Softball completes its Big 12-opening sweep of Kansas, 3-0

Sunday, March 25

Austin, Texas

11 a.m.

University of Texas

16-13, 3-0

Kansas

23-10, 0-3

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

Softball completes its Big 12-opening sweep of Kansas, 3-0

03.25.2018 | Softball

Box Score

Junior Brooke Bolinger and redshirt junior Erica Wright combined on a four-hit shutout

AUSTIN, Texas – On Sunday afternoon at Red & Charline McCombs Field, Texas softball (16-13, 3-0 Big 12 Conference) got key RBIs from junior right fielder Bekah Alcozer and sophomore first baseman Malory Schattle and another strong combined pitching effort to complete a league-opening, three-game sweep of Kansas (23-10, 0-3 Big 12 Conference), 3-0.

With the sweep, the Burnt Orange & White opened the league campaign at a perfect 3-0 for the 11th time in program history and for the first time since sweeping Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., back in 2015. UT's current four-game winning streak marks its longest of the season and the first since UT won four straight contests from April 26-May 3, 2017.

In the circle for the Longhorns, junior Brooke Bolinger improved to 6-4 overall by allowing three hits, walking two and striking out five over five shutout innings. Redshirt junior Erica Wright struck out four and allowed just a bunt single, over two frames of relief, in earning her fourth save of 2018.

Alcozer led Texas at the plate by going 1-for-3 with a key two-run double in the third inning, while Schattle (1-for-3) provided the Horns with valuable insurance during the sixth inning on a RBI bloop single to center.

"(A sweep) feels tremendous," Texas head coach Connie Clark said. "With as much work as we've put in with strength of schedule and being close in some games and coming to work real hard this week at practice. We put in a ton of swings and worked to get confidence back in our offensive game. It worked tremendously, and quite honestly, it's great that we kind of had to reset today. (Kansas') pitcher, that threw at us Friday, showed us a little more spin today, and we had to make another adjustment mid-game. Obviously, it was a little tight, but I'm proud of the fact that we pulled the momentum back on our side based on a couple of defensive opportunities that we had and forced. The pick play and the double play – those were huge for us."

Each team missed a golden opportunity to grab a first-inning lead during Sunday's series finale. Kansas registered a single and a double to station a pair in scoring position with two down before leaving the duo stranded on a groundout, while Texas loaded the bases on a pair of walks and an error before suffering consecutive strikeouts to end the threat.

The Jayhawks managed to get the leadoff on via walk to begin the top of the second. That's when Texas' defense made the first of several big plays in the contest. Shortstop Shelby Gayre hit a shot up the middle that was tracked down by her UT counterpart Kaitlyn Slack. The sophomore infielder quickly stepped on second and fired a strike to Schattle at first for a momentum-killing double play.

The Longhorns got on the board hit-wise against Kansas starter Andie Formby with one down in the bottom of the third as senior designated player Paige von Sprecken battled over a nine-pitch at-bat before beating out a high bouncer to third for a single. With two on the base paths following a Taylor Ellsworth walk, Alcozer delivered a big two-out hit, blasting a two-RBI double to the wall in right center to grant Texas a 2-0 lead.

Kansas designated player Jessie Roane broke up a string of five straight retired by Bolinger by blooping a two-out single down the left field line in the fourth. With the runner in scoring position following a wild pitch, Ellsworth caught Roane taking too big of a lead off second and fired a strike to Janae Jefferson for the tag and an inning-ending pick-off.

The decision was made to summon Wright out of the bullpen starting the top of the sixth inning with the top of Kansas' order coming up. The Huntington, Texas, native worked her way into some trouble as KU center fielder Brittany Jackson beat out a bunt single, catcher Harli Ridling was hit by a pitch and first baseman Tarin Travieso reached with two outs on a catcher's interference call to load the bases. Wright wouldn't let the Jayhawks break up the shutout, however, as the redshirt junior hurler got Roane swinging to leave the KU trio stranded.

With UT having escaped the big jam in the top half, the Longhorns offense manufactured a valuable insurance run during the bottom of the sixth. Washington got everything started by driving a triple down the right field line into the corner to christen the frame. Schattle stepped into the box and quickly improved UT's advantage to 3-0 on a RBI bloop single to shallow center.

Kansas wouldn't threaten again as Wright set down the bottom three in the Jayhawks line-up in the seventh to seal the sweep.