The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
17-13
Iowa
4-11
Softball run-rules Iowa, 9-1, in series opener
03.15.2014 | Softball
Four different Longhorns notch multiple hits; Tiarra Davis throws sixth-straight complete-game start.
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AUSTIN, Texas— Texas Softball used timely hitting and superior pitching to defeat the Iowa Hawkeyes 9-1 in five innings on Saturday afternoon at Red & Charline McCombs Field.
Freshman Tiarra Davis struck out six batters, allowing just one run on five hits to improve to 6-6 on the season. The complete-game performance marked Davis' team-leading ninth complete game of the year and sixth straight. Davis helped her own cause, going 2-for-3 at the plate.
Sophomore Stephanie Ceo led the offensive charge and was one of four Longhorns with multiple hits in the game. The second baseman knocked in a career-high four RBIs and matched a career-best with three hits, including a single in the fifth to score the winning runs that gave Texas the run-rule victory.
Senior first baseman Karina Scott matched a career-high with two hits and batted in a season-best two RBIs, including her first double of the season.
Texas (17-13) got the scoring going in the third and took a 1-0 lead. Senior catcher Mandy Ogle led off with UT's first hit of the day, ripping a double down the left field line. After Scott dropped a sac-bunt to push Ogle to third, Ceo blooped a single to left field to score Ogle.
Iowa (4-11) quickly answered in the top of the fourth. Erin Erickson hit a single to center to lead off the frame. After a pair of outs, Massey doubled just out of the reach of senior Brejae Washington's glove in center, scoring Erickson on the play to knot the game at 1-1.
The Longhorns broke open the game in the fourth inning and took a commanding 5-1 lead. Washington led off with a bunt-single and stole second for her 20th stolen base of the season. With one out, sophomore Erin Shireman hit a line drive off the pitcher's glove for an infield single. With runners on the corners, freshman Stephanie Wong reached when the first baseman came off the bag. On the throw, Washington raced home to put Texas up 2-1. A single by Davis, a walk from Ogle and back-to-back base hits by Scott and Ceo brought home three more runs to put the Longhorns ahead for good, 5-1.
Washington's fourth-inning swipe marked her 25th consecutive stolen base without getting caught, dating back to 2013.
The Texas bats stayed hot in the fifth, scoring four more runs for the second-straight inning to run-rule the Hawkeyes, 9-1.
Sophomore Lindsey Stephens notched her team-leading 42nd hit of the season with a triple down the right field line. Shireman brought home Stephens with a single through the left side. Davis tallied her second hit of the game to put two runners on with one out. After an Ogle fielder's choice, Scott ripped a double to right field, scoring freshman Taylor King, who pinch-ran for Davis. Ceo ended the game with a single to right field to grab her third and fourth RBIs of the game and give the Longhorns the 9-1 victory.
Texas will go for the series win and fourth-straight victory Sunday at 4 p.m. CT in game two against the Hawkeyes. The game will be broadcast nationally on Longhorn Network.
POSTGAME NOTES
· Texas improves to 2-1 all-time against Iowa. All three meetings have been played in Austin.
· Stephanie Ceo knocked in a career-high four RBIs, while matching her career-best with three hits.
· Lindsey Stephens went 1-for-3 with a triple, extending her reached base streak to 31 games dating back to the 2013 season finale.
· Stephens has a hit in 20 of the last 22 games.
· Texas has won five consecutive home games by the run-rule, outscoring opponents 45-5.
· Tiarra Davis allowed one run on five hits. She has now allowed two earned runs or less in her last four starts, going 3-1 to improve her season record to 6-6.
· Davis struck out six batters in five innings of work, giving her seven games this season with 5+ strikeouts.
· Davis helped her own cause, matching a season-high with two hits
· Karina Scott went 2-for-2 with a season-best two RBIs. Scott is 4-for-5 in her last two games
· Texas racked up 11 hits, for their 16th game this season with 10+ hits. The Longhorns are 12-4 this season when collecting 10+ hits.
· Four different Longhorns notched multiple hits for the sixth time this season.
· Texas drew first blood in the third-inning to go up 1-0, improving to 13-4 this season when scoring first.
· Iowa committed one error for the game, improving Texas' record to 9-2 when the opponent commits one error. Texas is 8-11 when the opponent
commits zero or 2+ errors.
· The Longhorns are now 14-0 when scoring six or more runs and 13-0 when the opponent is held to two runs or less.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Davis, Tiarra (6-6)
L: Massey, Kayla (2-7)
Batting:
2B: Massey, Kayla 1
RBI: Massey, Kayla 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Erickson, Erin 1
CS: Luna, Brianna 1
Batting:
2B: Ogle, Mandy 1 ; Scott, Karina 1
3B: Stephens, Lindsey 1
RBI: Shireman, Erin 1 ; Ogle, Mandy 1 ; Scott, Karina 2 ; Ceo, Stephanie 4
SH: Scott, Karina 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Washington, Brejae 1 ; Stephens, Lindsey 1 ; Shireman, Erin 1 ; King, Taylor 1 ; Wong, Stephanie 1 ; Ogle, Mandy 2 ; Hanzel, Kelli 1 ; Tunning, Devon 1
SB: Washington, Brejae 1
