The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
New Mexico
No. 6 Softball finishes series sweep with 5-0 shutout of No. 25 New Mexico
04.01.2012 | Softball
April 1, 2012
AUSTIN, Texas - Senior designated player Nadia Taylor (Humble/Atascocita) tied an NCAA record with three doubles in Sunday's game as the No. 6 Texas Longhorns won their ninth straight game in the 5-0 shutout of the No. 25 New Mexico Lobos. Texas finished the three-game series sweep of New Mexico after a 2-1 win on Friday and 7-3 victory yesterday.
Junior righty Blaire Luna had another dominant performance for the Longhorns (31-2), throwing a two-hitter with three walks and 14 strikeouts. The All-American pitcher is now 12-1 this season and has allowed just one earned run at home this year in 55 1/3 innings for a 0.13 ERA.
Taylor and Karina Scott had two RBI each for the Longhorns.
Kari Gutierrez took the loss for New Mexico (22-10) after allowing five runs (four earned) on nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.
Lexy Bennett started the Texas half of the fourth by reaching on New Mexico shortstop Jordyn Bledsoe's throw in the dirt. Courtney Craig then laid down the 3-4 sacrifice bunt as Bennett made a heads-up running play by running to third after no one was covering the bag. Taylor Thom then lifted the first pitch she faced to center as the sacrifice fly produced the first run of the game.
Luna walked two batters in the top of the sixth, but got Jessica Garcia to foul out to Mandy Ogle behind the plate for the third out.
Bennett and Thom singled in the sixth before Taylor tied the NCAA record with the two-run double off the fence in left center. Scott followed with a two-run blast to right center, her seventh homer of the season for the 5-0 lead.
With two outs in the seventh and a runner at first, Luna hit Bledsoe with the pitch and walked Jordan Sjostrand to load the bases before striking out Stefanie Carramusa looking for the final out.
Texas resumes Big 12 Conference play this week at home against Missouri. The series starts on Thursday (April 5) with a 7 p.m. start and continues on Friday (April 6) at 7 p.m. and Saturday (April 7) at noon. All three games will be broadcast on Longhorn Network. Gametracker live stats, along with a live Twitter feed (@TexasSoftball), for both games will be available on TexasSports.com.
Notes: Texas has recorded 14 shutouts this season...at home this season with a current 19-0 record, the Longhorns are batting .403 as a team with a 0.74 ERA...Texas has out-scored their opponents at home by a 146-17 margin...Blaire Luna recorded double-digit strikeouts for the sixth time this season...Nadia Taylor had more than one double in a game for the first time in her career...Lexy Bennett is currently tied for the Texas career mark for RBI (139) and needs just one to set a new record (previously held by Loryn Johnson (2007-10)...Karina Scott now leads the team with a .444 batting average and is batting .538 at home this season.
UNM 000-000-0---0-2-1 TEXAS 000-104-x---5-9-0WP - Luna (12-1) LP - Gutierrez (4-2) Records: Texas (31-2), New Mexico (22-10)
Gutierrez, Sheehan (6) and Garcia. Luna and Ogle.
Post-Game Quotes
Head coach Connie Clark
On today's game: Today was very similar to what we have seen all week with the other four non-conference match ups. It was nice for us to be challenged this week. We knew with New Mexico and Tulsa coming in this weekend they are two very solid non-conference opponents, and it was nice to be able to plug them in on a weekend where we did not have a conference match up. They were scrappy, they swing the bat extremely well so our pitchers were challenged, and I thought Blaire and Mandy [Ogle] did a nice job on the defensive side of things with making adjustments throughout their solid-hitting lineup. To put up a shutout against them is pretty impressive. On the flip side, offensively we just kept making adjustments throughout. I'm excited for Nadia Taylor setting a NCAA record for three doubles in a game. That is impressive. With our offense right now, it tends to be just a matter of time.
Junior pitcher Blaire Luna
On today's game: The pace was good. We had to work through some things in today's game and against Tulsa. As a team, we did really well. It went by quickly and we were in it the whole time.
On the team's progression: Our first goal is to try to win the Big 12 title. I think as long as we stay progressively consistent with hitting and pitching, we should be just fine.
On the defensive effort at the end of the game: It is a little stressful at the end. I tried to place the ball too much and that is where those walks came from, but I know my defense is behind me and they help me stay relaxed.
On what has helped her be successful this season: Staying in the game and not getting too consumed with the opponent and taking it one pitch at a time.
On the Missouri series coming up: We are excited for Missouri. I think we are hungry and eager to beat them.
