The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Indiana
Osterman leads Softball into NCAA Regional title game
05.20.2006 | Softball
AUSTIN, Texas -- All-America senior lefthander Cat Osterman allowed just one hit, and infield chopper in the first inning, and fanned 16 and UT scored all its runs in the first three innings, as Texas posted a 3-0 victory over Indiana Saturday afternoon in the second round winner's bracket game of the NCAA Softball Austin Regional being played at Red and Charline McCombs Field.
Texas faces Utah (40-20) for the regional crown. Utah came from the elimination bracket on Saturday, posting two come-from-behind wins - a 3-2 win over UTSA which eliminated the Roadrunners, followed by a 5-1 victory over Indiana in the final elimination game Saturday. One win Sunday gives Texas the Regional crown; Utah has to beat UT twice for the title.
With the win, Texas also set the school record for single season victories. The former mark was 50 wins during UT's 50-13 finish in 2002, a mark which the Longhorns tied with Friday evening's first round win over UTSA. It was Texas' 31st shutout win of the season and second in a row in NCAA tourney action.
Osterman has now accounted for 25 of those shutout victories. She moves to 34-2 with the victory, facing just 25 batters. She walked one in the complete-game victory which saw her throw 94 pitches - 73 of them for strikes. In the two NCAA Championship games to date, Osterman has struck out 34 of the 49 batters who have faced her.
Indiana, now 1-1 in the Regional and 30-24-1 overall, will face the winner of the UTSA-Utah contest at 6 p.m. Saturday in the second elimination game. That winner advances to Sunday's championship to face Texas.
If Texas should drop the 1 p.m. game on Sunday, then a second game, following 30 minutes after the 1 p.m. game, will take place to determine the Austin Regional champion who advances to next weekend's NCAA Super Regional. The eight Super Regionals will take place on selected campus sites on Friday and Saturday, May 26-27. In its last two NCAA Championship appearances (2003 and 2005), the Longhorns have advanced to the Super Regionals and then onward to the Women's College World Series.
Offensively, senior rightfielder Amber Hall drove home what proved to be the game-inning run with a two-out RBI double in the first. Sophomore shortstop Desiree Williams went two-for-three at the plate which included her team-high 10th double of the season, and scored on Hall's double. The UT offense also was helped by four walks, a hit batsman and two Indiana errors.
As the visitors, Texas jumped on the scoreboard with a 2-0 lead in the top of the first behind Hall's RBI double, a walk, a hit batsman and one Hoosier error.
Desiree Williams led off the game as a hit batsman and was sacrificed to second. After an infield groundout, catcher Megan Willis walked. After a groundout, Hall came to the plate and lined a sinking shot down the left field line which scored Williams. When Hoosier leftfielder Julia Hamilton made an errant throw back to the infield, that allowed Willis to score an unearned run on the play. It was Hall's eight double and 16th RBI of the year. A groundout ended the UT rally.
In the third, Texas plated its final run, also unearned. Centerfielder Tina Boutelle rapped a leadoff single up the middle and stole second. Boutelle then stole third when UT batter Megan Willis showed bunt and pulled back. On Boutelle's steal, Indiana catcher Janetta Devan made a poor throw, allowing Boutelle to take home.
The Longhorns stranded six runners in the contest, while the Hoosiers left four on base (on a first-inning chop single by Hamilton, one walk and two UT errors). No Indiana runner reached second base.
Indiana senior righthander Mariangee Bogado got the start and pitched five complete innings. Bogado (21-10) allowed all three runs (one earned) along with three hits, and walked three and struck out two. Megan Roark pitched the final two innings in relief.
POSTGAME QUOTES
Indiana Head Coach Stacey Phillips
Her general statement on the game...
"Overall it was a tough game. When you hit a batter to start the game, and then give up a walk in the very beginning and then you make an error, like we did in the first, it's tough. You really have to play solid defense to make up for those things and it is tough to get back in (the game) against great teams like Texas. Cat [Osterman] obviously had her stuff. We were trying to make different adjustments and trying to catch up all game long, and I thought we did a whole lot better towards the end of the game. I think we had to do it a lot earlier and get our bat on the ball."
Indiana senior pitcher Mariangee Bogado
On what it was like to face Cat Osterman...
"I think if it wouldn't have been for the first inning, we would have still been playing out there. I guess we just need to hit more and make the adjustments at the plate. I really wasn't nervous going out there, but didn't do very well to start, and that did not help my team."
Texas Head Coach Connie Clark
Her general assessment of the game...
"It's good to get the 'W' and know we are playing in Sunday's championship game. For playing in the heat like we did, and coming out on the second day to play early, we looked relaxed. I thought we were focused, relaxed and we had a pretty balanced game plan.
Our hitters were very patient against [Indiana's starting pitcher] Bogado. She usually goes right after people, and we made her throw a lot of pitches early. Dez [Williams] starting off with a hit-by-pitch, which is always a good way to start. We let the game come to us today. We had a great performance again from Cat [Osterman]. I think she really gutted it out, after back-to-back days of coming out in this heat. To sum it up, it's good to be in the championship game tomorrow."
Texas senior rightfielder Amber Hall
On her RBI double in the first inning which plated UT's first run...
"I just tried to get up there, relax and play it one pitch at a time because I've been tense in the past few games. I went up there and didn't focus on the situation. I just stayed on it (the ball) and was able to take advantage of doing that."
Texas senior pitcher Cat Osterman
On pitching with a 2-0 lead after the first half-inning...
"You can relax a little I guess, because you know that one swing of the bat can lose the game. I'm going to go out there and attack, regardless of the score. Megan [Willis] and I are a game-within-the-big-game always, as pitcher and catcher. I'm going to throw my game plan, and I am going to do what I need to do to get the job done. I try not to focus on anything but that. Once I start focusing on the score and everything else that is going on, I get off track a little bit."
Texas sophomore shortstop Desiree Williams
On changing her approach at the plate as a lead-off hitter, a role she has been in the last month or so...
"Yes, batting first, I have changed my approach at the plate. I've learned to take more pitches. I get a better feel of what the opposing pitcher has, what her rhythm might be, what her pace is, and I'm able to go back and relay that to my teammates. My approach has had to change a little bit as the leadoff batter, but I don't think it has been anything that I can't handle. I actually enjoy being able to help out my teammates, as I am the first to get into the box against our opponent."
