Softball knocks off Texas State on Wednesday night, 3-2

Wednesday, March 30

Austin, Texas

6 p.m.

University of Texas

20-8

Texas State

23-12

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

Softball knocks off Texas State on Wednesday night, 3-2

03.30.2016 | Softball

Box Score

Senior center fielder Lindsey Stephens blasted her team-best sixth HR during the victory

AUSTIN, Texas – On Wednesday night at Red & Charline McCombs Field, Texas (20-8) got a RBI single from senior designated player Erin Shireman and a key two-run HR from senior center fielder Lindsey Stephens in knocking off Texas State (23-12), 3-2.

In the circle for the Longhorns, junior left hander Tiarra Davis picked up her 12th win of the season by limiting TSU to two earned runs on three hits while walking six and striking out four over a complete-game effort.

Stephens was 1-for-2 at the plate with a walk, her team-leading sixth HR of the year and two RBIs, Shireman was 1-for-3 with a RBI, senior right fielder Holly Kern was 2-for-3 with a run scored and junior first baseman Kelli Hanzel was 1-for-2 with a tally.

With Davis having retired six of the first seven Bobcats she faced with three strikeouts, Kern became Texas' first base runner of the game against Texas State ace Randi Rupp by starting the bottom of the second with a bloop single over third. After a pair of outs threatened to derail the scoring chance, Shireman bounced a high-chopper through the left side of the infield for a single. Kern raced around third and managed to slide in just before the tag to grant the Longhorns a 1-0 lead.

Bobcats first baseman Kendall Wiley and center fielder Bianca Prado christened TSU's half of the third with consecutive walks as Texas State attempted to respond immediately. With Prado stationed at second, after a passed ball and a subsequent throw out at third on the play retired the lead occupant, second baseman Kimberlin Naivar tied the contest by driving a RBI double to left center. Two more free passes and a hit batter with the bases loaded forced in TSU's second tally to hand the Bobcats a 2-1 advantage.

Hanzel kicked off Texas' half of the third by driving a base knock into the gap in right center. That set the stage for the Horns to re-take the lead as Stephens followed immediately by blasting a two-run shot over the left field wall to make it 3-2.

Rupp walked UT's lead-off batters in both the fourth and fifth innings but retired the next three in order during each frame to keep the Longhorns lead at just a single run.

TSU designated player Jaelyn Young opened a serious bid for a tying score by beginning the sixth with a two-bagger to right center. Davis responded to the threat by retiring the next three Bobcats she faced with a K to maintain the Texas advantage.

Down to one last chance to extend the contest in the top of the seventh, TSU went down in order on a fly ball to center, a grounder and a pop-up to second.

Postgame Quotes

Texas Junior Pitcher Tiarra Davis

On overcoming the third inning: I was just having a tough time finding what pitch I could throw for a strike, then Randel [Leahy] came out, we talked about it and got on the same page. The defense was there to back me up, and we got out of it. We came back in, and I got into the bullpen, did a little work and everything was fine after that.

Texas Senior Outfielder Lindsey Stephens

On the importance of tonight's win: It was really important for us to get the win tonight after the Baylor series. We were able to work together. It wasn't that easy, but we were able to overcome those losses. I think that it shows a lot of character for the team that we have and the desire to win.

On the feeling after the home run: It was good. I had two strikes on me, and I took a big swing before that. I was like alright, let's focus in and just get the ball in play. And so to just get the home run, it was like Oh! Ok that's great! I will take that too, so that's a great feeling.

Texas Head Coach Connie Clark

On the importance of this game coming off Baylor: It was significant. We had well fought games over at Baylor in a crazy environment. It was great to come back home tonight and get the outcome. It was important for us to be able to turn things around.

On the top of the third inning: Well it is something that we have been talking about with Tiarra [Davis] quite a bit. It is tough to win ball games when you are issuing a lot of free passes. I know that she is not trying to do that on purpose, and she really has to keep working through these things. When you are playing a lot, and we are having to throw her a lot because we are thin in the circle, it is tough to go high volume work days right now because you don't have many days in between when you are going to turn around and play again. That's the little bit of the challenge. I was proud of her. She came down here mid-game and worked on a couple things in the bullpen. She was really solid the last three innings. I think that really tells you about her mindset of just trying to make the best of it on a night where she didn't have the best start.

On the mentality of the team after the Stephens home run: Actually I thought our mentality was pretty solid throughout. I don't know that we relied on that. I thought that we were competing very well from the first pitch to the last pitch. That was something that we talked about after Baylor. I think we got a little bit pressured up in the Baylor game when we had a lead going into the seventh inning. We didn't script it, but it was perfect that we had to do the same thing tonight. To be able to work on that again and be able to respond. I think that we were really solid in that.