The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
28-19, 7-4
Oklahoma State
25-21, 5-9
Softball endures heartbreaking 5-3 loss to Oklahoma State
04.25.2014 | Softball
Stephens knocks in two RBIs; Washington inches closer to all-time hits mark
AUSTIN, Texas – Oklahoma State scored four runs in the top of the seventh to defeat Texas Softball, 5-3, in the first game of a three-game series Friday evening at Red & Charline McCombs Field. The loss drops Texas to 28-19 overall and a 7-4 mark in the Big 12.
Texas led 3-1 and was an out away from closing the door on the series opening win against Oklahoma State before things unraveled for the Cowgirls.
Big 12 hits leader Shelby Davis led off the seventh with a bunt-single for the Cowgirls and Ari Morrison matched Davis with another infield hit. Three batters later, Tiffany Mikkelson walked to load the bases. Tarah Ettinger delivered for OSU, slapping a single through the left side, allowing all three baserunners to score. On the relay attempt, freshman Devon Tunning was called for obstructing Mikkelson on the basepaths. Mikkelson was awarded home to give the Cowgirls the 4-3 lead. Shianne Hughes was the next batter to the dish and she tapped a singled up the middle to score Ettinger to make it 5-3.
Freshman Tiarra Davis took the loss while throwing her 18th complete game of the season. The Texas lefty now has a 14-10 record overall and 6-3 in Big 12 play.
The Texas offense was paced by Tunning and sophomore Stephanie Ceo, accounting for four hits and two runs scored. Sophomore Lindsey Stephens picked up two RBIs, adding to her Big 12 RBI lead, now at 58. Senior Brejae Washington went 1-for-2 on the game, leaving her one hit short of tying the program record for career hits.
With two outs and a runner on second in the bottom of the second inning, Tunning singled up the middle to score pinch-runner, freshman Mickenzi Krpec to give Texas the 1-0 lead. Ceo and Washington reached on the ensuing at-bats to load the bases for Stephens, whose single to right knocked in a pair of runs and extend the Longhorns' margin to 3-0.
The offense was stymied the rest of the way by Oklahoma State's Simone Freeman, who picked up the win to improve to 20-12 on the year.
Texas and Oklahoma State resume the weekend series Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. CT. The game will be presented by St. David's Healthcare and will be televised nationally on Longhorn Network.
POSTGAME NOTES
Team Notes
- Texas leads all-time series with Oklahoma State 25-14.
- The Longhorns are now 13-7 against the Cowgirls in Austin.
- The bottom of the order combo of Devon Tunning and Stephanie Ceo combined to go 4-for-6 with two runs scored and an RBI.
- Notched a bunt-single to bring her career hits total to 244, just one hit shy of Lexy Bennett's (2009-12) program hits record.
- Extended reached-base streak to 48 games, including all 47 contests this year.
- Drove in two runs to up her total to 58 RBIs on the year, good for second-most RBIs in a single season in program history.
- Stephens is eight RBI shy of tying the single-season record for RBIs, set by Taylor Thom in 2013
- Went 2-for-2 with an RBI-single to plate the first run of the game.
- Notched two bunt-singles and scored a run.
- Pinch-ran for Tiarra Davis and came around to score for her first collegiate run scored.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Freeman, S. (20-12)
L: Davis, Tiarra (14-10)
Batting:
RBI: Freeman, S. 1 ; Ettinger, T. 2 ; Hughes, S. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Davis, S. 1 ; Morrison, A. 1 ; Freeman, S. 1 ; Mikkelson, T 1 ; Ettinger, T. 1
SB: Davis, S. 1
HBP: Hughes, S. 1 ; DeLaCruz, G. 1
Batting:
RBI: Stephens, Lindsey 2 ; Tunning, Devon 1
SH: Washington, Brejae 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Krpec, Mickenzi 1 ; Tunning, Devon 1 ; Ceo, Stephanie 1
SB: Stephens, Lindsey 1 ; Thom, Taylor 1
CS: Thom, Taylor 1
HBP: Scott, Karina 1
