The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
27-17, 0
Oklahoma
33-10, 0
Softball takes down No. 16/12 Oklahoma, 9-0, in run rule fashion to even series
04.18.2014 | Softball
Longhorns hand Sooners first run-ruled loss in five years.
NORMAN, Okla. – Texas Softball got timely hitting and a tremendous effort from its defense en route to run-ruling No. 16/12 Oklahoma, 9-0, in six innings on Friday night in front of a sold out crowd at Marita Hynes Stadium. The win for the Longhorns evens the three-game series and marks OU's first time being run ruled since Texas defeated the Sooners in Austin, 15-6, back on March 28, 2009.
The Longhorns advanced their record to 27-17 overall and to 7-2 in Big 12 action, while the Sooners dropped to 33-10 on the season and to 10-2 in league contests.
Senior Taylor Thom led the charge by reaching base all four times, going 3-for-3 with a home run and being hit by a pitch. Thom scored three runs on the night, including a tally on her ninth dinger of the season. Sophomore Lindsey Stephens continued her reached base streak, now at 45-straight games going back to last year, when she hit her Big 12-leading 14th home run of the season in the top of the sixth inning.
Freshman Tiarra Davis got the job done once again, throwing her third complete game shutout of the season. The rookie southpaw is now 14-8 on the season and 6-1 in Big 12 play, while having 17 complete games. Davis walked four and let up four hits to four different batters, while striking out just one hitter.
Davis got backup protection from her infield defense all night long, especially from sophomore second baseman Stephanie Ceo and third baseman Devon Tunning. Ceo had a sensational backhanded grab on a ball hit by OU's top hitter Shelby Pendley in the fourth inning and then dove over a rail down the right field line in the sixth in an attempt to haul in a fly ball. Tunning also used her quickness and flashed her leather, making grabs on short hard-hit balls, allowing her to make groundout plays at all four bases.
The Longhorns wasted no time jumping on the board and getting the barrage of the Sooners started. Senior Brejae Washington tapped out a bunt single to begin her 2-for-4 night. After Stephens struck out, Thom and freshman Stephanie Wong ripped consecutive singles to score Washington. Standing at third base after Wong's hit, Thom scored on a wild pitch while Davis was at bat to run the score to a 2-0, Texas advantage.
Working with a two-run lead to begin the game, Davis got herself into a little bit of trouble, as the Sooners' first three batters all reached base. After a chat with senior catcher Mandy Ogle and head coach Connie Clark, Davis was able to work her way out of the jam unscathed.
In the fourth, Davis had a three-run cushion compliments of Thom's solo blast in the third inning, but faced a similar situation. After giving up a hit to Brittany Williams and then hitting Paris Townsend with a pitch, OU was threatening with two runners aboard without an out recorded. Coach Clark made her way out to the circle for a discussion and once it again, it proved to be fruitful. Davis induced three straight groundouts to end the inning.
OU starter Kelsey Stevens, who took the loss, retired the Longhorns in order in the fourth inning, but that would be her last bright spot of the night.
After Ceo worked a leadoff walk, Stevens fanned away Washington and Stevens before Thom singled and Wong knocked the two runs in with a double, chasing Stevens out of the game.
When Pendley took over, the Longhorns' hot bats continued to blaze. Davis, sophomore Holly Kern and Ogle all swatted base hits to knock in two more runs to advance UT's lead to seven runs after five innings.
Texas would put itself in position for a run-rule win when Stephens hit a towering two-run bomb for a home run on Georgia Casey's first pitch of the game after she took over for Pendley.
The Longhorns will look to pull off the series win on Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. CT when they take on the Sooners in the rubber match. The game will be televised nationally on FOX Sports Regional.
POSTGAME NOTES
- Texas is now 24-27 all-time against Oklahoma.
- The 9-0 win is UT's largest margin of victory over the Sooners in Norman and matches its largest margin of victory in all-time games against OU (won 15-6 on March 28, 2009 in Austin)
- The run-rule victory against Oklahoma marks the Sooners' first time being run ruled since March 28, 2009 (15-6 vs. Texas). Since that game, OU run-ruled 85 opponents. It was also the first time OU lost by at least nine runs in Norman since March 10, 1994
- Texas is now 10-1 in true road games this season
- The Longhorns are now 5-11 against ranked opponents this season and are 5-1 when facing them on the opponent's home field.
- UT is now 18-5 when it busts out 10 or more hits in a game.
- Went 2-for-4 with 2 runs scored. She is now five hits away for the most all-time in a career at Texas.
- Has scored 36 runs in the last 36 games.
- Reached base in all four at bats and scored 3 runs. (Went 3-for-3 and was hit by a pitch)
- Hit her 37th career home run and ninth of this season.
- Now has two in her four-year career vs. OU
- Has 17 hits over the last 10 games (hitting .654 with six home runs and 19 runs scored)
- Went 1-for-4 and hit her 14th home run of the season to extend her reached base streak to 45-straight games (second longest stretch in school history).
- Started for the 13th straight game.
- Improved to 6-1 in Big 12 play and 14-8 overall.
- Tossed her 17th complete game of the season and pitched her third complete game shutout.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Davis, Tiarra (14-8)
L: Stevens, K. (24-7)
Batting:
2B: Wong, Stephanie 1
HR: Stephens, Lindsey 1 ; Thom, Taylor 1
RBI: Stephens, Lindsey 2 ; Thom, Taylor 1 ; Wong, Stephanie 3 ; Davis, Tiarra 1 ; Ogle, Mandy 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Washington, Brejae 2 ; Stephens, Lindsey 1 ; Thom, Taylor 3 ; Wong, Stephanie 1 ; Davis, Tiarra 1 ; Ceo, Stephanie 1
SB: Washington, Brejae 1
HBP: Thom, Taylor 1
Batting:
2B: Casey, G. 1 ; Ellis, W. 1
Base Running:
SB: Self, Kady 1
