The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Pittsburgh
No. 12 Softball downs Pittsburgh, 4-0
03.04.2011 | Softball
March 4, 2011
BATON ROUGE, La. - The 12th-ranked Texas Softball team recorded its fifth-straight shutout as it downed Pittsburgh, 4-0, Friday afternoon in opening round action at the LSU Purple & Gold Challenge. The win improved the Longhorns to 15-2 on the year and dropped Pittsburgh to 7-4.
Freshman righthander Rachel Fox (6-1) earned the win in the circle for Texas, firing her second complete-game shutout of the season. She scattered three hits, walked two and fanned four in 7.0 innings of work. Pitt starter Cory Berliner (1-2) took the loss after allowing four runs on 10 hits in 6.1 innings.
Freshman centerfielder Brejae Washington headlined the Horns on the day with a 2-for-2, two-walk effort that included a UT single-game record-tying four stolen bases. As a team the Longhorns recorded eight stolen bases, equaling a UT single-game record. Sophomore leftfielder Torie Schmidt added two singles and reached on a fielder's choice in the win.
The Horns claimed a 1-0 lead in the third when freshman shortstop Taylor Thom led off the frame with an infield single and made a crafty trip around the bases. She promptly stole second and advanced to third on an errant throw by the Pitt catcher. Then on a botched squeeze attempt, Thom showed some nifty moves to escape a rundown and steal home.
Texas tacked on a second tally in the fourth, taking advantage of a pair of base this and one Pitt error. With two outs in the frame, sophomore leftfielder Torie Schmidt reached on a fielder's choice and advanced to second on senior Raygan Feight's infield single. Thom followed and reached on an error that allowed Schmidt to race home.
In the seventh, UT added two more runs courtesy of four-straight singles by the heart of the order. Washington started the rally with a one-out single and moved to second on junior first baseman Lexy Bennett's single. A double steal moved both runners in to scoring position and an errant throw on the steal scored Washington before an RBI single by senior catcher Amy Hooks scored Bennett to put UT ahead, 4-0.
The Horns retired two batters in the bottom of the seventh inning before rain showers struck and delayed the game for three hours and fifty-five minutes before the game resumed for its final out.
Texas returns to action at approximately 4 p.m. when it continues tourney play against Hofstra.
