The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Baylor
Thom, Bruins ninth-inning hits lift No. 9/9 Softball to 4-0 win over No. 18/15 Baylor
03.23.2013 | Softball
March 23, 2013
Box Score 
WACO, Texas - Senior Blaire Luna and junior Whitney Canion staged a pitching duel Saturday to open the Big 12 Conference season. In the end, a ninth-inning, bases-loaded single from junior Taylor Thom and a two-run double from senior Kim Bruins lifted Luna and No. 9/9 Texas to a 4-0 victory over No. 18/15 Baylor at Getterman Stadium.
The victory was the Longhorns' seventh over a top-25 opponent this season and the seventh in the last eight such meetings. UT (28-4, 1-0 Big 12) also opened the Big 12 Conference campaign with a victory for the sixth-straight year.
Luna (14-1) improved to 6-1 versus top-25 foes this season and tossed a shutout in the Big 12 opener for her fourth consecutive campaign. Luna gave up just two singles. She finished with 14 strikeouts, one walk and two hit batters. Canion (13-4) threw the first eight-plus innings, surrendering three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out 14. Heather Stearns came in for the final three outs, fanned two and surrendered an unearned run on two hits.
Neither team recorded a base runner until the top of the third, when senior Torie Schmidt led off with a single. Canion responded with two strikeouts before a wild pitch moved Schmidt to second with two down. Senior Taylor Hoagland delivered a single to left, but Schmidt was thrown out at home to close the frame.
Baylor (26-6, 0-1 Big 12) registered its first base runner of the contest in the bottom of the fourth as Kathy Shelton was hit by a pitch with one out. Luna struck out Linsey Hays swinging and Shelton was called out for leaving first base early on a steal attempt to end the inning.
Both teams were retired in order in the fifth. Texas got a two-out walk from Hoagland in the top of the sixth and she stole second, but a strikeout left her stranded.
The Bears also drew a walk in the sixth inning as Stearns picked up a free pass with one out. Stearns was replaced by pinch runner Justine Young, who moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jordan Strickland. Luna got out of trouble as Kaitlyn Thumann fouled out to junior first baseman Karina Scott to end the frame.
In the seventh, Canion retired the Longhorns in order and Luna hit Clare Hosack with a pitch with two outs. Luna recorded a groundout to close the inning.
Luna allowed the first hit for the Bears in the bottom of the eighth with Kelsi Kettler's one-out single through the left side. A groundout and strikeout left Kettler stranded on second.
Texas broke through in the top of the ninth with four runs for the 4-0 final. Freshman Stephanie Ceo singled and Hoagland drew a walk to open the frame before junior Brejae Washington was hit by a pitch to fill the bases. Stearns came on for Canion and was greeted by a Thom single that plated Ceo and refilled the bases. After a pop out, Bruins doubled to the gap in left center to drive in Hoagland and Washington for a 3-0 Texas advantage. With Thom on third and pinch runner Rachel Scott on second, Karina Scott struck out swinging, but catcher Hosack's throw got away from the first baseman and Thom scored. A strikeout and groundout allowed Stearns to escape without further damage.
Luna allowed a leadoff single to Thumann in the bottom of the ninth, but a lineout, fielder's choice and strikeout ended the contest.
The Longhorns return home Sunday for a 12:30 p.m. CT game against Baylor. The contest will be televised live on FOX Sports Networks.
Post-Game Quotes
Head Coach Connie Clark
On today's game: It was an old-fashioned pitchers' duel. To start the conference season on their turf and face somebody like Whitney Canion, I thought our mind-set was exceptional. That's what we talked about after the game, and what we talked about a lot this week.
I love that we addressed that this week. We said we have to stay in an attack mind-set and keep playing. When you face pitchers like that, they are going to get their strikeouts, but I thought our mind-set was absolutely exceptional today.
On how facing tough pitching early in the season prepares them for conference play: That's pretty much what we try to do year in and year out. And that's an important part of the nonconference schedule for the first part of the season. Whitney [Canion] is right up there. She is as good as anybody we have faced. She battled well, and I am sure we will see more of her.
