Softball drops an 8-0 (5 inn.) decision to No. 3 Oregon

Friday, February 16

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

8 p.m.

University of Texas

3-4

#3 Oregon

9-0

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

Softball drops an 8-0 (5 inn.) decision to No. 3 Oregon

02.16.2018 | Softball

Box Score

Janae Jefferson stretched her hitting streak to seven games, tying for the longest to start a UT career

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico – A five-run second-inning outburst set the early tone for No. 3 Oregon (9-0) as the Ducks defeated Texas softball (3-4) on Friday night at Nancy Almaraz Stadium, 8-0 (5 inn.).

At the plate for the Burnt Orange & White, freshman Janae Jefferson singled in one of her two at-bats, stretching her season-opening hitting streak to seven games. With her hit, the Humble, Texas, product tied former Longhorns second baseman Stephanie Ceo (Feb. 8-15, 2013) for the longest hitting streak to begin a Texas career.

Senior first baseman/pitcher Paige von Sprecken and sophomore shortstop Kaitlyn Slack also managed 1-for-2 efforts for UT.

Oregon starter Miranda Elish improved to 3-0 on the season by firing a complete-game three-hitter with seven strikeouts, while for the Longhorns, junior Brooke Bolinger (1-1) suffered the loss after permitting five earned runs on three hits with three walks and a hit batter over 1.1 innings of work.

With Elish having retired the first six Texas batters of the contest, the Ducks offense got to work against Bolinger during the bottom of the second. NCAA home run leader DJ Sanders started the frame by driving an offering over the wall in left center to make it 1-0. From there, a hit batter, a pair of walks, an Alexis Mack RBI single and third baseman Jenna Lilley's two-run double to right center boosted UO's advantage to 5-0.

Slack became Texas' first base runner of the game by singling to short with one out in the top of the third. Unfortunately for the Horns, a perfectly turned 6-4-3 double play cleared the base paths and ended the inning.

Oregon strung together a two-out rally in the top of the third against reliever von Sprecken as consecutive singles from right fielder Haley Cruse and Mack were cashed in on Lilley's two-RBI single that dropped in just over the second bag to boost the lead to seven runs.

Texas' best chance to get on the board came in the top of the fourth as Jefferson started the frame with an infield single to second and was soon joined on the basepaths by von Sprecken after a single that ricocheted off Elish in the circle. Once again, UO's hurler was up to the task, inducing a foul out down the left field line and a fielder's choice to conclude any threat.

Designated player Mary Iakopo brought the run-rule into play with a RBI double in the bottom of the fourth as the Oregon advantage expanded to 8-0.

With one final chance to extend things in the top of the fifth, Texas went down in order against Elish as the hurler wrapped up her third victory of 2018.