The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Alabama
Softball shuts out Mississippi Valley State, falls to Alabama at NCAA Regional
05.17.2009 | Softball
May 17, 2009
Box Score - Game 1 | Box Score - Game 2
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- The Texas Softball team posted a 4-0 victory over Mississippi Valley State in the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional semifinals on Sunday afternoon before advancing to the championship and falling to No. 3 Alabama, 7-0. The Crimson Tide's victory ended the Horns season and advanced UA to the NCAA Super Regional. Texas concluded its year with a 40-20 record, while Alabama moved to 50-9.
In game one, Texas starter Brittany Barnhill (26-14) tossed her second complete game shutout of the regional, scattering six hits and fanning four, while MVSU southpaw Lisa Jansen (15-8) suffered the loss, throwing 4.1 innings, allowing one run on three hits, walking three and striking out four.
Texas righthander Erin Tresselt (5-3) was saddled with the loss in the nightcap, lasting 3.0 innings and allowing three runs on six hits. Barnhill threw the final three frames and surrendered four runs on five hits, while walking three. Alabama lefthander Charlotte Morgan (17-6) earned the victory for the Crimson Tide with her complete game, seven-hit shutout performance.
In the Horns' semifinal win, UT plated the game's first run in the third when junior centerfielder Brittany Chalk led off the frame with a triple to right center and came home on junior designated player Loryn Johnson's RBI single.
Texas tacked on two more runs in the sixth when freshman third baseman Nadia Taylor led off the inning with a solo homer to left and sophomore catcher Amy Hooks tagged a solo shot of her own that pushed the score to 3-0.
The Longhorns fourth tally came in the seventh after sophomore shortstop Raygan Feight connected for a one-out single, advanced to second on a passed ball and came home on Hooks' RBI single.
In the nightcap, Alabama used a two-run home run by Morgan to claim a quick 2-0 edge in the first. Tresselt kept the Tide at bay for the next two frames before allowing a leadoff home run to rightfielder Cassie Reilly-Boccia in the fourth that moved the score to 3-0.
Following the homer, Barnhill spelled Tresselt and after allowing a walk she gave up an RBI single to leftfielder Whitney Larson that pushed the lead to 4-0 at the end of four. The Crimson Tide tacked on three more runs in the fifth, putting two on with a walk and a fielder's choice before first baseman Amanda Locke struck with an RBI double. Shortstop Kellie Eubanks drove home two more runs with a two-run single that capped the scoring at 7-0.
Against MVSU, Hooks headlined the UT attack with two hits, two RBI, one walk and one run scored, while seven different players tallied a hit against Crimson Tide.
The Longhorns 2009 squad improved its win total from 29 wins in 2008 to 40 in 2009 and will return 13 letterwinners next season.
POST-GAME NOTES
- Texas finished the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional with a 2-2 record, moving the Horns' all-time NCAA record to 26-20.
- The Horns' win over Mississippi Valley State marked the first meeting between the two schools.
- Texas' loss to Alabama dropped UT's all-time mark against UA to 2-3.
- Senior first baseman Desiree Williams concluded her career at Texas as the school's career leader in on-base percentage (.439), games played (247), games started (243), runs scored (156), home runs (33), walks (163) and stolen bases (62).
- Williams' hit-by-pitch vs. MVSU was the 176th of her career, adding to her UT career record.
