The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
11-0
Abilene Christian
2-8
No. 21 Softball uses 12-run first to race past Abilene Christian, 15-1 (5 inn.)
02.25.2016 | Softball
Longhorns offense pounds out a season-high 14 hits in rolling past the Wildcats
AUSTIN, Texas – On a clear but chilly Thursday night in Texas Invitational action at Red & Charline McCombs Field, No. 21 Texas softball (11-0) remained unbeaten by plating 12 runs during the first inning and banging out a season-high 14 hits while blasting its way past Abilene Christian (2-8), 15-1 (5 inn.).
At 11-0 overall, the Burnt Orange & White equaled the 2010 Longhorns squad for the third-best opening start to a campaign in school history.
Freshman right fielder Reagan Hathaway (2-for-2, run, double) and junior shortstop Devon Tunning (2-for-2, two runs, double) led the Texas offensive charge with four and three RBIs, respectively. Junior pinch hitter Taylor McAllister (2-for-2, run), senior center fielder Lindsey Stephens (1-for-2, run), junior designated player Celina Felix (1-for-3, two runs, walk), freshman third baseman Christina Bardwell (1-for-3, run), junior first baseman Kelli Hanzel (1-for-2, two runs, walk) and senior pinch hitter Rachel Scott (1-for-1, run) each managed single RBIs in the victory. Junior left fielder Stephanie Wong also contributed a 1-for-2 effort with two walks and three runs scored.
In the circle, junior left-hander Tiarra Davis improved to 7-0 this season by tossing 4.1 innings of two-hit ball with four walks and a strikeout. Sophomore Kristen Clark permitted one earned run on two hits in two-thirds of a frame of relief work.
"We have to stay patient at the plate, and we saw that again tonight in the first inning," Texas head coach Connie Clark said. "We weren't willing to chase a lot of pitches, and when teams see us on paper, they come in not wanting to be too sweet over the plate. They want to be too fine, and as long as we're not helping them and being selective at the plate, good things are happening. I'm really pleased with the effort from our hitters over the first half of the game."
Abilene Christian's offense looked ready to go right from the start of the contest. Center fielder Taylor Brown walked to open the game and quickly moved to second on a long single off the left field wall from Donelle Johnson. With two on and no outs, shortstop Peyton Hedrick hit a promising liner to right, but it traveled right to the glove of Texas' Hathaway. A sacrifice bunt eventually moved both base runners into scoring position, but a harmless pop-up to second from right fielder Brianna Barnhill ended the once promising inning with no damage.
Likewise, the Texas offense got what turned into a massive assault underway in the bottom of the first as Tunning led off with a single to left center and was soon joined on the bags via Wong and Felix walks. With one down, Hathaway battled to a 3-2 count before driving a bases-clearing double off the top of the center field wall to make it 3-0. Consecutive singles from Davis and Bardwell resulted in another run, while a Stephanie Ceo hit-by-pitch and a Hanzel bases-loaded RBI free pass combined to expand the advantage to 5-0. With the bags still packed, Tunning launched a three-run double of her own the other way to the wall in left center to boost the gap to 8-0. Consecutive RBI singles off the bats of Stephens, Felix, Hathaway and Davis set the final output at 12 runs in the frame as the Longhorns sent 17 to the plate during an eventful first.
Texas continued to add to its lead in the bottom of the second as Hanzel started the inning with a double off the very top of the wall in left and soon scored on a McAllister RBI single down the left field line. With the bases loaded following a Bekah Alcozer pinch-hit single, Felix hit a chopper to third that was thrown wide of home, while trying for the force out, as two more Longhorns crossed for a 15-0 advantage.
Needing offense in a hurry, Brown again tried to ignite the Abilene Christian offense in the top of the third by drawing another lead-off walk. Davis wouldn't allow the Wildcats to string anything together, however, getting a sac bunt, a fly out to left and a routine bouncer to third to leave the runner stranded in scoring position.
The Wildcats put two on base in the top of the fourth via a lead-off walk and a Cara Hoover single up the middle. Again the duo would be left stranded as a routine chopper to second and a strikeout concluded the frame.
Abilene Christian finally managed to break up the shutout with two down in the top of the fifth. Brown opened the inning with a single to center, moved to second on a wild pitch and eventually came around to score on a RBI single down the third base line by third baseman Holly Neese. That was all the Wildcats would get, however, as Davis re-entered in the circle and induced a pop-up to the circle to complete the run-rule victory.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Davis, Tiarra (7-0)
L: Turner, A. (1-4)
Batting:
RBI: Neese, H. 1
SH: Johnson, D. 1 ; Neese, H. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Brown, T. 1
Batting:
2B: Tunning, Devon 1 ; Hathaway, Reagan 1 ; Hanzel, Kelli 1
RBI: Tunning, Devon 3 ; McAllister, Taylor 1 ; Stephens, Lindsey 1 ; Felix, Celina 1 ; Hathaway, Reagan 4 ; Scott, Rachel 1 ; Bardwell, Christina 1 ; Hanzel, Kelli 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Tunning, Devon 2 ; McAllister, Taylor 1 ; Wong, Stephanie 3 ; Stephens, Lindsey 1 ; Felix, Celina 2 ; Hathaway, Reagan 1 ; Scott, Rachel 1 ; Bardwell, Christina 1 ; Ceo, Stephanie 1 ; Hanzel, Kelli 2
HBP: Ceo, Stephanie 1
