The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Cal Poly
No. 11 Softball rolls past Cal Poly, 9-0
02.26.2011 | Softball
Feb. 26, 2011
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. - The 11th-ranked Texas Softball team used a stellar pitching performance by sophomore Blaire Luna and a late offensive explosion to down Cal Poly, 9-0, Friday night at the Cathedral City Classic. The win improved the Longhorns to 11-2 on the season and dropped the Mustangs to 2-9.
Luna (7-1) notched the victory, firing her third complete-game shutout of the season, allowing just two hits, walking two and fanning 12. Cal Poly starter Rebecca Patton (1-5) took the loss after surrendering eight runs on 13 hits and walking four in 6.1 innings of work.
Sophomore rightfielder Taylor Hoagland's two-double effort extended her UT-record hitting streak to 24 games. The streak now stands as the second-longest in Big 12 history and is only one game shy of the 25-game record set by Nebraska's Anne Steffan in 2005.
Junior first baseman Lexy Bennett spearheaded the Horns' offense in the win, equaling a UT record with four hits, while adding three RBI and one run scored.
Texas got on the board in the third when freshman centerfielder Brejae Washington led off the frame with a single and came around to score on junior first baseman Lexy Bennett's RBI double down the leftfield line. The Horns added a second run when an errant throw on pinch runner Courtney Craig's stolen base allowed Bennett to come home from third and widen the margin to 2-0.
The Horns tacked on two runs in the sixth, using back-to-back singles by sophomore leftfielder Torie Schmidt and freshman second baseman Karina Scott to start the frame. Hoagland drew a leadoff intentional walk to load the bases before a two-run single by Bennett plated two runs and pushed the edge to 4-0.
In the seventh, UT exploded for five runs on seven hits to extend its advantage to 9-0. Sophomore pinch hitter Kim Bruins started the rally with a single and to more singles by Schmidt and Scott loaded the bases for freshman shortstop Taylor Thom. A bases loaded single by Thom scored one and a two-run double by Hoagland brought two more home. The Horns added their final two runs on Washington's two-run single up the middle.
Texas returns to action at the Cathedral City Classic on Saturday, Feb. 26 when it plays Long Island at 12:30 Central and Loyola Marymount at 3 p.m. Central.
