Softball uses late-game magic again to rally past N. Dakota St., 3-2

Sunday, February 14

Austin, Texas

Noon

University of Texas

5-0

North Dakota State

2-3

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
North Dakota State	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	7	1
Texas	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	3	8	0

Softball uses late-game magic again to rally past N. Dakota St., 3-2

02.14.2016 | Softball

Box Score

Texas improves record to 5-0 overall for first time since 2013 and eighth time in program history

AUSTIN, Texas – Forget candy or flowers, Texas softball (5-0) received its Valentine's Day present on Sunday in the form of a fifth-consecutive late-game winning rally as a clutch solo HR by senior center fielder Lindsey Stephens and a sacrifice fly from freshman right fielder Reagan Hathaway completed the Longhorns' third walk-off victory of the Texas Classic in a 3-2 triumph over North Dakota State (2-3).

With the victory, the Burnt Orange & White improved to 5-0 to start a campaign for the first time since 2013 and for the eighth time in program history (2003, 2004, 2005, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013). Three of the UT teams that started 5-0 went on to make the Women's College World Series (2003, 2005, 2013).

During the Texas Classic, the Longhorns hit .313 as a team and demonstrated a true propensity for late-game heroics as 22 of the squad's 26 total runs were scored from the fourth through the eighth innings.

Stephens led UT's eight-hit offensive output on Sunday against the Bison, going 2-for-4 at the plate with her first HR of the season and a RBI. Hathaway was 1-for-2 with a walk, a double and the game-ending RBI, junior designated player Celina Felix went 1-for-4 with a triple and a run scored and freshman third baseman Christina Bardwell also knocked in her fourth run of the early season.

In the circle for the Horns, junior Tiarra Davis improved to 3-0, scattering seven hits while allowing two earned runs with a walk and two K's over a complete-game effort.

"We talked about (fight) in the pregame today, that it was going to come down to mentality," Texas head coach Connie Clark said. "We had sore bodies, you are wiped out both mentally and physically, so how tough are you to come back on day four when it's your first tournament (of the season)? You have to build endurance into these long tournaments. The first one is always the most difficult, and I thought that we were really good with that. There was a little bit of a lull in the in the third inning, but it didn't snowball. Tiarra [Davis] bore down today, and I thought she was tremendous mentally. We were trying to figure (North Dakota State) out. They are a great hitting club. They don't chase stuff. They are very selective."

North Dakota State wasted no time jumping in front of the Longhorns during the top of the first inning. A lead-off walk issued by Davis to right fielder Katie Shoultz came back to hurt UT as a two-out bloop single to right center from catcher Alyssa Reina handed the Bison a 1-0 lead. NDSU continued to threaten with a pair on the base paths and two out as left fielder Maritza Lopez-Portillo stepped to the dish. The left fielder ripped a looping liner that appeared as if it might drop into shallow left center. Junior shortstop Devon Tunning (1-for-3, run) raced back from her defensive position at short, however, and made a "web gem" of a leaping grab for Texas to prevent any further damage.

Tunning followed up her great defensive effort by christening UT's half of the first with a lead-off bloop single. A perfect sacrifice bunt off junior left fielder Stephanie Wong's bat moved the speedster into scoring position with one retired, but a pair of fly outs eventually left the runner stranded.

The Bison offense got back in business starting the top of the second as designated player Bre Beatty ripped a lead-off double to the wall in right center and soon moved to third on a passed ball. Third baseman Julia Luciano quickly made it 2-0 in favor of NDSU with a RBI base knock to shallow left. With two aboard after another single, shortstop Logan Moreland hit a slow roller to the circle. Davis bounded out quickly to scoop it up and fired a strike to third to nail the lead runner for a second out. That play proved important as a pop-up to short was handled by Tunning to conclude the threat.

With Texas in need of an early spark, Hathaway tried to provide one by driving her first career double into the gap to open the bottom of the second. Unfortunately for the Horns, Bardwell ripped a shot to her counterpart at third, and the NDSU fielder tossed behind a quickly retreating Hathaway to nail her at second on a fielder's choice. Senior catcher Erin Shireman delivered a single up the middle, but Texas left a pair aboard as a pop-up to second and a foul-out to first ended the frame.

Still trailing NDSU by two runs in the bottom of the third, a lead-off Tunning walk, a Stephens base knock up the middle and a long Felix fly out set Texas up with runners at the corners and two outs. With the bags packed full of Longhorns on a Hathaway free pass, Bardwell was struck by a Jacquelyn Sertic pitch on the top of the helmet, forcing in a run to cut the Texas deficit to 2-1. Unfortunately, a bouncer to second left the bases juiced as the Longhorns left on count grew to six through three frames.

The tough offensive luck continued for the Burnt Orange & White into both fourth and fifth innings. With a pair aboard and two down in the fourth, Stephens ripped a promising liner to the right side, but it ventured straight into the glove of quick-reacting NDSU first baseman Jackie Stifter for the third out. During the fifth, Felix, Hathaway and Bardwell all hit line drives that traveled right to defenders in center, at short and in center, respectively.

Texas got the lead-off hitter on to start the bottom of the sixth as a Shireman bouncer traveled right through the legs of North Dakota State shortstop Logan Moreland. Junior Mickenzi Krpec stepped to the dish and improved her pinch-hitting total to a perfect 3-for-3 for the season on a ringing base knock into left. With the tying and go-ahead runners stationed in scoring position following a perfect Hanzel sacrifice bunt, the key hit just wouldn't materialize as consecutive routine grounders left the pair stranded.

Down to a final opportunity in the bottom of the seventh to extend or win the contest, Texas came through once again. Stephens got the rally started with a towering lead-off solo shot over the center field wall to make it 2-2. Felix stepped into the batter's box and lifted a fly to deep center. It appeared that NDSU's Jenna Isbel lost the ball in the bright sunshine as the sphere dropped in for a triple. That set the stage for Hathaway who lifted a sacrifice fly down the line in left to plate Felix and set off Burnt Orange jubilation at McCombs Field.