Softball walks-off to beat Notre Dame at the Mary Nutter Classic, 4-3

Thursday, February 23

Cathedral City, Calif.

5:30 p.m.

University of Texas

8-3

#RV/RV Notre Dame

4-6

Notre Dame

Texas

Softball walks-off to beat Notre Dame at the Mary Nutter Classic, 4-3

02.23.2017 | Softball

Box Score

Senior second baseman Mickenzi Krpec singled with the bases loaded and two outs in the seventh

CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – On Thursday evening in its Mary Nutter Classic opener at Big League Dreams Park, Texas softball (8-3) got a little more walk-off magic as senior designated player Mickenzi Krpec's bases-loaded single to short plated senior third baseman Celina Felix from third to complete a 4-3 victory over Notre Dame (4-6).

The occurrence marked UT's second walk-off triumph of the season (6-5 win over Louisiana Tech on Feb. 17) and the 12th for the Longhorns since the start of the 2015 campaign.

Senior shortstop Devon Tunning provided the big blow for the Texas offense, registering her team-leading third HR of the season in the opening frame as part of a 2-for-4 effort with two RBIs. Krpec was 1-for-3 with a walk and a RBI, senior left fielder Stephanie Wong was 1-for-4 with a run scored and both sophomore right fielder Bekah Alcozer and senior first baseman Kelli Hanzel were each 1-for-3.

In the circle for the Horns, sophomore left hander Brooke Bolinger improved to 3-0 in the circle by allowing no hits and walking one over 0.2 of an inning of relief. Redshirt sophomore Erica Wright started the contest for UT, allowing three earned runs on eight hits with five strikeouts over 6.1 frames of work.

It took just two batters for the Longhorns to grab a first-inning lead over Notre Dame. After Wong led-off the contest by slapping a base knock through the left side of the infield, Tunning stepped to the dish and drove her team-leading third HR of the season to deep left for a 2-0 advantage.

The Fighting Irish used their own long ball to cut the deficit in half in the top of the second as designated player and clean-up hitter Caitlyn Brooks blasted a lead-off solo shot to left.

With UND starter Rachel Naslund having settled down following the opening frame by retiring six straight Longhorns, the Fighting Irish put together another scoring outburst in the third. Three consecutive one-out singles, including one on a soft slap up the third base line by left fielder Ali Wester, combined to plate a run to tie the count at 2-2.

Both hurlers quieted the proceedings down until Texas got something brewing with one retired in the bottom of the fifth. The Longhorns stationed two aboard as Felix drew a walk off Naslund before Hanzel followed with a single to left center. Unfortunately, a foul out behind the plate and a slow roller to second left the duo stranded on the base paths.

Notre Dame broke a string of eight-straight retired by Wright in the top of the sixth as third baseman Melissa Rochford blooped a lead-off single to left center. That's when the Texas defense flexed its muscle as freshman second baseman Jade Gortarez made a great play on a bouncer in the hole at second to retire the lead runner. The Horns followed that up with an "around-the-horn" 5-4-3 double play to end the half-inning with no damage done.

As the bottom of the sixth began, the sun finally dropped behind the mountains straight in front of the hitters, and that seemed to immediately benefit the Burnt Orange & White. Sophomore center fielder Reagan Hathaway started a key Longhorns rally off with a lead-off walk, moving into scoring position on a passed ball. Alcozer followed with a single up the middle that was knocked down behind the second base bag by ND's Morgan Reed. The infielder leapt to her feet, and with the UT runner heading to the plate, tossed the ball wildly past catcher Madison Heide as Hathaway scored the go-ahead tally for a 3-2 advantage.

With Texas just two outs from victory during the top of the seventh, Notre Dame dead-locked the contest at 3-3 as right fielder Kimmy Sullivan blasted a HR to right center. After a Fighting Irish single, the decision was made to summon in Bolinger in relief. The new hurler walked the first batter she faced, but soon watched as her defense came through with another huge play. On a liner to left that was caught by Wong, Notre Dame's lead runner was caught way off second and was doubled up to end the ND threat.

That set the stage for more Longhorns heroics in the bottom of the seventh. A Felix lead-off walk, a Tunning single up the first base line and a Hathaway free pass loaded the bases with two outs. Krpec stepped into the batter's box with the chance to be the heroine and delivered as her chopper to short was corralled late and thrown away to second allowing Felix to score the winning run in a 4-3 victory.