The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
6-3
Indiana
2-7
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 1 |
| Texas | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 | X | 13 | 9 | 3 |
Softball rallies back to knock-off Indiana at the Texas Invitational, 13-7
02.18.2017 | Softball
Longhorns battle back from a 6-0 deficit in the second inning to beat the Hoosiers
AUSTIN, Texas – Facing a 6-0, second-inning deficit on Saturday morning in Texas Invitational play at Red & Charline McCombs Field, Texas softball (6-3) scored in each of the next five innings to roll past Indiana, 13-7.
During the victory, the Longhorns exhibited great patience at the plate by tying a school-record for walks with 14 against a combination of IU hurlers Tara Trainer, Emily Goodin and Jessica Conenna. The previous mark was established during a win over Toledo at the Houston Hilton Plaza Invitational in Houston, Texas, on Feb. 19, 2016.
As an offense, Texas banged out nine hits, including a team-leading two each from senior first baseman Kelli Hanzel (2-for-2, two runs, two walks, three RBIs) and sophomore center fielder Reagan Hathaway (2-for-3, two runs, two walks, double, triple, two RBIs). Senior center fielder Stephanie Wong registered her second triple of the season as part of a 1-for-4 effort with her seventh stolen base and a RBI. Senior designated player Mickenzi Krpec was 1-for-1 with a career-high four walks, two runs scored and a RBI, senior third baseman Celina Felix was 1-for-3 with a tally and a RBI, junior catcher Randel Leahy was 1-for-3 with three RBIs and senior shortstop Devon Tunning walked and scored twice with a RBI.
Texas sophomore left-hander Brooke Bolinger picked up the victory by hurling 4.2 frames of scoreless relief while allowing just three hits and striking out three. Junior Paige von Sprecken started in the circle for the Longhorns and permitted one earned run on five hits with three walks and three K's over 2.1 frames.
Multiple Texas defensive miscues opened the door for Indiana to take a big lead in the top of the second. A bouncer with one out was bobbled allowing second baseman Erin Lehman to reach. That proved to be a huge error by the Horns as consecutive two-out singles from catcher Bella Norton and left fielder Aimilia McDonough combined to plate the Hoosiers' opening score of the inning. From there, a bad throw to first on a bunt and an errant toss into center on an Indiana steal attempt allowed two more runs to cross. The total of unearned runs soon expanded to six as a walk and a CaraMia Tsirigos three-run blast to left finalized a 6-0 IU outburst on the scoreboard.
Desperate for an immediate answer in the bottom of the second, Texas quickly loaded the bases with no outs on an IU error at short and walks to both Krpec and sophomore right fielder Bekah Alcozer. After two quick outs threatened to derail the opportunity, Hanzel battled starter Tara Trainer for the third free pass of the frame to force in the Longhorns first tally of the match-up.
Indiana got the run right back in the top of the third to expand its lead to 7-1 as a lead-off Lehman walk was cashed in on McDonough's one-out RBI double to left center.
Things got significantly more interesting during the bottom of the third as the Longhorns exploded for four tallies in the frame to cut their deficit to 7-5. Free passes to Tunning and Hathaway as well as a single to right center by Krpec got the offense in major business to begin the frame. Bases loaded walks from Leahy and Felix ended Trainer's stay in the circle for the Hoosiers as Goodin was summoned into the circle in relief. She immediately gave up both a Kaitlyn Washington RBI groundout and a Hanzel RBI base knock to deep short as Texas clawed within a pair of runs.
Texas drew even closer in the bottom of the fourth as a one-out Hathaway triple was followed by a Leahy sacrifice fly to trim the Hoosiers advantage to 7-6.
In the fifth inning, the Burnt Orange & White comeback reached its zenith. Tunning's sacrifice fly and a Krpec bases-loaded walk plated a pair as the Horns grabbed its first lead of the game at 8-7.
The Longhorns continued to pour it on in the sixth, putting up five runs of valuable insurance on the board in taking a 13-7 advantage. Freshman second baseman Jade Gortarez singled, swiped second and scored on a two-out Hanzel RBI single down the left field line. Hanzel soon raced around to score all the way from first on Wong's triple to left center. With runners stationed at the corners, Hathaway cleared the base paths with a two-RBI double to right. A Leahy bouncer through the left side of the infield brought home Hathaway to finalize UT's offensive output.
From there, Bolinger retired the Indiana side in order in the seventh, finishing off the comeback in style by catching right fielder Kayla Mathewson looking at strike three.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bolinger, Brooke (2-0)
L: Goodin (1-2)
Batting:
2B: Norton 1
HR: Tsirigos 1
RBI: Tsirigos 3 ; Norton 1 ; McDonough 1
SH: Mathewson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Blitz 1 ; Lacefield 1 ; Tsirigos 1 ; Lehman 2 ; Norton 1 ; McDonough 1
SB: Blitz 1
Batting:
2B: Hathaway, Reagan 1
3B: Romero, Chloe 1 ; Hathaway, Reagan 1
RBI: Romero, Chloe 1 ; Tunning, Devon 1 ; Hathaway, Reagan 2 ; Krpec, Mickenzi 1 ; Leahy, Randel 3 ; Felix, Celina 1 ; Washington, Kaitlyn 1 ; Hanzel, Kelli 3
SF: Tunning, Devon 1 ; Leahy, Randel 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Romero, Chloe 1 ; Tunning, Devon 2 ; Hathaway, Reagan 2 ; Krpec, Mickenzi 2 ; Leahy, Randel 1 ; Alcozer, Bekah 1 ; Felix, Celina 1 ; Gortarez, Jade 1 ; Hanzel, Kelli 2
SB: Romero, Chloe 1 ; Krpec, Mickenzi 1 ; Gortarez, Jade 1 ; Hanzel, Kelli 1
