Softball’s Wright tosses one-hitter to top Houston in DH opener, 3-1

Sunday, April 2

Austin, Texas

2:30 p.m.

University of Texas

19-14

Houston

16-15

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Houston	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	1
Texas	1	0	2	0	0	0	X	3	8	1

Softball’s Wright tosses one-hitter to top Houston in DH opener, 3-1

04.02.2017 | Softball

Box Score

Redshirt sophomore pitcher threw 6.1 no-hit innings before allowing a one-out double in the seventh

AUSTIN, Texas – On Sunday afternoon at Red & Charline McCombs Field, redshirt sophomore pitcher Erica Wright took a no-hitter into the seventh inning for the second time this season before settling for her sixth-career one-hitter as Texas softball (19-14) knocked off Houston (16-15) in the opener of a doubleheader, 3-1.

With 6.1 hitless frames to begin the contest, before allowing a double to her UH pitching counterpart Savannah Heebner, Wright stretched her streak of consecutive hitless innings to a ridiculous 12.2 dating back to the second frame of a match-up at Oklahoma State (March 25). The Huntington, Texas, native previously lost a no-hitter this season with one out in the seventh inning of a 4-0 victory at Cal State Fullerton on March 18. With the win, Wright improved to 4-3 overall, permitting one earned run on a single hit with three walks and four strikeouts over 7.0 frames of work.

At the plate, UT banged out eight total hits, led by two-hit efforts from freshman catcher Taylor Ellsworth (2-for-3, run, RBI) and freshman right fielder Tuesday DerMargosian (2-for-2, walk). With her two base knocks, Ellsworth boosted her season batting average to a remarkable .551 (27-for-49) overall. Sophomore center fielder Reagan Hathaway contributed her team-leading fourth triple of the campaign while going 1-for-3 with a run scored.

A hit batter and a walk got Houston in immediate business against Wright leading off the top of the first. Following a sacrifice bunt that advanced the runners into scoring position, Cougar first baseman Shelby Miller lifted a sacrifice fly to right center as UH grabbed a quick 1-0 lead. A bouncer back to the circle was handled by Wright, ending the frame and limiting the damage to just a single tally.

Texas responded right back in the bottom half as Hathaway delivered the big two-out blow by launching her fourth triple of the season to the wall in right center. With the Lenexa, Kan., native just 60 feet from pay dirt, a Heebner pitch got away from catcher Brooke Vannoy and rolled over near the UH dugout, plating Hathaway with the tying score.

The Longhorns nearly took the lead in the bottom of the second after DerMargosian opened the frame with a single to short. With the freshman right fielder in scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, senior third baseman Celina Felix drove a single through the right side of the infield. Unfortunately for the Burnt Orange & White, a strong throw by Houston's Elise LeBeouf cut down DerMargosian at the plate to keep the contest dead-locked at 1-1.

A Devon Tunning lead-off base knock paid dividends as the Longhorns soon grabbed a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third. With the Montgomery, Texas, native stationed at third following a pair of groundouts, Ellsworth continued her hot hitting by driving a RBI single to right center. A Tiarra Davis base knock to second and a DerMargosian walk soon loaded the bags full of Longhorns with two down. Freshman second baseman Kaitlyn Slack stepped into the box and hit a bouncer that was misplayed at short for an error as Ellsworth scored an unearned run.

Meanwhile, in the circle for the Burnt Orange & White, Wright continued rolling along through the initial five frames. The Huntington, Texas, product faced just three over the minimum while stretching her hitless-inning streak to 11.1 frames.

Houston second baseman Arielle James broke up a string of 10 straight retired Cougars by drawing a free pass to begin the top of the sixth. Wright refused to allow UH's offense to string anything else together, however, retiring the next three hitters she faced to take a no-hitter into the seventh inning for the second time since March 18 (at Cal State Fullerton).

Things got a little concerning for the Horns in the top of the seventh as Heebner's double with one retired broke up the no-hit bid. A two-out error on the UT infield put the potential tying run on base for UH, but Wright struck out pinch hitter Kelli Montgomery looking to end the UT victory.