The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Oklahoma
Thom drives in two to even the series against No. 1/1 Oklahoma
04.20.2013 | Softball
April 20, 2013
Box Score 
AUSTIN, Texas - Clutch hitting by Taylor Thom and Karina Scott highlighted a three-run fourth inning to lead No. 6/7 Texas to a 4-2 victory over No. 1/1 Oklahoma Saturday evening at Red & Charline McCombs Field.
The win marked the first time Texas (38-5, 9-1 Big 12) defeated the No. 1 team in the country since a 1-0 nine-inning victory over Arizona on Feb. 26, 2006.
Blaire Luna bounced back from Friday's 6-1 defeat to strike out eight, improving her overall record to 22-2. Luna walked just three and surrendered a pair of earned runs. Oklahoma's two runs marked just the fifth time the Sooners have scored fewer than three runs in a game this season. The nation's third-highest scoring team recorded just four hits on the day. For OU, Michelle Gascoigne tossed all six frames, allowing four runs, three earned, on seven hits and six walks. She struck out 10.
Texas took the early lead with a run in the first. Taylor Hoagland walked and Brejae Washington singled to left-center field to start the game. Thom laid down a bunt, but first baseman Lauren Chamberlain's throw sailed into right field, allowing Hoagland to score to put Texas up 1-0. Mandy Ogle walked to load the bases. Gascoigne struck out Karina Scott and Kim Bruins before Stephanie Ceo grounded into a fielder's choice to end the threat.
The Longhorns had a chance to tack on runs in the bottom of the third, but were held off the board. Washington started the inning lining a single into left field off the third baseman's glove. Thom dropped down a bunt, but the second baseman, who was covering first base, dropped the ball, allowing Washington to reach third. Thom stole second on the first pitch to Ogle to put runners in scoring position with no outs. After an Ogle pop out, Scott walked to load the bases. Gascoigne again avoided trouble, getting consecutive strikeouts to strand all three.
Texas loaded the bases for the third time in the bottom of the fourth, but took advantage to go ahead 4-0. After a strikeout, Gabby Smith was hit by a pitch and Hoagland drew her second walk of the day. Washington laid down a bunt and beat the throw to load the bases. Thom smacked a two-run single to left-center field for her 47th and 48th runs batted in of the season, good for third most in a season in program history. After an Ogle strikeout, Scott hit a single through the left side to score Washington, extending the Longhorn lead to 4-0. Bruins struck out to end the inning for Texas.
The Sooners (38-3, 7-1 Big 12) got a run back in the sixth to cut the lead to 4-1. After Luna struck out Brianna Turang and Chamberlain to start the inning, Georgia Casey hit her sixth home run of the year. Parsons struck out to end the frame.
Down to their final three outs, the Sooners made the game interesting in the top of the seventh, getting one more run. Keilani Ricketts and Jessica Shults walked to start the frame. Luna recorded her eighth strikeout, fanning Brittany Williams and left fielder Torie Schmidt caught a fly ball from Destinee Martinez for the second out. Down to the final chance, shortstop Jessica Vest hit a fly ball just out of the reach of Schmidt's glove, scoring Ricketts. Schmidt threw to Thom, the shortstop relay, who fired it to catcher Ogle, who tagged out Shults at the plate for the final out of the game.
Texas and Oklahoma will play the rubber match at 3 p.m. Sunday. Television coverage will be provided by Longhorn Network.
Post-Game Quotes
Head Coach Connie Clark
On getting the victory in today's game: I thought we reset really well. We decided Blaire [Luna] was going to go at them and let us play defense behind her. She kept us in the game for sure.
On Blaire Luna pitching to contact: I think the strikeout is always in the back of her mind. But, she was much more calm, and she was attacking hitters. She trusted her stuff.
On getting an early lead: It was big. I thought one run wasn't going to hold against the OU offense. They have some great hitters.
I like that we stayed patient and kept a very patient mind-set. We played with a `we got this' attitude and stayed together and played tremendously well as a team tonight.
Junior SS Taylor Thom
On her two-run single in the fourth inning: Yesterday, I was struggling. So I watched some film this morning and got to watch some good at-bats and get my confidence back. I was pretty pumped today. The crowd was amazing. I got a good pitch and just got a good hack on it.
