The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Long Beach State
Softball downs No. 8 Stanford and Long Beach State
02.10.2007 | Softball
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Texas freshman infielder Loryn Johnson led the Longhorns with a four-for-eight performance Saturday to help Texas down No. 8 Stanford, 7-6, and Long Beach State, 10-3, at the Kajikawa Classic. The Longhorns (4-0) will wrap up play at the Classic Sunday at 10 a.m. CT when they take on Utah.
Johnson led the Horns with four hits and four RBI on the day, while Megan Willis, Crystal Saenz and MicKayla Padilla each recorded three hits in the nightcap.
Junior right-hander Meagan Denny (2-0) totaled 5.2 innings on the day, earning a win and striking out nine while scattering nine hits. Freshman right-hander Torrey Schroeder (1-0) earned the victory in game two, going 5.2 innings and allowing just three runs.
Live stats for Texas' tournament finale will be available at TexasSports.com.
Game 1: Stanford
After avoiding a Stanford threat in the first inning the Longhorns put four runs on the board in the bottom of the first, using an RBI single by freshman third baseman Loryn Johnson to score Shannon Thomas who had reached on a triple. Senior catcher Megan Willis singled to advance Johnson and a three-run homer by Kacie Gaskin emptied the bases and pushed the Texas advantage to 4-0.
Stanford (2-2) plated its first run on a RBI single by Alissa Haber in the second, but Texas struck back, adding two runs of its own in the bottom of the second. Senior first baseman Jacqueline Williams led off the frame with a solo home run to straight away centerfield and an RBI single by Johnson scored Desiree Williams from second to give the Horns a 6-1 edge.
The Cardinal narrowed the margin in the fourth, taking advantage of two Texas errors to push two runs across and move the tally to 6-3. Stanford then added a run in the fifth and sixth innings to pull within one, but Texas rallied for a run of its own in the sixth. Jacqueline Williams led off the frame with a single and pinch runner MicKayla Padilla scored on Johnson's RBI groundout.
Stanford responded with a run in the seventh inning, but its rally fell short, as Texas starting pitcher Meagan Denny re-entered the game in relief of freshman Erin Tresselt to record the final out. Denny (2-0) totaled 4.1 innings, allowing eight hits and striking out six batters en route to her second win in as many days.
Cardinal righthander Becky McCullough (1-1) suffered the loss, tossing 5.0 innings, surrendering seven runs on nine hits and striking out four.
Game 2: Long Beach State
Texas claimed an early lead against Long Beach State (1-3), using three consecutive singles in the second inning to take a 1-0 edge. Sophomore Kelly Melone and Crystal Saenz singled and Melone scored on an RBI single to centerfield by Padilla. The Longhorn tallied another run in the third when a Gaskin sacrifice fly plated Johnson to extend the UT lead.
The 49ers evened the score at two in the third, but the Longhorns reclaimed the lead in the fourth when Thomas' groundout scored Saenz, who had reached on a single. The Longhorns tacked on two more runs in the fifth and another run in the sixth before erupting for three runs in the final frame. In the seventh, UT used five hits, including a two-run double by Johnson to push the final tally to 10-3.
Freshman righthander Torrey Schroeder (1-0) earned the victory, tossing 5.2 innings, scattering six hits and allowing just three runs. Lacy Tyler took the loss for the 49ers, going 6.0 innings, but surrendering seven runs on 11 hits, while walking five Longhorns.
