No. 21 Softball walks off again in beating Abilene Christian, 3-2

Friday, February 26

Austin, Texas

Noon

University of Texas

12-0

Abilene Christian

2-9

Abilene Christian

Texas

No. 21 Softball walks off again in beating Abilene Christian, 3-2

02.26.2016 | Softball

Box Score

The Longhorns have already posted four walk-off victories during the 2016 campaign

AUSTIN, Texas – Make it four walk-off victories in 2016 for No. 21 Texas as the Longhorns improved to a perfect 12-0 overall by plating the go-ahead run on an error in the bottom of the seventh to knock off Abilene Christian (2-9) on Friday afternoon in Texas Invitational action at Red & Charline McCombs Field, 3-2.

Tied at 2-2 in the last of the seventh with runners at second and third and two down, UT junior shortstop Devon Tunning hit a sharp bouncer to first. The ball was misplayed and got away from ACU's Casey-May Huff, allowing freshman third baseman Christina Bardwell to score the winning run from 60 feet away.

Junior designated player Celina Felix led the offense by going 1-for-3 with a two-RBI single, while Tunning (1-for-3, walk, run), junior left fielder Stephanie Wong (1-for-2, run), Bardwell (1-for-3, run) and senior second baseman Stephanie Ceo (1-for-2) all contributed base knocks.

In the circle for the Longhorns, sophomore hurler Paige von Sprecken improved to 4-0 after allowing two earned runs on eight hits with two walks and five strikeouts over a complete-game effort.

After Texas left a pair stranded in the bottom of the first, the Wildcats got a big scoring opportunity started against von Sprecken in the top of the second. Consecutive singles to open the frame by right fielder Brianna Barnhill and designated player Alyson Bishoff, as well as a steal of third, set the stage for ACU to take an early 1-0 lead. Huff stepped to the plate and ripped a RBI single to left, allowing Barnhill to cross from third. ACU would load the bases with two down on a Taylor Brown walk, but Bardwell ranged into foul ground to make a terrific leaping grab on a liner to prevent any more damage.

Trying to get the Longhorns offense untracked in the bottom of the third, Tunning did just that by registering UT's first hit of the contest via a one-out single up the middle. Wong followed immediately with a base knock through the right side of the infield, and suddenly, Texas had two on with the heart of the order to follow. After a towering Stephens fly ball advanced both runners into scoring position, Felix delivered in the clutch by lacing a two-RBI single up the middle to grant the Horns a 2-1 advantage.

ACU got another threat started in the top of the fifth via a one-out single to left center from shortstop Peyton Hedrick and a Texas fielding miscue. With two on and one out, Barnhill hit into a fielder's choice that cut down the runner heading to second. From there, junior first baseman Kelli Hanzel handled a Bishoff bouncer up the first base line to get Texas out of the inning still holding its one-run lead.

With one out in the top of the sixth, Huff hit a blooper down the right field line. Freshman right fielder Reagan Hathaway came charging over from her defensive position and nearly made a terrific diving catch, but just missed as the play went into the scorebook as a double. ACU's leading hitter Brown stepped to the plate facing a two-out situation and launched a triple down into the left field corner, scoring Huff to tie the count at 2-2. The Wildcats could have taken the lead, as Johnson ripped a threatening liner up the middle, but Ceo raced over to make a fully-extended diving catch to prevent the go-ahead run from scoring.

Hoping to walk-off for the fourth time in 2016, Texas' Bardwell became the potential winning run by singling to center with one down in the bottom of the seventh. Ceo followed with a perfect bunt out in front of the plate to put two aboard for the Horns. Following a sac bunt that moved both runners into scoring position, Tunning hit a bouncer to the right of first baseman Huff. The ACU fielder had the ball go off her glove and couldn't recover it quickly enough as Bardwell crossed the plate with the winning score to complete a 3-2, walk-off triumph.