Softball’s bats stay hot in 11-5 victory at No. 22 Kansas

Saturday, March 28

Lawrence, Kan.

2 p.m.

University of Texas

22-9, 2-0

Kansas

29-4, 0-2

Texas

Kansas

Softball’s bats stay hot in 11-5 victory at No. 22 Kansas

03.28.2015 | Softball

Box Score

Texas’ offense bangs out 13 hits in securing the Big 12 Conference series win over the Jayhawks

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Texas offense stayed red hot on Saturday afternoon at Arrocha Ballpark as the Longhorns (22-9, 2-0 Big 12 Conference) banged out 13 hits in rolling past No. 22 Kansas (29-4, 0-2 Big 12) and securing a league series victory, 11-5.

Table-setters sophomore shortstop Devon Tunning (2-for-3, three runs, two walks) and sophomore left fielder Stephanie Wong (3-for-3, three runs, two doubles, walk) were remarkable in the top two spots in the UT line-up, combining to reach safely in eight-of-10 plate appearances. Junior center fielder Lindsey Stephens went 2-for-5 with a triple, her team-best eighth HR and three RBIs, junior designated player Holly Kern was 2-for-5 with two runs and two RBIs, junior catcher Erin Shireman doubled as part of a 1-for-3, two-run, two-RBI effort and senior right fielder Marlee Gabaldon was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs.

In the circle for the Burnt Orange & White, freshman Kristen Clark improved to 2-1 by allowing four hits, one earned run, walking two and striking out three over 5.0 innings of relief. Senior Gabby Smith started for the Horns and permitted four earned runs on three hits with three walks and a K over 2.0 frames.

"Gabby was working through some things today," Texas head coach Connie Clark said. "I loved her effort and her mentality. That's really what I was looking for. We kept communicating and then knew it was time to make a change. Kristen has had great outings in practice the last couple of weeks and really has kind of moved herself up the depth chart a little bit. It was great to get her in there. She has such an even-keeled approach, and you saw that today. What a huge strikeout of their leading hitter with the bases loaded in the sixth. She has a really great demeanor, and I thought she had a great outing.

"One of the things we talked about postgame was the momentum we've started off with the last two days. I think it's significant. Coming into Friday at someone else's place, you have the lead-off come out and get on and wreak havoc, that's one thing. To do it a second straight day, you saw a little of the air come out of the tires across the diamond. Kansas certainly kept battling, but to get the momentum is important. Those two (Devon Tunning & Stephanie Wong) are seeing the ball very well right now. I'm really pleased with our offense, and our ability to make needed adjustments has been tremendous."

Similar to Friday's series opener, Texas' offense threatened from the very start in the top of the first against starter Alicia Pille. Tunning singled to open the contest and Wong followed by battling over a nine-pitch at-bat to earn a walk. After the Burnt Orange & White duo moved up 60 feet into scoring position on a bouncer to first, Kern hit a chopper to short. Kansas' Chaley Brickey decided to throw home in an attempt to get Tunning, but her throw proved low and got away from the catcher for an error as Texas nabbed a 1-0 lead. With runners stationed at second and third following the miscue at the plate, Shireman dropped a ball in front of the plate, allowing Wong to race home with UT's second tally. Sophomore first baseman Kelli Hanzel fought Pille over eight pitches before walking to load the bases with still only one retired. That set the stage for Gabaldon as the senior right fielder drove a clutch two-RBI single down the left field line. The hit plated both Kern and Shireman to make it 4-0 in the opening frame for the second straight day and knocked Pille out of the game.

Kansas answered right back in the bottom of the opening frame, cutting the Longhorns' lead in half. Consecutive walks by right fielder Lily Behrmann and Brickey opening the contest and a fly out to left put Jayhawks on the corners with one down. Designated player Daniella Chavez stepped to the dish and laced a RBI single to left center to get KU on the board for the first time in the series. After a Shannon McGinley walk loaded the bases, a wild Smith offering allowed Brickey to scamper home and cut the deficit to 4-2. Two were left stranded, however, as Smith induced consecutive pop-ups to avoid more damage.

The Jayhawk outburst proved just a brief pause in Texas' Saturday offensive assault as the Longhorns erupted for four more scores in the second. Once again, Tunning and Wong got the charge started by registering a walk and a ground-rule double to left, respectively. A Kern RBI single through the left side, a run-scoring wild pitch and a Shireman double to the wall in right center expanded the UT advantage to five tallies. UT wasn't done, however, as Leahy hit into a run-scoring fielder's choice to make it 8-2 as the Longhorns batted around during each of the initial two frames.

The offensive fireworks continued into the bottom half of the second as a Kansas lead-off single was cashed in on a two-run HR to center by Brickey as KU cut its deficit to 8-4.

Texas missed a chance to add even more, after loading the bases in the top of the third via a Tunning walk, Wong's second double and a Kern free pass, as a strikeout and a grounder to third conspired to leave a trio of Longhorns stranded on the base paths.

Clark was summoned into the circle in relief starting the bottom of the third and was immediately effective. The Richmond, Texas, native retired five straight at one point and managed a pair of strikeouts while posting a scoreless third and fourth.

Following Tunning's second hit of the contest christening the fifth, Stephens soon brought her teammate home via a RBI triple off the wall in center field as Texas' advantage grew to 9-4.

With time beginning to run short, Kansas received consecutive singles from third baseman Chanin Naudin and catcher Jessica Roane to start a threat in the bottom of the sixth. A foul pop-up to Tunning behind the third base bag and a fly to center posted two outs before Behrmann walked to load the bases. Facing her biggest threat of the contest, Clark proved up to the challenge by scoring a vital strikeout of Brickey as KU left the bags packed.

Wong's third base knock of the contest followed by a two-run Stephens blast, her team-leading eighth of the season, to left field in the top of the seventh finalized Texas' offensive output at 11 runs.

The Jayhawks wouldn't go quietly in the bottom of the seventh as first baseman Maddie Stein drove the first pitch of the inning over the right field wall for a solo HR to make it 11-5. Clark rebounded from the big fly, though, retiring the next three she faced in order to secure the UT triumph.