The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Colorado State
No. 15 Softball upends Colorado State, 12-4
02.19.2011 | Softball
Feb. 19, 2011
AUSTIN, Texas - A pair of stellar performances by freshmen Taylor Thom and Brejae Washington fueled the 13th-ranked Texas Softball team's offense as it downed Colorado State, 12-4, Saturday afternoon. The win improved the Longhorns to 8-0 on the year and a perfect 3-0 in Time Warner Cable Texas Invitational pool play, while Colorado State fell to 2-5 overall and 0-3 in the tourney.
Thom headlined the offense with three hits, three RBI, two runs scored, a homer and the game-winning RBI in the sixth. Washington was solid as well, contributing two hits, a triple, three runs scored and a career-best three stolen bases. Sophomore rightfielder Taylor Hoagland's double extended her hitting streak to 19 games.
Freshman hurler Rachel Fox (4-0) earned the victory in the circle for the Horns after combining to throw 5.0 innings during two different stints. She allowed one run on two hits and fanned two in the win. Colorado State starter Kelsey Jo O'Brien suffered the loss after allowing two runs and walking four in 0.1 innings of work.
Texas earned five-straight free passes in the first to take a quick 2-0 advantage. Washington drew a walk to start the rally, stole two bases and came home on a CSU error. Junior second baseman Lexy Bennett advanced two bases on an error and later came around to score on a wild pitch.
In the second, UT pushed one run across on an RBI double by Hoagland before exploding for five runs in the third. Senior first baseman Shelby Savony drew a walk to start the rally and came around to score on an RBI single by sophomore leftfielder Torie Schmidt. Thom followed with a two-run homer down the leftfield line and a two-run double by Bennett widened the margin to 8-0.
A solo homer by Colorado State's Morghan Doughty in the fourth ended Fox's perfect game bid and narrowed the lead. The Rams rallied for three runs off of UT reliever Kim Bruins in the sixth, cashing in on a trio of RBI singles by Brittany Palish, Alysa Greckel and Caitlan Stem.
Texas answered in the bottom of the sixth, pushing four runs across and ending the game by run-rule. Washington led off the frame with a triple and Bennett followed with a walk before a single by senior catcher Amy Hooks brought Washington home. Bennett came home on an RBI double by Savony and Hooks scored on freshman pinch hitter Mandy Ogle's RBI groundout. The Horns plated their final run on Thom's RBI single through the left side that gave UT a 12-4 win.
Texas returns to action on Saturday night when it meets Colorado State in the tournament semifinals at 6:30 p.m. Central.
