The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas Tech
No. 7/7 Softball holds on for 8-6 victory at Texas Tech
04.26.2013 | Softball
April 26, 2013
Box Score 
LUBBOCK, Texas - Junior Taylor Thom collected three hits, scored three times and stole three bases while senior Taylor Hoagland walked twice and scored two runs to lead No. 7/7 Texas to an 8-6 victory over Texas Tech on Friday night at Rocky Johnson Field. After the Longhorns took an 8-0 lead after the top of the sixth inning, the Red Raiders (29-22, 3-10 Big 12) scored six times in the bottom of the sixth, but could not complete the comeback.
Texas improved to 40-6 on the season and 10-2 in Big 12 Conference action. The Longhorns have now claimed 40 or more wins in 11 of their 17 seasons and in the last six consecutive campaigns. The 40-6 mark is also the third best through 46 games in program history, trailing only the 2011 and 2006 squads' 42-4 marks.
Senior Blaire Luna (23-3) earned the win for the Longhorns and did not allow a hit until the bottom of the fifth inning. She finished her night yielding just two hits, three walks and four hit batters while recording 10 strikeouts. Freshman Holly Kern threw one third of an inning and surrendered six runs, four earned, on four hits and a walk. Cara Custer (13-13) suffered the loss for the Red Raiders, throwing four-plus innings and allowing six runs on nine hits and a trio of walks. Brittany Talley came in for two innings, surrendering two unearned runs on three hits. Gretchen Aucoin pitched the seventh, giving up a hit.
Texas wasted little time scoring, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Hoagland walked to open the contest, stole second and moved to third on a fielder's choice by Thom, who was also safe at first on the play. Hoagland and Thom then executed a double steal with Thom swiping second and Hoagland sliding safely into home. Following a lineout, junior Karina Scott walked and senior Torie Schmidt reached on an infield single to load the bases. Custer uncorked a wild pitch to plate Thom before a groundout ended the threat.
The Red Raiders threatened in the bottom of the first as Shelby Johnson led off with a walk and Mikey Kenney was hit by a pitch. Both runners moved up a base with a sacrifice bunt, but a strikeout looking and groundout allowed Luna to escape without damage.
UT had a chance to add to its lead in the top of the third, but was held off. With one out, Thom and junior Mandy Ogle hit consecutive singles through the left side, but a fielder's choice and groundout left the pair stranded.
In the bottom of the fourth, Texas Tech put two more runners on base, but could not score. After a foul out started the frame, Sandy James drew a walk and Lexie Elkins was hit by a pitch. Luna got out of trouble as runner interference was called on James for the second out and a Taylor Powell strikeout closed the inning.
The Longhorns made the most of their opportunity in the top of the fifth, scoring four runs to go ahead 6-0. Hoagland led off with her second walk of the contest and junior Brejae Washington slapped a single through the left side to start the frame. Thom stroked an 0-2 offering into left for a single that scored Hoagland. Consecutive RBI singles from Ogle and Scott plated Washington and Thom for the five-run cushion. Talley relieved Custer and Schmidt hit into a fielder's choice before senior Kim Bruins reached on an error and pinch runner Rachel Scott came home on the play. Schmidt was caught rounding second base too far on the play for the second out and a strikeout ended the frame.
Texas Tech recorded its first hit in the bottom of the fifth inning as Johnson bunted for a one-out single. Luna hit Kenney with a pitch, but a strikeout and groundout ended the threat.
In the top of the sixth, UT used a two-out rally and added its final two runs of the contest to go ahead 8-0. After a lineout and fly out started the frame, Washington was hit by a pitch, Thom singled to center and Ogle delivered a two-run single to left center before a lineout ended the frame.
The Red Raiders would not go quietly, however, scoring six times in the bottom of the sixth off Kern to make it an 8-6 contest. James opened the Texas Tech half of the inning with a double to right field. A fielding error allowed Elkins to reach and moved James to third before Samantha Camello singled up the middle to plate James and advanced Elkins to second. Pinch hitter Aucoin walked to fill the bases for Sydnie Tapia, who delivered two runs with a single to center field to make it an 8-3 contest. Kern struck out Johnson before Kenney doubled to left center to drive in Aucoin and Tapia. Luna re-entered for Kern and allowed a single to Katelyn Williams and sacrifice fly to Adriana Perez before a lineout from James ended the frame.
Luna retired the Red Raiders in order in the seventh inning to seal the victory.
The teams resume the series Saturday with a 4 p.m. first pitch.
Post-Game Notes
- Senior Taylor Hoagland extended her streak of reaching base safely to 54-straight games with a walk in the first inning. Hoagland has reached base in all 46 games this season, and the last eight of 2012.
- Hoagland holds a .647 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 runs scored in the first and fifth innings were her 51st and 52nd of the season, the fourth most in a year in program history. Hoagland set the UT single-season mark in 2012 with 59 runs.
- Hoagland's runs were also the 205th and 206th of her career, tied with Christy Ring (Oklahoma/1999-2002) for the fourth most all time by a Big 12 Conference player.
- Hoagland's walks in the first and fifth innings were the 166th and 167th of her career, five behind Texas A&M's Megan Gibson (2005-08) for the all-time Big 12 mark.
- Junior Taylor Thom's run-scoring single in the fifth inning gave her 51 runs batted in this season, good for the second most in a year in program history. Lexy Bennett owns the Texas single-season record with 57 RBI in 2012.
- Thom has batted .650 (13-for-20) in the last seven games. She paces the squad with eight runs batted in during the span.
- Junior Karina Scott has been nearly as hot as Thom over the past seven games, hitting .529 (nine-for-17) with five runs batted in and four scored.
- Scott drew her 19th walk of the campaign in the first inning. She had 19 in her career entering this season.
- Junior catcher Mandy Ogle threw out her 11th runner stealing this season. The total is a single-season career high. Ogle has gunned down five in Big 12 games and has caught one in each of the last three contests.
- Ogle recorded her first three-RBI game since delivering three against Texas State on March 8. Ogle had totaled just five runs batted in during the last 17 games.
- Texas improved to 10-2 in Big 12 Conference games, its best mark since going 12-0 through 12 league games in 2011.
- UT's overall record of 40-6 is the third best through 46 games in program history, trailing only the 2011 and 2006 squads, which held identical 42-4 marks.
- Texas has posted a 20-2 record when scoring in the opening frame this season.
- UT improves to 15-0 against in-state competition this season.
- The top five hitters in UT's lineup combined to hit .588 (10-for-17) during the contest with seven runs scored, five batted in and six stolen bases.
- The Longhorns stole six bases during the contest, the third most in a Big 12 game in program history. All three of the highest single-game steal marks have come this season (9/at Kansas/March 28; 7/vs. Iowa State/April 12).
- The six swipes increased Texas' total to 34 during Big 12 games, the most in a year in program history. The previous high was 33 swipes during league action in 2011.
- Overall this year, UT has stolen 102 bases, the third most in program history, trailing only the 2011 (114) and 2006 (107) squads.
