The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Oklahoma State
No. 2 Softball wins 1-0 in eight behind Sievers' RBI
04.29.2006 | Softball
AUSTIN, Texas -- University of Texas senior lefthander Cat Osterman moved to 31-1, hurling a four-hitter and striking out 16, while senior second baseman Chez Sievers delivered the game-winning RBI with a one-out double in the bottom of the eighth inning, to lift No. 2 Texas to a 1-0 victory over Oklahoma State Saturday in Big 12 softball conference play.
The Longhorns, now 47-5 overall, move to 13-2 in the conference. With one more victory, regardless of other team's play, the Longhorns will clinch the 2006 Big 12 regular season title. UT has two regular season conference games remaining. Texas is now 2-1 in extra inning games this spring, and won in the bottom of the seventh or in extra innings for the seventh time.
Sievers was the offensive standout for UT on the day, hammering two doubles in four trips to the plate.
The score remained deadlocked, 0-0, before the dramatic bottom of the eighth inning. Amber Hall left off the inning and belted a line drive to deep rightcenter off OSU pitcher Hoppock. Hall was robbed of extra bases by OSU centerfielder Shanel Scott, who made an out-stretched diving catch 200 feet from home plate to make the out. The next batter was catcher Megan Willis, who slammed a line drive double off the left-field wall for a standup double. That brought Sievers to the plate where she line a 2-2 pitch hard up the middle to score Willis from second. It was Sievers' 13th RBI on the year.
Osterman picked up her 15th victory in a row and improves to 11-0 in the league. Osterman did not walk a batter and yielded just four singles, three of them infield hits. She did not walk anyone and had one hit batsman.
Taking the loss for OSU was Hoppock. The junior righty drops to 12-20 on the season. Hoppock pitched 7.1 innings, giving up the earned run on four hits. Three of those hits were doubles - the two by Sievers and the one by Willis. Sievers now has six doubles to date.
"All I was thinking as I went up to the plate in the eighth was to get a good pitch to hit," noted Willis, who set up Sievers' game-wining hit with her own double, her fifth of the year. "I saw her (pitcher Hoppock) pretty good all day, and I was waiting for a good pitch to hit. I really did not want to extend the game any more innings. With the way Chez has been hitting, I just knew that if I got on, she could get me home."
"What I was thinking about out there in the eighth was just getting it done for our team," noted Sievers. "When Megan got on, I was ready to step up and follow her. I had confidence stepping in against Hoppock. I really wanted to be up at the plate at that moment. I wanted the chance to win it, and it worked out."
The Longhorns stranded eight runners, while the Cowgirls left four on base. Both teams threatened early in the game, with UT stranding two runners in both the third and fourth innings and OSU leaving a runner at third in the top of the fourth.
"Right now, it's a mental challenge for us to get untracked offensively," noted UT head coach Connie Clark. "I think we are trying to do it all by waiting for one pitch, and we are pressing a bit. We talked after the game about getting back to our pitch-by-pitch mentality, to make the opponent's pitcher work hard and force her to deliver. I am really pleased for Chez (Sievers). She has been really consistent for us down the stretch. It's nice to have her back in the field as we come down the stretch after her arm injury. She is another coach on the field, always talking and keeping it calm out there. Her play has been a big factor for us lately."
The Cowgirls put a runner in scoring position three times. In the third, OSU's Scott reached on an infield error, stole second, and moved to third on a groundout before Osterman struck out cleanup hitter Kim Kaye to end the threat.
OSU also had runners reach second in the sixth and seventh inning with two outs, only to have Osterman fan the final batter of the inning each time. In the top of the eighth, the Cowgirls' Lacy Darity reached on a a one-out infield single, but was gunned down by Willis trying to steal second. Osterman got the next Cowgirl batter on a bouncer back to the mound, which set up the bottom of the eighth rally by Willis and Sievers.
UT also had a runner in scoring position in the bottom of the sixth when Sievers hit a sinking line drive to left field which just eluded the dive of OSU leftfielder Lauren Kitchens for a two-out double. Sievers was stranded on second, however, as Hoppock got Kacie Gaskins on a swinging strikeout.
"I felt pretty good out there today and was happy to keep OSU to a few hits," noted Osterman, who allowed two infield hits and two outfield singles. "Megan (Willis) did a great job again behind the plate, stopping base-stealing attempts, and then she and Chez got it done for us at the plate. The one thing we need to focus on is striking earlier in the game at the plate. We've got to come out strong, ready to win. This game gets us closer to our goal of winning the Big 12's, and that will be great momentum going into tomorrow's game."
The Longhorns will complete the two-game series with the Cowgirls on Sunday, April 30, in a 1 p.m. at McCombs Field. THE GAME IS AN ADVANCE SELLOUT.
The contest also is the regular season home finale for the Longhorns on "Texas Senior Day". In pre-game ceremonies, UT will salute the five seniors who will be making their regular season final home game appearance - Tina Boutelle, Jacklyn Daniels, Amber Hall, Cat Osterman and Chez Sievers.
Hall is scheduled to sing the National Anthem pre-game as well.
