The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Iowa State
Hoagland's grand slam highlights nine-run first inning to guide No. 6/7 Softball past Iowa State 12-4
04.13.2013 | Softball
April 13, 2013
Box Score 
AUSTIN, Texas - No. 6/7 Texas quickly erased a 2-0 first inning deficit with a program-record-tying nine runs in the bottom of the frame en route to a 12-4 victory over the Iowa State Cyclones Saturday evening at Red & Charline McCombs Field.
Senior Taylor Hoagland belted her third career grand slam and second of the season to complete the nine-run first inning. The nine runs tied the program record for most in a first inning. Hoagland ended the contest with two walks and four runs batted in. Freshman Erin Shireman went three-for-three with two RBI while junior Brejae Washington collected three runs batted in with a pair of hits.
Senior pitcher Kim Bruins improved her record to 8-0, setting a single-season career high in wins while striking out two in her first complete game since March 6, a 7-1 win over No. 15 Louisiana. Bruins scattered six hits, surrendered four runs and yielded three walks in the performance.
Iowa State (18-21, 3-5 Big 12) scored the first two runs of the game. Brittany Gomez led off with a bouncer back to Bruins for a single. Bruins' throw to first was off target, sailing into right field, where Shireman's throw back to the infield was high. Gomez rounded third and scored on the opening play of the game to put Iowa State up 1-0. Sarah Hawryluk walked and scored on an Erica Miller double off the right-field wall to put the visitors ahead 2-0. Bruins kept the ball in the infield the remainder of the inning, forcing two groundouts and a pop out to end the threat.
Texas (37-4, 7-0 Big 12) answered in the bottom half of the first, scoring nine runs to blow the game open 9-2. Hoagland led off with her Big 12-leading 52nd walk of the season. Washington reached on a bunt single and Taylor Thom drew a walk to load the bases. Mandy Ogle followed with a full-count walk, scoring Hoagland to cut the lead to 2-1. Bruins then hit to deep left-center field, scoring Washington on the sacrifice fly to tie the game at 2-2.
Torie Schmidt chopped a one-out single through the middle to load the bases for Karina Scott's ensuing walk to score Thom. Ogle and Scott's walks marked the 12th and 13th bases-loaded walks drawn by Texas this year. Shireman and Stephanie Ceo hit back-to-back singles to left field to score Ogle and Schmidt, extending the lead to 5-2. Hoagland crushed the 2-1 pitch over the left-field wall to stretch the lead to 9-2. Washington flew out and Thom grounded out to end the frame.
The inning was the fourth this season in which Texas has scored at least nine runs. Most recently, the club scored a program-record 14 runs on March 29 in the top of the sixth during game one at Kansas.
Both teams went quietly until Iowa State scored two more runs to cut the lead to 9-4 in the top of the fifth. Aly Caeppart and Gomez hit singles and Hawryluk walked to load the bases. Miller hit an infield single that bounced off shortstop Thom's leg and toward second base. Two runs came home on the play and Hawryluk was thrown out at third. Sara Davison flied out for the final out of the frame.
The Longhorns capped the night with three runs in the bottom of the inning to earn their 12th run-rule victory of the season. Scott and Shireman hit back-to-back singles and advanced to second and third on a Ceo groundout. Hoagland drew her second walk of the contest to bring up Washington. The junior hit a game-ending triple through the left-center gap, scoring all three runners. Washington's triple was the 14th of her career, giving her sole possession of the Texas all-time record.
Texas goes for the sweep against Iowa State Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. The contest will air live on Longhorn Network.
Post-Game Quotes
Assistant Coach Corrie Hill
On tonight's performance: We did a great job as a team finishing today. After the mishaps in the first inning, the hitters came up and were strong and confident. They took those walks, they didn't try to force anything. There were a lot of little things we did right throughout the game to get it back under control.
On the team staying focused after falling behind 2-0: Offensively, our plan stayed the same. We wanted to stay patient and do what we needed to do to get runners on base. What Coach [Connie] Clark mentioned to everybody was to enjoy how they came back and turned things around in that first inning.
Defensively, we got things settled down. Coach Clark did a great job directing the team after that half inning and getting us settled down.
On big hits by Taylor Hoagland and Brejae Washington: It's great whenever they pitch to Taylor. Her keeping her focus was great. She got a pitch that she was able to drive.
Brejae had tried standing in and hitting a couple of times in those sacrifice-fly situations. She didn't get enough pop on those so we went back to the hard slap approach, which is more in her comfort zone. She hit a nice gap, stayed on that pitch and drove it past their center fielder.
