Softball falls in series finale at Texas Tech, 7-3

Sunday, April 26

Lubbock, Texas

12 p.m.

University of Texas

32-14, 7-5

Texas Tech

23-25, 7-8

Texas

Texas Tech

Softball falls in series finale at Texas Tech, 7-3

04.26.2015 | Softball

Box Score

Junior center fielder Lindsey Stephens hit her team-leading 14th HR in the defeat

LUBBOCK, Texas – Junior center fielder Lindsey Stephens bashed her team-leading 14th HR of the campaign, but it wasn't enough as Texas (32-14, 7-5 Big 12 Conference) dropped the series finale at Texas Tech (23-25, 7-8 Big 12) on Sunday afternoon at Rocky Johnson Field, 7-3.

Stephens led the Texas offense with a 1-for-3 effort, the big fly and three RBIs, sophomore shortstop Devon Tunning was 2-for-3 with a run scored and left fielder Stephanie Wong was 1-for-3 with a tally.

In the circle, sophomore Tiarra Davis (4-4) took the loss by allowing two earned runs on four hits with four walks and three strikeouts over 2.1 innings of work. Senior Gabby Smith allowed one unearned run on one hit with two walks and a K over two-thirds of an inning of relief. Also in relief, freshman Erica Wright permitted two earned runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts over 2.2 frames, while sophomore Lauren Slatten pitched a perfect third of an inning.

Tunning got the Longhorns' offense off on the right foot by leading off the game with a walk. That occurrence marked the 30th time that the sophomore had reached base safely to begin a contest in 2015. After a fielder's choice, Texas' theme from Saturday of hard hits right at fielders continued as Stephens ripped a liner but directly to first baseman Brittany Warnecke for a loud second out. With runners stationed at the corners following a throwing error on a bouncer by TTU shortstop Brooke Scott, a strikeout looking left the duo stranded as UT missed a chance to post an early lead.

The Red Raiders mounted an immediate threat of their own in the bottom half as a lead-off single by center fielder Jordan Bettiol and a stolen base put a runner in scoring position with no one retired. With one out on Davis' first K of the game, catcher Kristi Belshe ripped a single to left center. Wong raced over quickly and did a great job cutting the ball off to prevent the speedy Bettiol from scoring. That proved a big play as Davis escaped the jam by recording her second strikeout and getting third baseman Ashley Fultz to fly out to deep center.

Texas Tech registered a run-scoring rally with two down in the bottom of the second as consecutive walks to start the frame, a slow-rolling single up the third base line off the bat of Bettiol and a walk to designated player Devon Thomey forced in the first run of the game. Davis quickly fell behind Belshe 3-0 in the count before battling back to 3-2. On the ninth pitch of the at-bat, UT's hurler unleashed a wicked change-up for a K looking as TTU missed a big chance to add more by leaving the bags packed.

The Red Raider advantage expanded to four tallies in the bottom of the third as three walks, RBI singles from both right fielder Kierra Miles and Thomey as well as a big two-out Longhorns fielding miscue led to three runs, two of the unearned variety.

During the bottom of the fourth, Belshe made it 5-0 in favor of Texas Tech with a solo shot to right center off Wright.

Texas' offense finally roared to life with two retired in the fifth as Tunning and Wong opened the outburst with consecutive singles off Custer. That set that stage for Stephens as the Beaumont, Texas, native stepped into the box and blasted a three-run HR to dead center field to bring the Horns within 5-3.

Tech answered right back in the bottom of the fifth, however, as a Bettiol single, a two-out walk and a Hopson RBI base knock conspired to stretch TTU's advantage back to three tallies.

A two-out Texas throwing error in the sixth opened the door for the Red Raiders' seventh and final run of the match-up. With Red Raider left fielder Susan Welborn standing in scoring position after the miscue, Warnecke hit a slow bouncer to second. Junior Stephanie Ceo charged hard to corral the ball and tossed on to first, but her throw proved just late. On the play, a hustling Welborn managed to scamper across the plate from second to make it 7-3.

Faced with one last chance to get back in the contest in the seventh, the Longhorns got a two-out single through the right side by Tunning. Unfortunately, that was all for UT as a bouncer back to the circle ended the contest.