Softball splits on opening day of the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge

Thursday, February 15

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

5 p.m.

University of Texas

3-2

Rutgers

2-4

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

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Ole Miss	1	1	3	0	1	1	1	8	11	0
Texas	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	2	7	3

Softball splits on opening day of the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge

02.16.2018 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Longhorns top Rutgers (2-0) before falling in the nightcap to No. 15/18 Ole Miss (8-2)

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico – On Thursday in Puerto Vallarta College Challenge action at Nancy Almaraz Stadium, Texas softball (3-3) opened its participation at the five-team event with a 2-0 victory over Rutgers (2-4) before falling in its nightcap to No. 15/18 Ole Miss (4-1), 8-2.

Senior pitcher/first baseman Paige von Sprecken led the Longhorns offense over the two-game set, batting .333 combined with a double, a solo HR and a RBI. Freshman third baseman MK Tedder hit .500 with a RBI, and freshman second baseman Janae Jefferson continued her impressive start to 2018 by batting at a .600 clip (3-for-5) to go along with her fourth double, raising her season average to a team-leading .529. Junior outfielder Kay Kay Hayter was a perfect 3-for-3 in the day's second contest against the Rebels with two runs scored, and junior pinch hitter/third baseman Ciera Schick knocked in a single run on a fielder's choice.

In the circle for the Horns, von Sprecken improved to 2-0 overall on the strength of a complete-game three-hitter with two walks and five strikeouts versus Rutgers. Redshirt junior Erica Wright (0-2) suffered the defeat against No. 15/18 Ole Miss, allowing four earned runs on four hits with four walks and three strikeouts over 2.0 innings of work.

vs. Rutgers

Texas jumped in front during the bottom of the second against the Scarlet Knights as von Sprecken led-off the frame by launching a Whitney Jones pitch just over the wall in right center to make it 1-0.

Rutgers managed three base runners over the opening four innings, but never got a runner as far as second as the UT defense flexed its muscle. First, it was a strong throw by senior catcher Randel Leahy to cut down a steal attempt from designated player Nicole Bowman in the second. Then, in the fourth, a lead-off Nicolette Anico single was wiped out on a perfectly-turned 6-4-3 double play with sophomore shortstop Kaitlyn Slack, Jefferson and sophomore first baseman Malory Schattle combining.

The Longhorns doubled their advantage in the bottom of the fourth to make it 2-0. A lead-off error on a dropped fly ball to right off Ellsworth's bat allowed the Georgetown, Texas, native the opportunity to race all the way around to third. Following a pair of outs, Tedder stepped into the box with a chance for a big two-out RBI and delivered on a single to center.

The best threat of the game for RU came in the top of the fifth as a UT infield miscue and a two-out walk put two Scarlet Knights aboard. Head coach Jay Nelson summoned pinch hitter Allie Yoffee off the bench facing a big spot, but von Sprecken got her swinging for the hurler's fourth K of the contest.

From there, Texas committed a sixth-inning fielding error and von Sprecken allowed a seventh-inning, two-out single to third baseman Anyssa Iliopoulos but nothing else as the Yorba Linda, Calif., native finished off her second three-hit shutout of 2018.

vs. No. 15/18 Ole Miss

The nationally-ranked Rebels wasted no time jumping on Wright during the evening's second contest, getting to the redshirt junior hurler in the top of the first to the tune of a lead-off Kylan Becker single and three walks to force in a run for a 1-0 advantage. Wright eventually managed to strikeout the side in the frame, but not before UM sent seven batters to the plate.

Jefferson opened Texas' half of the first with a lead-off single to left field before eventually getting caught stealing to clear the basepaths.

Ole Miss added another in the second on a Becker RBI single and put up three more in the third on first baseman Alex Schneider's RBI double and shortstop Ally Mena's two-RBI single.

Meanwhile, UM starter Kaitlin Lee was keeping the Texas bats in check, allowing a single in each of the three innings but allowing only Hayter to advance as far as second base.

The lead could have been even more in the top of the fourth as Ole Miss' Schneider blasted a ball to deep left. Sophomore Kaitlyn Washington raced back and crashed into the temporary fencing while making a HR-robbing catch. The ball even popped up out of her glove briefly before settling back into the leather for a UT "web gem."

Texas got two aboard during the bottom of the fourth as von Sprecken doubled down the left field line and Tedder drew a walk. Lee wouldn't allow the Burnt Orange & White to string anything else together, however, as a bouncer to first left the duo stranded.

The Rebels added single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings on a Paige McKinney RBI single, a Mena RBI double and a dropped fly ball in the Texas outfield that plated a tally.

The Longhorns finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth against reliever Morgan Bruce as Hayter started the frame with a perfect slap single to the left of the circle. A wild pitch moved UT's speedster all the way around to third where she soon scored on a Schick fielder's choice chopper to second.

With one last opportunity to claw back into the contest, Texas continued to fight, loading the bases on Hayter's third hit, a Schattle base knock to right and a Jefferson walk. Ole Miss reliever Elisha Jahnke soon uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Hayter the chance to scamper home and make it 8-2. That was all the Horns could string together, though, as a fielder's choice and a strikeout ended the contest.