Softball roars past Oklahoma State in series opener, 11-0 (5 inn.)

Friday, May 1

Stillwater, Okla.

7 p.m.

University of Texas

33-14, 8-5

Oklahoma State

21-29, 3-11

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Texas	2	0	0	4	5	11	11	0
Oklahoma State	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0

Softball roars past Oklahoma State in series opener, 11-0 (5 inn.)

05.01.2015 | Softball

Box Score

Texas’ Lindsey Stephens, Randel Leahy and Stephanie Ceo each blast HR’s in victory

STILLWATER, Okla. – Home runs from junior center fielder Lindsey Stephens, freshman third baseman Randel Leahy and junior second baseman Stephanie Ceo (grand slam) backed freshman Erica Wright's one-hit shutout as Texas (33-14, 8-5 Big 12 Conference) rolled past Oklahoma State (21-29, 3-11 Big 12) in the two teams' league series opener on Friday night at Cowgirl Stadium, 11-0 (5 inn.).

The Longhorns' offense banged out 11 hits, powered by Ceo's 2-for-2 effort with her first career grand slam (sixth overall grand slam for Texas this year) and four RBI. Leahy was 2-for-2 with two runs scored, her fifth HR of the season and a pair of RBI, sophomore first baseman Kelli Hanzel was 2-for-3 with two tallies, a double and two RBI and Stephens blasted her team-leading 15th HR of the campaign as part of a 2-for-2, three-run, walk, RBI effort. The Beaumont, Texas, native is now just three HR's from equaling former Longhorn Taylor Hoagland's school single-season record of 18 HR's set back in 2012.

Stephens and Leahy also became the first Longhorns' batters to record back-to-back HR's in a game this season with their first inning solo shots.

Wright was terrific in the circle while improving to 15-6 this year, allowing just one hit, walking four and striking out nine over a complete-game performance.

"Great reset coming off last weekend," Texas head coach Connie Clark said. "It was great this week being able to get back to practice and work on some things. I'm proud of our effort tonight. I felt like we were solid in all facets, which is something we've been talking about. Let's get it done in the circle and both defensively and offensively.

"Being able to keep from going to the bullpen in this game was tremendous. I kept thinking 'do we want to make a move' since she (Wright) had done so much work for us last weekend. I was hoping that our offense would come through so that it would be a five-inning game. The way we were swinging it, I thought we potentially were going to get that done. (Wright) was really just beginning to get into a groove. I thought her velocity was exceptional tonight, and with her movement, she was locating the ball well."

The Texas offense wasted no time exerting its influence on the contest via the long ball in the top of the first. With two outs in the inning, Stephens drove a pitch the other way down the left field line that scraped just inside the foul pole for her team-leading 15th HR of the season. Leahy immediately stepped to the plate, and with a solo blast to left, completed the first occurrence of back-to-back HR's for the Longhorns in 2015.

After striking out the Oklahoma State side around a pair of walks during the opening frame, Wright allowed lead-off batter Jessi Haffner to reach on a single up the middle christening the second. The OSU base runner never moved from that spot, however, as UT's freshman hurler struck out shortstop Randee O'Donnell and left fielder Maddi Holcomb to improve her K count to five through two complete.

The Cowgirls' offense again tried to get something started in the bottom of the third as center field speedster Shelby Davis drew a lead-off walk. Entering the series with a remarkable 45 steals in 2015, she finally took off on a theft attempt with two down in the frame. Junior catcher Erin Shireman came up throwing from behind the plate for the Horns and cut down Davis on an inning-ending caught stealing.

The Longhorns blew the contest wide open in the top of the fourth by using five hits and a walk to manufacture four runs in securing a 6-0 advantage. The outburst got underway on a Stephens single up the middle and a stolen base. Leahy followed with a RBI single through the middle as the lead grew to three tallies. After Shireman chopped a base knock through the left side of the infield to put a pair aboard, Hanzel ripped a RBI double down the left field line to make it 4-0. A Holly Kern sacrifice fly to right center and a Devon Tunning RBI infield single just over the circle finalized an assault that saw nine Texas batters come to the dish.

UT's offense wouldn't let up in the fifth, bringing the run-rule into play by exploding for five more tallies on three hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch. After a lead-off Stephens walk got things underway, Leahy was hit by a pitch to put a pair aboard with no one out. With the duo stationed in scoring position following a bouncer to the right side, Hanzel ripped a RBI base knock through the infield. Senior right fielder Marlee Gabaldon singled back to the circle to set the stage for some more offensive pyrotechnics. Ceo stepped into the batter's box and launched a grand slam to left center, Texas' sixth of the season, to finalize UT's lead at 11-0.

Needing just three more outs to make it an early night, Wright wrapped up the run-rule triumph in style in the bottom of the fifth by registering consecutive strikeouts of O'Donnell, Holcomb and Davis.