On playing in the Pink at the Plate game: There is not a person on this team that is not touched in some way, shape or form by breast cancer. It's wonderful that we get to have this event and provide some support to this cause.
Senior 3B Taylor Hoagland
On her patience at the plate during her grand slam at-bat: I was trying to get refocused and get back to the next pitch.
On the defense in the first inning: I think we had some miscommunication in the first inning and then we realized we needed to get it under control and in our hands. We needed to change the momentum and that's what we did with our nine runs. I'm glad we had an answer for everything in that game.
On Brejae Washington's performance today: It was great. I was really proud of Brejae today for how she hit the ball and bunted the ball. She's been working on bunting, so I think it was really great for her to get on base and move runners as well.
On the bottom of the lineup hitting well: It's really exciting seeing what this offense can do. It feels like every time the opponent scores, we come back with three more. It's just really great, and especially for the pitching staff so they know that they have the offense backing them up.
Senior OF Torie Schmidt
On consistency: I've been seeing the ball lately really well. I'm trying not to over-think things and staying short to the ball and I feel like that's really been helping with my consistency.
On adjustments: Slowing my feet down really helps me out and my mentality behind the plate, thinking positively and seeing myself hitting the ball really helps.
On starting 7-0 in conference play: This momentum really helps us keep the positive mentality and will help us going into Sunday and the OU series. That will be a tough series for us, but having that positive mentality will help us.
On leadership this time of year: We can help keep things positive. When we make errors, we can help let them go and stay positive.
On the Horns for Hope initiative: That is a really great cause. It really gets our fans engaged.
Post-Game Notes
- Senior Taylor Hoagland holds a .645 on-base percentage this season. The UT single-season record is .510, by Lexy Bennett in 2011. The Big 12 Conference mark is .594 by Amber Flores (Oklahoma/2009).
- Hoagland's home run in the first inning was the 220th hit of her career, giving her sole possession of fourth place on the Texas career chart.
- Hoagland's grand slam was the third of her career. The four runs batted in bumped her career total to 142, surpassing Loryn Johnson (139/2007-10) for second place on the UT all-time list. Lexy Bennett (155/2009-12) owns the all-time Texas record.
- Hoagland drew a walk to open the contest and another in the fifth inning. The free passes were her 52nd and 53rd of the campaign, tied for the third most in a year in Big 12 history. Meagan May (56/Texas A&M/2012) owns the single-season mark.
- Hoagland's three runs scored gave her 45 for the campaign. She is tied for seventh on the program's single-season chart.
- Freshman Stephanie Ceo went one-for-three with a run batted in and one scored. During Big 12 Conference games this season, Ceo is hitting a team-best .529 (nine-for-17) with eight runs.
- Senior Torie Schmidt scored a run in the contest and paces the squad with 11 during conference contests. She entered the weekend tied for the Big 12 Conference lead with seven runs scored during league matchups.
- Schmidt went one-for-three Saturday after going three-for-three on Friday evening. Schmidt is hitting .360 (nine-for-25) during Big 12 Conference contests this season.
- So far this series, freshman Erin Shireman is hitting .833 (five-for-six) with three runs scored and four batted in. She owns a 1.167 slugging percentage and .833 on-base percentage.
- Texas improves to 38-1 in the all-time series against Iowa State.
- UT is 7-0 in Big 12 Conference games for just the second time in program history, joining the 2011 squad.
- The victory extends Texas' winning streak to 14, good for the longest of the season. The Longhorns opened the year winning 13 consecutive contests.
- The current 14-game streak is the sixth longest in program history. The 2006 squad holds the record with 24-straight victories from Feb. 11 - March 8.
- Texas' overall record of 37-4 is tied with the 2011 team for the second best through 41 contests in program history. The 2006 club began the year 38-3 to establish the mark.
- The Longhorns recorded their 13th-straight home win. UT is 21-1 at Red & Charline McCombs Field this season.
- Iowa State's two earned runs in the opening inning were the first earned runs surrendered by the Longhorns at home since March 6 against Louisiana, a span of 43.0 frames.
- Texas drew two bases-loaded walks in the first inning, raising its season total to 13 free passes with the bases full.
- The Longhorns' nine runs in the first inning were tied for the most during an opening frame in program history. Earlier this season at Houston, UT pushed across nine during the initial inning.
- Hoagland's grand slam was the team's sixth of the season, the most in a year in program history. The previous high was three in 2012 and 2007.
- Texas has stolen 30 bases in the last eight games. For the season, UT has swiped 94 bags, good for the fourth most in a year in program history.
