The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
1-0
UCSB
0-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 15 | 9 | 2 |
| UCSB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
No. 25 Softball powers past UCSB in season opener, 15-0 (5 inn.)
02.06.2015 | Softball
Junior Lindsey Stephens crushes her third career grand slam in triumph.
TEMPE, Ariz. – Texas opened its 2015 campaign in impressive style on Friday at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, Ariz., as the Longhorns laced nine hits, managed a 13-run fifth inning and blasted a pair of home runs on the way to a commanding 15-0 (5 inn.) triumph over UCSB.
With the victory, the Burnt Orange & White have now won all 19 season openers in program history dating back to the first varsity year in 1997. During a 13-run fifth frame, UT sent 18 batters to the plate while registering its most runs in a single inning since tallying 14 against Kansas during the sixth inning on March 29, 2013.
Junior center fielder Lindsey Stephens led the offense by going 2-for-3 with her third career grand slam and four RBIs. Senior right fielder Marlee Gabaldon was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs, junior third baseman Stephanie Ceo blasted a HR as part of a 1-for-3, two-run, three-RBI effort, sophomore left fielder Stephanie Wong was 2-for-3 with a single tally and junior catcher Erin Shireman managed a double.
In the circle for the Longhorns, freshman Erica Wright earned her first collegiate victory, posting the shutout while allowing just four hits, walking one and striking out five over five frames.
Texas threatened from the start against UCSB starter Alex Pingree, quickly loading the bases with no outs in the top of the first. Sophomore shortstop Devon Tunning began the scoring opportunity with a lead-off walk. She was soon joined on the base paths via consecutive singles off the bats of Wong and Stephens. Unfortunately for the Longhorns, a routine fly to left and an infield pop-up left the bags packed as UCSB escaped a big early jam.
Wright looked in control during her initial career inning of work, coercing three straight shallow fly balls that were handled in a quick one-two-three frame.
Things didn't remain scoreless for long, however, as a one-out Shireman double was immediately cashed in via a towering HR to right off the bat of Ceo as Texas nabbed a 2-0, top of the second advantage.
UCSB managed its first threat of the contest during the bottom half of the second. With one out, third baseman Dejanee Moore lifted a single that dropped just in front of a charging Stephens in shallow center. Shortstop Emily Brucelas managed a two-out free pass to join her teammate, but the pair never advanced another step as a pop-up to second completed the threat with no damage.
A Kristen Clark base knock and a Longhorns error put two more Gauchos on in the bottom of the third. Wright would again prove up to the task, however, as the Huntington, Texas, native caught Meshalon Moore looking at an important strike three.
Bidding for some valuable insurance, Texas' offense got things seriously untracked in the top of the fifth against reliever Lena Mayer. Following a UCSB miscue to start the inning, Wong dropped a gorgeous bunt single out in front of the plate that she was able to beat out. A Stephens walked loaded the bags, setting the stage for junior first baseman Holly Kern who delivered a RBI the hard way through getting hit by a pitch.
Freshman Randel Leahy was called upon to pinch hit and hit a towering pop-up behind first that was dropped for an error as Wong raced across for a 4-0 lead. After sophomore second baseman Kelli Hanzel was struck by a pitch to again pack the bases full of Longhorns, Gabaldon crushed a two-run double into the left field corner for a commanding seven-run advantage. The gap continued to grow as a run-scoring wild pitch and a Ceo bases-loaded walk expanded the gap to nine tallies. Amazingly, the largest blow was still yet to come as Stephens followed soon after with her third career grand slam on a blast to right center to make it 13-0. A Gabaldon RBI base knock and the fourth Gaucho error of the frame finalized the offensive count at 15 tallies.
UCSB registered a lead-off single on a wicked hop on the infield starting the bottom of the fifth. The threat would get a little more serious just minutes later as a Texas error and a bloop single to shallow right packed the bases with still only one down. A strikeout and a fielder's choice, that cut down a runner at third, ended UT's dominant season-opening triumph.
Game Notes
-- Texas is now 19-0 all-time in season openers dating back to the start of the varsity program in 1997.
-- Lindsey Stephens' grand slam was the first for Texas since she hit one on April 26, 2014, against Oklahoma State.
-- By sending 18 batters to the plate and scoring 13 times in the top of the fifth, the occurrence marked Texas' largest since offensive inning since plating 14 runs in the sixth frame against Kansas on March 29, 2013.
-- Texas' 15 runs were the most since topping Texas State 15-6 (6 inn.) on April 23, 2014.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Wright, Erica (1-0)
L: Pingree, Alex (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Gabaldon, Marlee 1 ; Shireman, Erin 1
HR: Stephens, Lindsey 1 ; Ceo, Stephanie 1
RBI: Stephens, Lindsey 4 ; Kern, Holly 1 ; Gabaldon, Marlee 3 ; Ceo, Stephanie 3
Base Running:
RUNS: Tunning, Devon 2 ; Wong, Stephanie 1 ; Stephens, Lindsey 2 ; Kern, Holly 2 ; Leahy, Randel 1 ; Hanzel, Kelli 2 ; Angel, Alyssa 1 ; Shireman, Erin 2 ; Ceo, Stephanie 2
HBP: Kern, Holly 1 ; Hanzel, Kelli 1 ; Shireman, Erin 1
