The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Fresno State
Fresno State upends No. 25 Softball, 9-7
02.23.2008 | Softball
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. -- A late rally was not enough as the No. 25 Texas Softball team fell to Fresno State, 9-7 Friday night at the Palm Springs Classic. Sophomore shortstop Loryn Johnson paced the Longhorns on the night with three hits, two RBI and one run scored.
The loss drops Texas to 6-3-1 on the year, while Fresno State improves to 7-2. Longhorns' reliever Erin Tresselt (0-1) suffered the loss for UT after allowing four runs in 2.2 innings of relief. Bulldogs' reliever Morgan Melloh (6-1) earned the victory, tossing 3.2 innings and surrendering four runs on eight hits.
Fresno State blew the game open in the sixth, rallying for four runs on five hits to claim a 9-5 advantage. The Bulldogs sent all nine batters to the plate in the sixth and kicked off the scoring when shortstop Haley Gilleland roped a two-run bases loaded single to leftfield. Catcher Caitlin Stiglich followed with a two-run single of her own, pushing Gilleland and Haley Perkins across to give FSU a four-run lead.
In the UT seventh, senior first baseman Desiree Williams hammered a leadoff home run to leftfield to narrow the Bulldogs edge to 9-6. Junior catcher Kacie Gaskin followed with a walk and she advanced to third on Johnson's single to leftfield. After a pair of Longhorns were retired, pinch hitter Shelby Savony laced a two-out single through the left side, scoring Gaskin from third. The game and the rally ended with Johnson and Savony stranded in scoring position.
The Longhorns leapt out to an early 3-0 lead in the first, using back-to-back home runs by Johnson and sophomore designated player Tallie Thrasher. Williams led off the frame with a single to leftfield and scored on Johnson's two-out, two-run blast to rightfield. Thrasher followed the homer with a roundtripper of her own, sending a shot over the leftfield wall to push the lead to three.
Fresno State rallied in the second, plating three runs on two hits to even the tally at three. Designated player Aja Scheuber led off the inning with a walk and advanced to second on a groundout. A one-out single by Lindsay Milchovich and a hit-by-pitch to Brooke Phipps loaded the bases for Mallory Perkins, who pushed Scheuber across with her RBI groundout. Third baseman Haley Perkins followed, lacing a two-run single down the leftfield line, scoring Phipps and Mallory Perkins and evening the score at 3-3.
POSTGAME QUOTES
HEAD COACH Connie Clark
On Texas' play against Fresno State: I think the way we competed very well tonight and did some good things. We had some great communication defensively and I feel like we had some plays where we really had to work together. Our performance from a competitive standpoint was outstanding. We battled well and that sets a tone for what we can do the rest of the season. I'm pleased with our focus and our confidence and the way that we played pitch-to-pitch. We had some great at bats all night tonight and overall I am pleased for the effort.
On the pitching staff: Tonight was about going with Brittany Barnhill and getting Erin Tresselt a little more work. I have really been wanting to get Erin some work and tonight she came in and gave us the groundballs that we needed. Barnhill is doing some things well and really battling through things, but she has a few adjustments that she needs to make to be able to close out the game. Overall I don't think we should get consumed with the outcome of tonight's game because we battled so well. The experience that we gained tonight will probably help us more down the stretch than coming away with a win.