On the atmosphere in today's game: It was an amazing feeling. Games like today are the reason you play this sport. This might be my favorite game I have ever played, especially with that play at the end.
On the last play of the game: We work on relays all the time at practice. I was able to make a good throw after [left fielder] Torie [Schmidt] did a great job getting the ball in. And Mandy did a great job holding the ball. It was a great play to end the game.
On the mind-set of the team after Friday's loss: That's what is so great about our team this year. We are not going to quit; we are always in attack mode.
On what the team needs to do in Sunday's game: We have to beat Keilani [Ricketts]. She is a great pitcher with a great change-up. So we are going to have to make sure we sit back on that. We are going to have to get some great pitching and play great defense.
Senior P Blaire Luna
On the win: It's a big win for us. We definitely wanted to come out strong today, that's something that we did. The defense did a really great job. On bouncing back after loss last night: We are playing at home and that's a really big deal. I think we fed off the crowd and we gave them a great game and they gave us a lot today.
On the team's overall performance: They did an awesome job. They were behind me 100 percent and I couldn't be happier with them.
On alumni being at the game: We definitely do miss them; they did a lot for the program.
Junior CF Brejae Washington
On today's mentality: We were in attack mode today. We learned a lot and picked up on a lot of things Oklahoma was doing yesterday that we knew we could have capitalized on.
On getting the run in the first: It comes down to doing the little things. If we do the little things, then simplicity wins games.
On the final out of the game: That was phenomenal. We've been working on our relays from the outfield the whole season and to be able to get that and nail it, it was the highlight of the game.
On responding from last night: This is the World Series mind-set. It's the best out of three. Once you lost the first one, you have to bounce back the second and third games.
On the alumni at the game: Just to know that they're here and that they're still supporting us, it means a lot to us. We said let's do it for them.
On giving run support to Luna: It made her really happy. I told Blaire just to do her thing. Just put the ball in the play and let the defense play defense and we have her back.
On going into Sunday: Now we have momentum on our side and we have to take advantage of that. Oklahoma is going to be trying to bounce back and fight. The third game is very important for both of us so we're pretty excited about it.
Post-Game Notes
- Senior Taylor Hoagland holds a .659 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 drew walks in the first and fourth innings. She now owns 165 career walks, breaking a tie with Desiree Williams (2005-09) for the Texas career record.
- Hoagland's free passes were her Big 12-record 58th and 59th of the campaign.
- Hoagland's 165 career walks are seven behind Texas A&M's Megan Gibson (2005-08) for the all-time Big 12 mark. The free passes broke a tie with Williams and Amber Flores (Oklahoma/2007-10) for second on the conference chart.
- Hoagland scored two runs in the contest, raising her season total to 49, the fifth most in a year in program history.
- In her career, Hoagland has 203 career runs scored, three behind Christy Ring (Oklahoma/1999-2002) for fourth in the all-time list.
- Junior Brejae Washington bounced back from a hitless contest Friday to record three hits. She entered the game with five career hits against the Sooners.
- Junior Taylor Thom's two-run single in the fourth inning gave her 48 runs batted in this season, the third most in a campaign in program history. Lexy Bennett holds the single-season mark with 57 RBI in 2012.
- Thom entered the contest with just one career RBI versus Oklahoma.
- Junior Karina Scott finished the contest with one hit and one run batted in. This weekend, she is three-for-five with one run scored and two batted in.
- During April, Scott leads the Longhorns with a .556 batting average (10-for-18), .944 slugging percentage, .667 on-base percentage, and nine runs batted in. She stands second on the club with 10 hits during the month.
- Scott's current seven-game hitting streak is a career long.
- Scott drew her 17th and 18th walks of the campaign. She had 19 in her career entering this season.
- Senior Blaire Luna improved to 8-2 with a 1.50 earned-run average against ranked opponents this season. She has fanned 115 batters in 70.0 innings pitched versus top-25 foes.
- Freshman Lindsey Stephens picked up her team-leading sixth pinch hit of the season.
- The four runs scored by the Longhorns marked just the fifth time this season a foe had scored four or more times against the Sooners.
- The Longhorns put their leadoff batter on base in three of the six innings.
- UT has gone 9-3 against ranked teams this season and has won eight of the last 10 such matchups.
