The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
St. John's
Thrasher slams three-run homer to push Softball past St. John's, 6-4
03.02.2007 | Softball
AUSTIN, Texas -- Freshman designated player Tallie Thrasher headlined Texas' come-from-behind victory, hammering a three-run seventh inning home run to lift No. 10 UT to a 6-4 victory over St. John's, Saturday evening at the Time Warner Cable Texas Invitational.
Texas' (14-3) freshman shortstop Loryn Johnson started the Longhorns' seventh inning rally, tagging a first-pitch double down the leftfield line. Sophomore rightfielder Kacie Gaskin followed with a walk, setting the table for Thrasher, who slammed her fourth home run of the season over the right centerfield wall to give UT a 6-4 edge.
"I just wanted to get the job done and put the ball in play," noted Thrasher. "The pitcher was doing a great job of keeping hitters off balance, and I'm glad I could come through in a pressure situation."
The Longhorns pushed three runs across in the top of the third inning, using a hit-by-pitch and three consecutive hits in the frame. Sophomore third baseman Crystal Saenz was hit by a pitch to start the inning and advanced to second on MicKayla Padilla's sacrifice bunt.
Sophomore leftfielder Shannon Thomas followed Padilla with an RBI triple and Johnson pushed Thomas across with her RBI single to centerfield. Johnson advanced to second on Megan Willis' single to rightfield and both runners moved up a base on a double steal. Kacie Gaskin then reached on a walk, and Thrasher earned a bases-loaded RBI walk to push the UT lead to 3-0.
St. John's (2-10) answered the Texas rally in the bottom of third, tallying four runs of its own, claiming a 4-3 edge. Ona Halladay started the Red Storm rally with a single to centerfield, and Tami Hill followed with a bunt single that advanced Halladay to second base. Pinch runner Melissa Pilley came home when Loren Anguiano reached on a fielder's choice to get St. John's on the board.
Anguiano advanced to third on a fielder's choice and a single by Danielle Estrada before scoring on a wild pitch. St. John's tacked on its final two runs when catcher Brandi Reyes delivered a two-run single that pushed the Red Storm in front, 4-3.
"It's good to be back at home in front of our fans," stated head coach Connie Clark. "I think this team does a great job of staying composed and continuing to compete until someone tells them the game is over."
After coming on in relief of Texas' starter Torrey Schroeder with two outs in the third inning, sophomore righthander Erin Tresselt (4-1) tossed 4.1 innings of scoreless relief to earn the victory. Tresselt scattered three hits, striking out three St. John's batters, while Schroeder allowed four runs on five hits in 2.2 innings of work.
Red Storm' starter Lisa Geer went the distance for St. John's, going 7.0 innings, surrendering six runs on seven hits, walking six hitters and striking out two.
Texas returns to action Saturday, March 3 when it takes on Drake at 1:30 p.m. in the Time Warner Cable Texas Invitational. Live stats for all of the tournament's games will be available on TexasSports.com.
Purchase tickets at TexasBoxOffice.com; by calling 800-982-BEVO or 512-471-3333; in person at any Texas Box Office outlet, including Austin-area H-E-B stores and the UT Athletics Ticket Office in Bellmont Hall (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. CT); and in person one hour prior to game time at the Red and Charline McCombs box office.
