The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
38-14
Texas A&M
37-19
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 7 | 0 |
| Texas A&M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
No. 25 Softball blasts five HR’s to power past No. 16 Texas A&M, 5-0
05.20.2016 | Softball
Stephens (two), Krpec, Hathaway and Hanzel all go deep to lead the Longhorns offensive onslaught
LAFAYETTE, La. – The skies cleared up on Friday at Lamson Park and the Longhorns bats heated up, as No. 25 Texas softball (38-14) utilized five solo HR's, backing a five-hit shutout from junior pitcher Tiarra Davis, to blast past No. 16 Texas A&M (37-19) in the opener of the NCAA Lafayette Regional, 5-0.
The five HR's tied for the second-most in a single game in Texas program history, equaling UT's output from a 14-3 (5 inn.) victory at Iowa State on May 7 as well as in match-ups versus UC-Davis on February 27, 2010, and at Iowa State on May 1, 2010. The all-time single-game program mark for HR is seven established back on April 22, 2011, at Texas Tech.
Senior center fielder Lindsey Stephens again led the offensive assault by going 2-for-3 with a walk, two HR's and a pair of RBIs. The two-HR game marked the third of the Beaumont, Texas, native's career, gave her a team-best 14 HR's for the season and improved her recent power output to a staggering six HR's over Texas' last four games dating back to May 6 at Iowa State.
Stephens has now hit a HR in four straight games, tying current junior third baseman Celina Felix (from February 19-21, 2016) and former Longhorn Lexy Bennett for the second-longest skein of consecutive contests with a HR in school history. Stephens set the all-time mark by hitting a big fly in five straight match-ups during the 2015 campaign. Her first home run of the game against Texas A&M also served as the 200th hit of Stephens' standout career on the Forty Acres.
Freshman left fielder Reagan Hathaway and junior first baseman Kelli Hanzel each went 1-for-3 with their fifth HR's of the season, while junior Mickenzi Krpec blasted her initial big fly of the year during a sixth-inning pinch-hit appearance.
In the circle, Davis (23-9) scattered five hits while earning her 23rd win of the campaign, walking just two while striking out 11 Aggies.
Texas struck first right from the start of the game as Stephens opened the contest by driving a lead-off solo HR to left off Texas A&M starter Trinity Harrington, the 200th hit of the UT standout's illustrious career, to nab a quick 1-0 lead. A Felix infield single and a Holly Kern walk put two aboard with still no outs as the Longhorns bid for more. Unfortunately, a fielder's choice, a strikeout and a fly out left the duo stranded as UT missed a chance to put even more up on the board in the opening frame.
The Aggies tried to answer right back in the bottom of the first, stationing two on via a walk and a two-out single to center off the bat of catcher Ashley Walters. Davis responded to the threat in style, however, by catching shortstop Kristen Cuyos looking at strike three as UT maintained its early advantage.
Stephens was at it again in the top of the third, hammering Harrington's first pitch of the inning over the wall in center for her second HR of the contest and 14th of the season to extend the gap to 2-0.
Texas A&M managed single base runners in the second, third and fourth innings on a single, a single and a walk, respectively. Texas' left hander continued preventing the Aggies from stringing anything together, though, finishing off the fourth with consecutive strikeouts of designated player Samantha Show and third baseman Riley Sartain.
The long ball reappeared in a major way for the Longhorns during the top of the sixth as Texas' lead expanded to 4-0. Pinch hitter Krpec got things started with one down by blasting her first big fly of the season over the wall in left. With two retired in the frame, Hathaway stepped into the batter's box and crushed a Harrington pitch to deep center for her fifth HR of 2016.
Needing some sort of response, Texas A&M's Cuyos tried to get something going for the Aggies in the bottom of the sixth by driving a one-out double into the left center field gap. With pinch runner Alex Masek standing within 60 feet of pay dirt at third following a long fly out to center, Davis struck out Snow for the second time in the contest to end the inning.
Hanzel finalized Texas' power output in the top of the seventh by hammering her fifth HR of the season over the left field wall to boost the advantage to 5-0.
Davis soon finished off her sixth solo shutout of the season and raised her K total to 11 by striking out the side during the bottom of the seventh.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Davis, Tiarra (23-9)
L: Trinity Harrington (7-9)
Batting:
HR: Stephens, Lindsey 2 ; Krpec, Mickenzi 1 ; Hathaway, Reagan 1 ; Hanzel, Kelli 1
RBI: Stephens, Lindsey 2 ; Krpec, Mickenzi 1 ; Hathaway, Reagan 1 ; Hanzel, Kelli 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Stephens, Lindsey 2 ; Krpec, Mickenzi 1 ; Hathaway, Reagan 1 ; Hanzel, Kelli 1
CS: Ceo, Stephanie 1
HBP: Shireman, Erin 1
Batting:
2B: Kristen Cuyos 1
SH: Samantha Show 1
