The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Northern Illinois
No. 15 Softball rolls past Northern Illinois, 8-4
02.12.2011 | Softball
Feb. 12, 2011
AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas Softball team rallied from a three-run deficit to defeat Northern Illinois in the final game of pool play at the Texas Classic. The win improved the Longhorns to 3-0 on the season and dropped the Huskies to 0-3.
Sophomore rightfielder Taylor Hoagland led the offensive charge for the Horns, going 2-for-3 with a three-run homerun and extending her current hitting streak to 14 games.
Freshman righthander Rachel Fox (2-0) earned the win for Texas, throwing 7.0 innings, allowing four runs (three earned), while surrendering 12 hits and striking out four. Northern Illinois' Morgan Bittner (0-2) picked up the loss, allowing six runs (four earned) on six hits in 5.0 innings of work.
Northern Illinois got out to an early lead in the top of the first inning. Leadoff batter Dani Parrish reached on a throwing error and eventually came around to score on a sacrifice fly to deep center by Adriana Sanchez. The Huskies notched two more runs on four hits in the second and extended its lead to 3-0.
The Longhorns answered with two runs in the bottom of the third. Senior second baseman Raygan Feight and freshman centerfielder Brejae Washington reached on back-to-back singles to lead off the inning. The Horns loaded the bases on a NIU throwing error and Taylor drove in Feight on an RBI groundout. Sophomore designated player Kim Bruins brought home Washington on a single to rightfield.
In the fourth, Taylor tallied her third home run in as many games, blasting a three-run shot that broke a three-all 3-3 tie and put the Horns up 6-3. Freshman shortstop Taylor Thom scored earlier in the frame on a wild pitch after reaching on a single.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Horns extended their lead to five runs on a two-run double to centerfield by Bruins. The Huskies mounted a minor rally in the top of the seventh inning, posting three hits, including an RBI single by pinch hitter Alexandra Wulbecker, but could not muster any more offense.
Texas returns to action at the Texas Classic when it meets Northern Illinois in the second semifinal, Saturday night. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m.
