases loaded within the fifth, after a Jefferson leadoff double, a Scott stroll and a JJ Smith hit by pitch, the Longhorns boosted their benefit to 11-1 on a Iakopo sac fly to left.
Looking to keep away from the run-rule within the backside of the fifth, Texas Tech acquired off to a stable begin in opposition to sophomore reliever Logan Hulon as shortstop Riley Love chopped a leadoff single up the center. A one-out bouncer to first finally moved the bottom runner into scoring place, however Hulon acquired second baseman Arriana Villa to strikeout to finish the sport.
Game Two:
Similar to Friday night time’s contest, Texas Tech grabbed a 2-0, first-inning lead by means of the lengthy ball as designated participant Maddie Westmoreland hit a two-run HR to middle.
The Longhorns answered again with a giant fly of their very own within the prime of the second as Washington crushed a solo HR to middle to make it 2-1.
After TTU stranded three mixed runners over the second and third frames, Washington tried to get one thing going for UT with one out within the prime of the fourth by driving a single to left. Day stepped into the field and hit a bouncer to second that traveled proper between the legs of second baseman Arriana Villa and all the way in which to the wall to attain Washington and tie the sport at 2-2. Unfortunately for the Horns, Day was thrown out on a relay to 3rd to clear the bottom paths. That possible price Texas a run as Gilbert adopted instantly with a single to proper.
A fielding error and two hit batters shortly loaded the bases for Texas Tech to open the underside of the fourth. After a pop-up to second, Villa hit a sac fly to left handy the Red Raiders again the benefit at 3-2. An enormous Dolcini strikeout of left fielder Payton Jackson restricted the injury as TTU solely acquired one unearned run from an authentic bases-loaded, no-out state of affairs.
Jefferson and Scott kicked off Texas’ half of the fifth with somewhat “small ball” as consecutive bunt singles put the primary two aboard. With the speedy duo in scoring place after a sac bunt, Iakopo got here to the plate going through an enormous spot and delivered by lacing a two-run double contained in the third base bag to push UT in entrance, 4-3.
The Longhorns added precious insurance coverage within the prime of the sixth to spice up their benefit to 7-3. Dayton opened the body by bouncing a ball to first that was misplayed for a two-base error. Following a Dayton steal of third, Gilbert adopted instantly with a bloop single to middle to plate Texas’ fifth run. An Alyssa Popelka single and stolen base put two in scoring place with nonetheless no outs. From there, Jefferson and Scott lifted consecutive sacrifice flies to left to plate Gilbert and Popelka for the four-run lead.
Needing one thing to battle again into the competition within the seventh, Texas Tech acquired it as third baseman Abbie Orrick adopted back-to-back one-out singles with a three-run HR to middle to chop the deficit to 7-6. Pinch hitter Kennedy Crites adopted by blooping a ball to middle that was dropped for an error to place the potential tying run on base. Simpson was summoned out of the bullpen in reduction and shortly shut the door for her first collegiate save on consecutive groundouts.