No. 25 Softball’s season ends in a 9-3 loss to No. 16 Texas A&M

Saturday, May 21

Lafayette, La.

4:44 p.m.

University of Texas

38-16

Texas A&M

39-19

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Texas A&M	0	0	3	2	0	2	2	9	10	2
Texas	0	1	2	0	0	0	0	3	4	0

No. 25 Softball’s season ends in a 9-3 loss to No. 16 Texas A&M

05.21.2016 | Softball

Box Score

Longhorns wrap-up the 2016 campaign with a 38-16 overall record

LAFAYETTE, La. – Tied 3-3 in the top of the fourth on Saturday night at Lamson Park, No. 16 Texas A&M (39-19) registered a pair of runs in each of the fourth, sixth and seventh innings to eliminate No. 25 Texas softball (38-16) from the NCAA Lafayette Regional, 9-3.

The defeat completed the careers of Longhorns seniors Lindsey Stephens, Holly Kern, Rachel Scott, Stephanie Ceo and Erin Shireman. The quintet helped guide the Texas program to four-consecutive NCAA Regional berths, 162 total wins and the program's fifth all-time appearance in Oklahoma City where the team finished third at the 2013 Women's College World Series.

Kern powered the UT offense during her final game by going 1-for-3 with a two-run HR, her fifth big fly of the season, and two RBIs. Freshman left fielder Reagan Hathaway was a perfect 2-for-2 with a walk and a run scored, while sophomore pitcher/designated player Paige von Sprecken went 1-for-3 and Shireman knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly.

In the circle for the Horns, junior Tiarra Davis took the loss to fall to 23-11 on the season after permitting six earned runs on five hits with four walks and three strikeouts over 4.0 innings of relief. As the starter, von Sprecken allowed three earned tallies on five hits with four walks and a K in 3.0 frames.

Back-to-back walks to first baseman Tori Vidales and catcher Ashley Walters spelled early trouble for von Sprecken with two down in the top of the first inning. Her defense backed her up, however, as Hathaway corralled a Kristen Cuyos single to left and fired a strike to Shireman at the plate. The senior catcher applied the tag to conclude the threat with no damage.

After the Aggies left two stranded in the top of the second, the Longhorns offense got something started in the bottom half against Texas A&M starter Samantha Show. Hathaway battled to earn a one-out walk, eventually advancing to third as a Devon Tunning sacrifice bunt was thrown away to first. With a Texas duo standing in scoring position, Shireman stepped to the plate and lifted a sacrifice fly down the line in left to plate Hathaway from 60 feet away for a 1-0 lead without the benefit of a hit.

Singles by second baseman Kaitlyn Alderink and Vidales put two aboard for the Aggies beginning the third. With Texas close to escaping the jam, a two-out walk to right fielder Cali Lanphear packed the bags for Show. The Aggie starting pitcher helped her own cause at the plate by driving a bases-clearing double off the wall in left as Texas A&M moved in front, 3-1.

The lead didn't last long as Kern followed up a Celina Felix hit-by-pitch, with two outs in the bottom of the third, by blasting her fifth HR of the season over the center field wall to dead-lock the contest at 3-3.

The back-and-forth action continued into the fourth as Vidales followed up a lead-off walk and a bunt single with a one-out, two-RBI base knock back up the middle to push the Aggies back in front, 5-3.

Stephens drew a lead-off walk to start Texas' half of the fifth, but the Horns couldn't string anything together against Show as a liner to right, a fly ball to center and a pop-up to first ended the frame.

TA&M picked up insurance in the sixth as a hit batter, a walk, a RBI single through the right side from Alderink and a sac fly off the bat of Walters extended the Aggies' advantage to 7-3.

With Texas needing a rally, Hathaway tried to get one going by opening the bottom of the sixth with a double off the wall in right center. Again, the Horns couldn't deliver the needed hit against Show to cut into the deficit as a fly out, a liner to short and a strikeout left the runner in scoring position.

The Aggies finalized their scoring at nine runs in the top of the seventh as center fielder Erica Russell contributed a two-out RBI double to right center and left fielder Keeli Milligan followed with a RBI single up the middle.

Down to one final chance to extend the season, the Longhorns were retired in order in the bottom of the seventh on a pair of fly outs and a bouncer to second as the 2016 campaign came to an end.