Softball falls to Houston, 5-4; Thom becomes UT’s all-time leader in RBIs

Wednesday, March 19

Austin, Texas

7:00 PM

University of Texas

18-15

Houston

13-10

Houston

Texas

Softball falls to Houston, 5-4; Thom becomes UT’s all-time leader in RBIs

03.19.2014 | Softball

Box Score

Washington goes 3-for-3; Houston scores three in seventh inning

Box Score (PDF) | Twitter

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Softball fell to the Houston Cougars, 5-4, Wednesday night at Red & Charline McCombs Field in what was its final tune-up for Big 12 Conference play.

Senior Taylor Thom became the career leader in RBIs with a sixth-inning single. The shortstop's 156 RBIs passed Lexy Bennett (2009-12) and gave her 21 for the season.

Her classmate Brejae Washington stayed hot at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a run scored. Washington has reached base safely in 24-straight contests and is hitting .576 (19-for-33) in her last 12 games.

Texas (18-14) scored four runs over the fifth and sixth innings to take a 4-2 lead, but Houston (13-10) plated three in the seventh to take a 5-4 edge and the eventual victory.

Houston got on the board first in the third inning. Katie St. Pierre hit a one-out single and scored on Kendra Cullum's single to center. After Cullum stole second, Tiffani McKnight reached first on a fielding error by sophomore Holly Kern, allowing Cullum to score and give Houston the 2-0 advantage.

Junior Gabby Smith relieved Texas starter freshman Tiarra Davis and pitched the fourth and fifth innings, allowing just one hit and no runs.

Texas knotted the game at two runs apiece in the home half of the fifth. Thom reached on an error and Washington followed with a walk. With two runners on base, sophomore Lindsey Stephens smashed a double off the top of the wall in left-center field to score both runners and tie the game, 2-2.

Stephens' 42 RBIs leads the Big 12 and is now 10th all-time at Texas for RBIs in a single season.

The Longhorns scored two more in the sixth to break the tie and take a 4-2 lead after six innings. Wong led off with her fourth double of the season and advanced to third on senior Karina Scott's bunt-single.

Wong gave Texas their third run when she slid safely at the plate on senior Mandy Ogle's fielder-choice bunt to the pitcher. With one out, Thom hit her milestone RBI-single to right to score Scott and stretch the score to 4-2 in favor of the Longhorns.

Houston would not give in, scoring three runs in the seventh to take the 5-4 lead. With runners at first and second and one out, Jamie Edwards hit an RBI-single to left, scoring McKnight. The Cougars would tie the game in their next at-bat, as Kayla Holland drove in Haley Outon on an RBI-single to center. Sydney Gerbracht reclaimed the lead for Houston with an RBI-single of her own to left, allowing the pinch-runner Chamberlain to score. Davis re-entered to pitch and retired the final two batters.

Freshman pitcher Lauren Slatten was charged with the loss, as she relieved Smith in the sixth. She drops to 2-3 on the year.

Houston pitcher Julana Shrum pitched the final two innings and earned take the win, as she retired the Longhorns in order in the seventh to complete the come-from-behind victory for the Cougars.

Texas hits the road for its Big 12 Conference opener against No. 12/12 Baylor in Waco. Game one of the two-game series is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. The game will be televised regionally on Fox Sports Southwest.

POSTGAME NOTES

- Texas is now 19-5 all-time against Houston.

- Brejae Washington went 3-for-3, giving her a team-leading 14 multi-hit games. She is now 8-for-15 (.533) in seven career games against Houston.

- Washington is hitting .576 (19-for-33) with eight runs scored over her last 12 games.

- Lindsey Stephens picked up her 11th multi-RBI game of the season with a fifth-inning 2-RBI double that tied the game 2-2.

- Stephens' 42 RBIs leads the Big 12 and is 10th all-time at Texas for RBIs in a single season.

- Stephens reached-base streak is up to 34, including all 33 games this year.

- Holly Kern picked up a second-inning hit, giving her five consecutive hits over the last three games.

- Tiarra Davis pitched 3.2 innings, collecting six strikeouts.

- Davis has struck out at least five batters in nine games this year.

POSTGAME QUOTES

Head Coach Connie Clark

On rebounding from this loss heading into the start of conference play this weekend:

"I hope this makes them hungry. The goal tonight, which we discussed pregame was to get all three pitchers in. We still need to see them do some things before make some final decisions heading into conference. That is one area that we have as many answers as we have now. We will start over with a 0-0 scenario heading into trying to win a Big 12 Championship. Tiarra Davis is the ace, we will have to ride her primarily most of the time."

On the readiness of the team to play conference opponents:

"I think they are excited. Some of the upperclassmen were talking about shining when you get the opportunity, we left a lot of people on tonight. The freshman have to grow quick in the circle. I really wanted to stay with Lauren [Slatten]. We left a long leash on her tonight, because I really want the see them get it done. It is a learning time and it's a process for them. Unfortunately, we came up short on that. They have to learn to get through those experiences to get better."

On Taylor Thom becoming the program's all-time leader in RBIs:

"It's a tremendous accomplishment for her. We have had some good hitters go before her. She has had a good career here at Texas, which is important heading into conference. She has been pressing a little bit on the plate, so hopefully that can open the flood gates to help her remember how good of a hitter she really is."