On Taylor Thom's go-ahead single in the ninth inning: She is hot at the plate and is seeing the ball so well. And she doesn't strike out much, so we felt like she would make Baylor play some defense. And she had a great at-bat.
On Blaire Luna's performance in the circle: I thought she was great mentally. And that's what I am looking for. She was superb. She was great physically as well. She was able to mix in some off-speed pitches in some different counts. And just those little things that helped her set up everything else were tremendous.
On the at-bats in the ninth inning to give Texas the lead: I actually felt like the table setting in the ninth was amazing. It was tremendous to see [freshman Stephanie] Ceo lead off that inning with a hit. And then with [senior Taylor] Hoagland [getting the walk]. In my opinion, that at-bat and Ceo's, those were the at-bats. I was pleased with how we set the table for that inning.
Senior P/1B Kim Bruins
On facing Whitney Canion: Well she is a great pitcher. You have to be really strong mentally and have confidence in yourself knowing that you can succeed.
On her mindset before her ninth-inning double: I was just thinking stay calm and keep your hands up. There was only one out, so I wanted to stay calm and try to hit something hard somewhere.
On the team's focus throughout the game: We had a good dugout. Everybody was up throughout the game. Every inning we were talking and helping each other. I just think we were focused and having fun all game.
On what winning this game means going forward: It's definitely a momentum boost. These are the games you love to win.
Senior P Blaire Luna
On throwing against a pitcher like Whitney Canion: It's about staying pitch-to-pitch and controlling what I can control. I can't get consumed with the score. I stayed pitch-to-pitch and I had confidence in my defense behind me.
On her mind-set going into today's game: I think it's more just not overthinking things. That's what we talked about before the game with Coach Clark. Being that this is the fourth time they have seen me, it's about playing chess and not getting consumed with overthinking.
On the ninth-inning rally that gave Texas the lead: It's awesome. If anything, I was really excited for Kim [Bruins] and Taylor [Thom]. We did a good job of coming through.
Post-Game Notes
- Senior Taylor Hoagland's single in the third inning allowed her to reach base in all 32 games this season. The streak is a Texas record.
- Hoagland is hitting .500 (20-for-40) during March with 16 runs scored, 12 RBI, six home runs and 17 walks. She owns a 1.050 slugging percentage and .655 on-base percentage this month.
- Hoagland has scored a run in her last five contests and in 10 of the last 11 games.
- Senior Blaire Luna improved to 6-1 with a 1.34 earned-run average against top-25 foes this season. She has fanned 87 in 52.0 innings pitched versus ranked teams.
- Luna struck out 14 batters in the contest, lifting her season total to 188. In her last 22.0 innings pitched, she has fanned 45.
- Senior Torie Schmidt extended her hitting streak to four games with a third-inning single. Schmidt is batting .442 (19-for-43) during the last 15 games with eight runs scored.
- Junior Taylor Thom picked up her team-leading seventh game-winning run batted in this season. She is leading Texas with a .433 (13-for-30) batting average and 12 RBI versus ranked opponents.
- Thom recorded her 39th run batted in of the campaign, just two shy of her career high, set in 2011.
- After a zero-for-nine skid, senior Kim Bruins is hitting .417 (five-for-12) in her last three contests. Bruins has recorded an RBI in her last three games.
- Freshman Stephanie Ceo has hits in her last three plate appearances.
- The Longhorns are 7-2 against ranked teams this season. UT has won seven of its last eight such meetings.
- Texas has won its last six Big 12 Conference openers. The last loss was a 7-0 setback to No. 3 Oklahoma on March 24, 2007.
- UT improves to 12-0 versus in-state foes this season.
- Texas is now 2-0 in true road games this year. The Longhorns downed Houston 15-0 in five innings on Feb. 16.
- The Longhorns have tossed shutouts in their last four Big 12 Conference openers.
- Texas improves to 2-0 in extra-inning contests this season. UT downed Tulsa 1-0 in eight innings on Feb. 24. In program history, the Longhorns own a 65-37-1 record in extra innings.
- Two of Texas' last three games with Baylor have gone extra innings as the Bears won 5-4 in eight innings on April 18, 2012.
