The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Oklahoma State
No. 8 Softball downs No. 18 Oklahoma State, 6-3
04.02.2011 | Softball
April 2, 2011
STILLWATER, Okla. - The eighth-ranked Texas Softball team used a 13-hit offensive explosion to earn its 14th-straight victory and remain unbeaten in Big 12 play, Saturday afternoon as it knocked off No. 18 Oklahoma State, 6-3. The victory improved the Longhorns to 30-3 on the year and 3-0 in Big 12 play, while the Cowgirls dropped to 29-8 and 1-2 in league action
Sophomore All-America hurler Blaire Luna (18-2) was stellar in the circle for the Horns, firing her 18th complete game of the season. She scattered six hits, allowed three runs (one earned), while walking two and fanning nine in the winning effort. Oklahoma State starter Simone Freeman (8-5) took the loss after allowing six runs on 12 hits and striking out six in 5.1 innings of work.
Junior first baseman Lexy Bennett headlined the Horns' offense in the victory, going 3-for-4 with two RBI, two runs scored and a homer. Sophomore leftfielder Torie Schmidt was solid as well with a pair of RBI singles and a stolen base.
In the first, Texas jumped out to an early lead, using a single by freshman centerfielder Brejae Washington to start its rally and an RBI single by Bennett to take a 1-0 edge.
The Cowgirls answered in the bottom of the second inning, taking advantage of a leadoff homer to left centerfield by Chelsea Garcia to even the game at one apiece.
Texas immediately responded to the OSU rally in the third, mounting a two-out rally keyed by back-to-back homers to leftfield by Bennett and senior catcher Amy Hooks that put UT ahead, 3-1. The Horns tacked on another run in the frame when a softly hit RBI single by sophomore leftfielder Torie Schmidt scored junior third baseman Nadia Taylor who had reached on a single.
The Longhorns pushed a single tally across in the fifth when Bennett singled to start the inning and Schmidt connected for an RBI infield single that widened the Texas lead to 5-1.
Oklahoma State put two runs on the board in the bottom of the fifth when it used a Texas error to extend the stanza and a two-run homer by Julie Ward to cut the UT advantage to 5-3.
Freshman shortstop Taylor Thom reached on a one-out single in the Texas sixth and the Horns added another run when freshman pinch hitter Karina Scott drilled a double down the leftfield line to score Thom from first and move the score to 6-3.
Texas returns to action on Sunday, April 3 when it completes its two-game series with Oklahoma State. First pitch is slated for Noon Central.
POST-GAME NOTES
- Texas' win improves its all-time record against Oklahoma State to 21-10 and 7-4 in Stillwater.
- Lexy Bennett's home run in the third was her seventh of the season and pushed her career total to 21, which ties for fifth-best all-time at Texas.
- The Horns improve to 3-0 in Big 12 play and remain in a tie with Missouri for first-place in the Big 12.
