The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Long Beach State
Softball endures heartbreaking, 4-3, loss to Long Beach State
03.09.2014 | Softball
Ogle hits her second home run of the season.
FULLERTON, Calif. – Teas Softball suffered a heartbreaking 4-3 loss on the final day of the Judi Garman Classic to Long Beach State on Sunday afternoon at Anderson Family Field. The Longhorns (14-13) held a 3-1 lead in the sixth inning, but the 49ers (16-7) hit back-to-back homers in their half of the frame before Ashlynn Booker led off the bottom of the seventh and delivered the walkoff dagger.
UT claimed the game's first lead when senior Mandy Ogle slammed a solo shot with one out in the second inning. The home run was her second of the season for the Longhorn catcher.
Clinging to a one-run lead for starter Gabby Smith, who departed after three-and-two-thirds, the Longhorns added a run when sophomore Erin Shireman hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score senior Taylor Thom from third. Thom and senior Brejae Washington each singled to start the inning and then were moved ahead on sophomore Lindsey Stephens' groundout.
For a second-straight game, Texas did not commit an error, as it got another strong effort from its defense. In the bottom of the third with a runner on base, junior Marlee Gabaldon ran down a fly ball and crashed into the left field wall to put away Hanna DeGaetano and then threw in to Thom, who fired over to senior Karina Scott at first base to double-up Cya Neal.
Freshman Lauren Slatten had a two-run lead in the bottom of the fifth before surrendering a base hit to De Gaetano to score Leilani Tupa-Tautalataski to trim the UT lead to a run.
Texas recouped its two-run cushion when it went back to the plate in the sixth on Thom's RBI triple, which scored freshman Stephanie Wong, who entered to pinch run for Scott after she led off the inning with a single.
LBSU retaliated and caught up to the Longhorns in the bottom of the frame, as Ashley Holmes and Darian Tautalafua started the inning with solo home runs. The 49ers would continue to find ways to hit off Slatten, as they would load the bases with no outs and the game tied at three. However, Slatten remained focused and pitched her way out of the jam unharmed with a little help from here defense.
49ers' starter Erin Jones-Wesley held the Longhorns off the board in the seventh, stranding Shireman at second base after her base hit and advance on Gabaldon's groundout. Jones-Wesley picked up the win to improve to 9-3, while Slatten dropped to 2-2 after giving up the game-winning run to Booker.
Texas drops to 14-13 and will look to halt a four-game losing streak when it heads to Denton to take on North Texas in a doubleheader on Tuesday. Game times are set for 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. CT.
POSTGAME NOTES
- Senior Mandy Ogle hit her second home run of the season.
- Senior Brejae Washington collected two hits. She has reached base in 18-straight games.
- Sophomore Lindsey Stephens reached on a fielders' choice, extending her streak of reaching base to 28-straight games, going back to last season. She is in sole possession of second place on UT's all-time list in the category.
- The Longhorns record against Long Beach State now stands at 5-3.
