The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas A&M
Softball takes Big 12 series with 4-3 win over Texas A&M
04.29.2012 | Softball
April 29, 2012
AUSTIN, Texas - Junior right fielder Taylor Hoagland blasted two home runs Sunday as the No. 7/8 Texas Longhorns earned a Big 12 Conference series win with the 4-3 victory over the No. 18/16 Texas A&M Aggies. Hoagland had three RBI as she hit home runs No. 13 and 14 on the season for the Longhorns (39-8, 13-6).
Rachel Fox (12-0) allowed only one run through her first five innings to finish with the win while Blaire Luna threw 1 1/3 perfect innings in relief for her third save on the year. Luna ties Erin Tresselt (2007-10) for the most saves (seven) in the history of the Texas softball program.
Lauren Ainsley took the loss for Texas A&M (33-16, 13-8) after allowing two runs on five hits in four innings.
The Aggies turned three double plays, including one in the first after left fielder Emily Albus doubled up Hoagland at first on a fly ball. Albus came up big again in the bottom of the second after throwing out Karina Scott at third after Scott tagged up at second.
Amber Garza put the Aggies ahead in the second with a solo shot to right, her fifth of the season. Mel Dumezich would follow with a single to center, followed by a walk to Nicole Morgan and a Brittany Walker single to load the bases with no outs. Fox got back-to-back ground outs as Taylor Thom got two straight outs by getting the force at home plate. Nadia Taylor then snared a line drive by Albus at third to keep it a one-run lead.
Mandy Ogle hit a single to lead off the Longhorns' half of the third as Hoagland put Texas ahead, 2-1, with a two-run homer to left. Dumezich relieved Ainsley in the fifth and was promptly greeted with back-to-back homers by Hoagland and Brejae Washington as UT improved its lead, 4-1.
Kelsea Orsak's sacrifice fly in the sixth halved the deficit for Texas A&M as Albus laid down a bunt while Fox's errant throw on the play allowed Walker to score from second to make it 4-3. Luna entered the game with two outs and got Meagan May to hit a pop-up to second, ending the inning. Luna would retire the 4-5-6 hitters in order to close off the win for the Longhorns in front of a season-high 1,350 fans at Red & Charline McCombs Field.
Texas continues Big 12 Conference play on Tuesday (May 1) at Baylor before a road series at Oklahoma, Friday-Sunday (May 4-6). Gametracker live stats, along with a live Twitter feed (@TexasSoftball), for all four games will be available on TexasSports.com.
Notes: Taylor Hoagland with 14 home runs on the season is now second on the Texas single-season list and needs one home run to tie her own record of 15, set last year...Hoagland registered two home runs in a game for the fourth time this season...Hoagland is now fourth on the Texas single-season list for runs scored (47), needing seven to tie her record set last year...Texas is 24-3 at home this season (.889), the best home record so far since the 2006 season when the Longhorns went 30-1...Texas A&M and Texas combined for 12 home runs in the series...with Texas A&M heading to the Southeastern Conference next season, the all-time series in softball between schools is tied at 20-20 with the Longhorns winning four of the last six games.
TAMU 010-002-0---3-7-0 TEXAS 002-020-x---4-8-2WP - Fox (12-0) LP - Ainsley (3-1) S - Luna (3) Records: Texas (39-8, 13-6), Texas A&M (33-16, 13-8)
Ainsley, Dumezich (5) and May. Fox, Luna (6) and Ogle.
Post-Game Quotes
Head Coach Connie Clark
On today's win: That is the thing- we have to go all of the way back to Thursday. I am just proud of them that the meeting stayed with them after the game on Thursday. Just sitting in the locker room over there, talking about staying the course, and that with a three game series, beauty of it is we can still win a series and let's take it back home. I have to give a big thank you to our crowd, because they were significant yesterday and today. I am proud of them for coming out and supporting us in the heat. They were huge for us.
On the emotion of this game: You always feel emotion. To be honest, it was a great game today. It was back-and-forth and close. So, there was a lot of emotion there. You have to try to keep it in check, and stay one-pitch at a time. I'm pleased that [Rachel] Fox gave us what we needed. Then, we were able to go to Luna, and for her to come in and she is still working through building confidence, and there is nothing better to come in and shut the door and get the save there. It was fantastic.
On Taylor Hoagland: Taylor Hoagland is amazing. She is such a strong young lady and so versatile. She is an emotional player, but you cannot help but get caught up in her emotion. She kind of takes you on an emotional ride a little bit, but you have to love it. I'm very proud of her. She had a great series.
On Fox getting out of the jam in the second inning: I felt like we just stayed zeroed in on the task at hand, and Fox gave us some great locations all day long, and both of those locations could not be better to get the groundout. That is what we are looking for in that scenario. She kept the pitch down, she did not get it elevated and we got groundballs out of it and had good things happen. I thought we stayed very poised and with very good focus, zeroing in when we needed to. We need to do that. A good effort on everybody's part with that today.
On keeping this momentum for the final five conference games: I think it is automatic. You take it. This team has been scrapping. I know your job as media is to remind me that, "Before coming into this series you are 5-5 in your last 10 games." But I keep thinking, "Yes, but we won three, lost three, won one, then lost one." It is about scrapping. It is a great conference, and it is very competitive. Our biggest thing with these athletes when they are under a microscope like that and they hear that is to just keep pumping up their tires and let them know that it is about competing. When you compete and you stay in the moment, good things are going to happen for this club, I think because we are talented enough. So that is what I am proud of, because we have to take that piece and we need to keep moving forward with it, because obviously we are facing good competition in Baylor and OU.
On Brejae Washington's homerun: All I know is that it would have been an inside the park homerun if it had hit the fence. It was nice. We were showing some short game and bunting earlier in the count, and when she got into a very favorable count, it was like `go with your heart' slap. I think it freed her up. Obviously the pitcher needed to bring it up in the zone and it paid off for us. The umpire even said he had a hard time keeping up with her because she is so quick.
Right fielder Taylor Hoagland
On taking the final conference series from A&M: I'm really glad that we went out with a bang, especially after Thursday's game, using that momentum to carry us through these weekend games.
On playing as a team as a key to success: I think it's really brought us together as a team to realize it's going to take one through 15 every single game. Today, yes I had two home runs, but yesterday it was Rachel [Fox] and it will continue. It will be someone's game every day.
On her personal growth this season: It's nice to be on the climb, that's what I have to say. I've been working really hard this season to kind of change some things and change some mental aspects of the game for myself. I'm on the climb.
