Softball completes unbeaten opening day with 5-1 win over Wisconsin

Friday, February 9

Austin, Texas

7 p.m.

University of Texas

2-0

Wisconsin

0-2

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

Softball completes unbeaten opening day with 5-1 win over Wisconsin

02.09.2018 | Softball

Box Score

Texas junior pitcher Brooke Bolinger struck out a career-high 10 during her first UT complete-game effort

AUSTIN, Texas – While dodging raindrops on Friday night at Red & Charline McCombs Field, junior hurler Brooke Bolinger proved masterful from the circle while junior pinch hitter Reagan Hathaway and sophomore catcher Taylor Ellsworth combined on back-to-back, fifth-inning HR's to lead Texas softball (2-0) past Wisconsin (0-2), 5-1.

Bolinger was tremendous in the circle for the Burnt Orange & White, allowing just three hits and striking out a career-high 10 batters during the first complete-game of her Texas career.

The Longhorns offense banged out eight total hits (five extra-base hits) in the contest, led by sophomore left fielder Kaitlyn Washington's 2-for-2, run scored effort. Freshman second baseman Janae Jefferson continued her impressive opening-day debut by going 1-for-3 with a double and a RBI, while rookie third baseman MK Tedder knocked in a single tally on a double. In her return from a 2017 ACL injury, Hathaway (1-for-1, HR, two RBIs) homered on the first pitch she received as a pinch hitter and combined with Ellsworth (1-for-4, HR, RBI) on the first back-to-back HR's for Texas since Hathaway and Celina Felix turned the trick on Feb. 21, 2016, against Toledo at the Houston Hilton Plaza Invitational.

"I think we were a little nervous in a couple of spots in the first part of the first game today," Texas head coach Connie Clark said. "We've talked a lot about how young we are in the infield, and we kicked the ball around a little bit early, but we've talked about the main thing this weekend being how we reset and get to the next pitch. I thought our energy was good. We didn't hang on to (mistakes) and let our defense transfer over to our offense or vice versa. We stayed the course and were persistent, and then some people started to smile and have fun playing the game. It's good to get these first couple under our belt today."

Bolinger worked her way into some early danger during the top of the first by walking Wisconsin second baseman Kelsey Jenkins and shortstop Brooke Wyderski. The Yucaipa, Calif., native battled close to working her way out of the jam, but a 3-2 single through the left side of the infield from third baseman Taylor Johnson handed the Badgers a 1-0 advantage.

The Longhorns managed their initial base runner off UW starter Kaitlyn Menz opening the bottom of the second as senior first baseman Paige von Sprecken reached on a Lauren Foster error at first base. Unfortunately, a pair of groundouts and a strikeout left the Burnt Orange & White runner stranded.

With UT needing a spark, sophomore shortstop Kaitlyn Slack provided it by christening UT's half of the third with a double to the wall in right center. Stationed at third on a perfect Bekah Alcozer sacrifice bunt, the Liberty, Texas, native soon raced home from 60 feet away to knot things up on a Jefferson RBI double to left center.

Meanwhile, in the circle for the Horns, Bolinger had settled into the contest, retiring 10 of the 11 batters she faced over a stretch from the first through the fourth innings.

Texas soon grabbed its first lead of the contest in the bottom of the fourth. With Washington on-base following her clean single up the middle, Tedder launched a RBI double into the right center gap, plating her sophomore teammate all the way from first for a 2-1 lead.

Trying to answer right back, UW got a single, a stolen base and an advance on a long fly out to center to station left fielder Brianna Flugaur within 60 feet of paydirt. That was as far as she would advance, however, as Bolinger registered her eighth strikeout on a K of center fielder Gabby Scherle.

With Alcozer on base on a lead-off single to begin the bottom of the fifth, Texas' offense ignited with one out via the long ball. In her return from a 2017 ACL tear, Hathaway stepped into the box and blasted the first pitch she received inside the right field foul pole to make it 4-1. The crowd had barely settled down before Ellsworth hammered the second pitch she received deep to left for back-to-back HR's and a four-run advantage.

With the Badgers in need of runs in the sixth, Wisconsin's Sydney Lawson managed to lift a blooper to left that dropped just inside the line for a single. Third baseman Taylor Johnson stepped to the dish and hit a fly ball into foul ground to left. Racing over quickly to make a great catch near the fencing was Washington as UW's runner moved up 60 feet into scoring position. Bolinger quickly closed out the inning in style, however, by recording her ninth strikeout of the evening.

An error on UT's infield granted UW some life starting the top of the seventh. With one down after Bolinger's 10th strikeout, Flugaur hit a chopper between the circle and first. Texas' hurler scampered over to corral the ball and tossed up the line towards a covering von Sprecken. The ball ricocheted off the runner and got away as Kelly Welsh raced around to third. The umpires ruled, however, that Flugaur was outside the base line and interfered with the play for an out as Welsh was summoned all the way back around to first. Down to Wisconsin's last out, Jenkins drove a promising fly ball to left. Washington raced to her left, and despite a brief juggle, managed a terrific grab while hitting the turf to end the contest.