No. 25 Softball knocks off No. 12 UCLA, 5-3

Thursday, February 19

Cathedral City, Calif.

10 p.m.

University of Texas

9-3

UCLA

10-3

Texas

UCLA

02.20.2015 | Softball

Box Score

Texas catcher Erin Shireman leads offense by going 2-for-3 with a HR and two RBIs.

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – What a Thursday into early Friday for the No. 25 Texas softball program at the Mary Nutter Classic as the Longhorns (9-3) finished off an impressive opening day at the prestigious event with a 5-3 victory over No. 12 UCLA (10-3).

Earlier on Thursday afternoon, UT handed the No. 8/7 Georgia Bulldogs their first loss of 2015 in a 5-0 shutout.

Junior catcher Erin Shireman powered the seven-hit Longhorns offensive output by going 2-for-3 with a HR and two RBIs. Sophomore second baseman Kelli Hanzel was 1-for-2 with a RBI, junior first baseman Holly Kern was 1-for-4 with a RBI and junior center fielder Lindsey Stephens tripled in going 1-for-2 with a pair of runs scored.

In the circle for the Horns, sophomore Tiarra Davis improved to 4-1 on the season, allowing one earned run on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts over 4.0 innings. Senior reliever Gabby Smith earned her first save of 2015 after permitting two earned runs on five hits with a walk and two K's over 3.0 frames. For UCLA, starter Paige McDuffie, a Texas native, took the loss after allowing one run on two hits with two K's in a pair of innings.

Texas wasted no time breaking out in front on the scoreboard, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. The rally commenced with two down as Stephens ripped a triple to right center. As she has done so often lately, Kern stepped to the plate in the clean-up slot in the line-up and delivered, chopping a single through the right side to plate her teammate from 60 feet away for a 1-0 lead.

The Bruins tried to get something going in the bottom half as shortstop Danielle Spaulding drew a one-out walk. The battery of Davis and Shireman wouldn't let UCLA get anything going, however, combining on a strikeout/caught stealing double play to conclude the opening frame.

UCLA managed to get a runner in scoring position with two down in the bottom of the third as second baseman Gracie Goulder singled and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Davis responded to the threat by catching her Bruin counterpart Ally Carda looking for a big strike three.

A lead-off Shireman walk and a Davis single through the left side of the infield set the Longhorns up with a golden scoring opportunity in the top of the fourth. With runners stationed at the corners and one retired, Hanzel was struck by her second pitch of the night, loading the bases. Carda soon uncorked a two-out wild offering that escaped to the backstop, plating Davis from 60 feet away to make it 2-0 Texas.

The Bruins managed to cut their deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth as third baseman Kylee Perez ripped a RBI double to left center with two on.

Faced with some adversity, Texas again demonstrated its resolve through rallying for a pair of scores in taking a 4-1 lead. Stephens got things started with a lead-off walk against Carda, swiped second and moved to third on a groundout. Shireman stepped to the plate and ripped a base hit up the middle, scoring her teammate from third. With two down and senior right fielder Marlee Gabaldon on first via a walk, Hanzel blooped a RBI single over third to grant the Horns an important three-run advantage.

Back-to-back singles from Goulder and center fielder Allexis Bennett against UT reliever Smith gave the Bruins major life opening the bottom of the fifth. That's when the Texas defense again flashed the leather. Carda drove a pitch down the left field line that threatened to leave the park. Wong raced over near the line and made a remarkable back-handed running grab to save at least one run from scoring. That play loomed even larger just a few minutes later as Spaulding blooped a RBI single to left, cutting the UCLA deficit to 4-2. With left fielder Gabrielle Maurice at the plate, a pitch in the dirt was blocked by Shireman. The Texas backstop corralled the ball and gunned down the lead Bruin runner from her knees to end a major threat.

The long ball finally played a role in the top of the seventh as Shireman jumped all over the first pitch she received from Carda, driving it over the wall in right center for insurance to make it 5-2.

Down to one last chance to get back in the game, UCLA put the first two runners on base via a lead-off double and a walk. Following a strikeout of Bennett, Carda hit a drive to center that was tracked down by Stephens for the second out. Spaulding singled again but that was all the Bruins would get as Maurice flew out to Gabaldon in right to end the game.