Softball’s Clark earns 850th career win in 5-3 victory at Coastal Carolina

Thursday, March 15

Conway, S.C.

5 p.m.

University of Texas

10-11

Coastal Carolina

14-11

Texas

Coastal Carolina

Softball’s Clark earns 850th career win in 5-3 victory at Coastal Carolina

03.15.2018 | Softball

Box Score

Senior first baseman Paige von Sprecken hit a key three-run HR during a fifth-inning rally

CONWAY, S.C. – On Thursday evening at the Coastal Carolina Softball Stadium, senior first baseman Paige von Sprecken blasted a key three-run, fifth-inning HR to help Texas softball (10-11) rally past Coastal Carolina (14-11), 5-3, and earn UT head coach Connie Clark her 850th career victory.

Clark's 850 wins have all come over 22 seasons in charge of the Longhorns varsity program, an average of almost 39 victories per campaign.

At the plate, von Sprecken led the charge by going 1-for-2 with a walk, her second HR of the year and three RBIs. Sophomore shortstop Kaitlyn Slack was 1-for-3 with a RBI, freshman second baseman Janae Jefferson was 1-for-2 with two walks, a stolen base and two runs scored and freshman third baseman MK Tedder registered a RBI via a first-inning sacrifice fly.

In the circle for the Longhorns, redshirt junior Erica Wright improved to 3-2 after allowing three earned runs on four hits with a walk and a strikeout over 4.0 innings. Senior Kristen Clark picked up her first save of the season (third career save) by striking out two during 3.0 frames of one-hit relief.

"(850 wins) means I've been doing this a long time with a lot of great athletes," Texas head coach Connie Clark said. "Most important about tonight was getting back into the win column. That's what we've been focused on a lot since last Wednesday coming into this final stretch before heading into conference. Just the importance of competing with an edge and just continuing to get better while having a little better strike zone awareness. The thing I was most excited about tonight was the number of walks we earned, because that's something we've been keying on."

A Jefferson leadoff walk got Texas' offense started immediately in the top of the first. With the Humble, Texas, native stationed at third following a wild pitch and a groundout, Tedder quickly lifted a sacrifice fly to left to boost the Horns to a 1-0 lead without the benefit of a hit.

With Wright having retired CCU in order during its first at-bat, the Burnt Orange & White got back to work in the second with some Chanticleer assistance. Senior designated player Randel Leahy hit a chopper to third that was fielded cleanly, but the throw to first got away for an error as first baseman Kassidy Smith appeared to trip when trying to locate the bag. That opened the door for Texas to double its advantage as Slack stepped into the box and ripped a RBI single through the right side of the infield, plating Leahy from second for a 2-0 advantage.

Coastal Carolina managed its first hit and base runner of the match-up starting the bottom of the second as Smith blooped a ball just over a diving Slack into left field. Samantha Sack soon added another hit for the Chanticleers as the catcher drove a 2-2 pitch through the right side to put two aboard with still no one retired. Texas almost got out of the jam through its defense on a fielder's choice and a great running catch by DerMargosian in left. Unfortunately for the Horns, designated player Natalie David followed by blasting a three-run shot over the wall in left center to boost CCU in front, 3-2.

Texas utilized speed to get its offense started in the fifth as Jefferson and junior center fielder Kay Kay Hayter began the frame by beating out consecutive bunt singles. With the duo in scoring position following a perfect Tedder sac bunt, the UT offense switched to the long ball as von Sprecken crushed a three-run blast down the LF line to hand the Longhorns back the lead, 5-3.

That proved to be plenty for UT as Clark entered the circle in relief and allowed just a two-out single during the fifth before retiring the last seven Chanticleer batters to seal the two-run win.