Softball secures series victory over Texas Tech with 3-0 win

Saturday, April 14

Austin, Texas

1 p.m.

University of Texas

25-15, 8-0

Texas Tech

21-21, 1-10

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

Softball secures series victory over Texas Tech with 3-0 win

04.14.2018 | Softball

Box Score

Senior pitcher Paige von Sprecken tossed a two-hitter while striking out seven Red Raiders

AUSTIN, Texas – On a gorgeous Saturday afternoon in front of the largest McCombs Field crowd of the season (1,093), Texas softball (25-15, 8-0 Big 12 Conference) got a two-hit shutout from senior pitcher Paige von Sprecken and the first collegiate HR from sophomore first baseman Malory Schattle to blank Texas Tech (21-21, 1-10 Big 12 Conference), 3-0.

With the victory, the Longhorns improved to 8-0 in Big 12 play for the third time in school history and the first time since 2013.

In the circle for the Burnt Orange & White, von Sprecken (10-6) allowed just two hits and struck out seven while not allowing a single Red Raider base runner to reach second. The Yorba Linda, Calif., native also extended her scoreless-inning streak at home to an impressive 23.2 consecutive frames dating back to March 24.

The UT offense cranked out eight hits, led by Schattle's 1-for-2 effort with her first collegiate HR, a two-run shot, and two RBIs. Freshman second baseman Janae Jefferson got things going consistently from her leadoff spot, tying a career-high with three hits during a 3-for-4 effort.

"Good job today by our team," Texas head coach Connie Clark said. "I think the thing that stood out for me most was that it was a shutout. Texas Tech had only been shutout three times this year because they swing the bats well. I thought our defense and Paige did a really outstanding job for us. Paige can be really dominating at times. She established tremendous pitcher's counts today and was ahead the majority of the time, and then was able to get them to swing at her pitch.

"Our crowd was great. We feed off our fans and love to see them turn out in big numbers to support us. Hopefully, we'll see a lot of people at McCombs Field tomorrow, Tuesday against Baylor and next week for 'Senior Weekend' against Oklahoma State."

Despite a strong wind blowing in consistently from left field, it proved to be a long ball in that direction that boosted Texas to a lead in the bottom of the second inning. With junior right fielder Bekah Alcozer on base after getting struck by a pitch to open the frame, Schattle stepped into the box with one down and launched her first career HR to left center directly into the 20-25 mph breeze to grant the Horns a 2-0 advantage.

With von Sprecken cruising in the circle having faced just one over the minimum through three, the Burnt Orange & White offense got back at it during the bottom of the third, putting two aboard as sophomore catcher Taylor Ellsworth reached on an error at short and Alcozer blasted a long single off the wall in right. Alcozer quickly took off and successfully swiped second as TTU catcher Kelcy Leach's throw bounced away into center field. On the errant toss, Ellsworth easily strolled home from 60 feet away to hand Texas a 3-0 lead.

The Red Raiders registered their first base runner since the second inning, with one out in the top of the fifth, as Texas Tech starting pitcher Erin Edmoundson reached on a fielding miscue to break a string of eight straight retired. That was all TTU could get against von Sprecken, however, as UT's starter managed consecutive strikeouts of Leach and third baseman Breanna Russell to end the frame.

Trailing by three heading to the top of the seventh, right fielder Karli Hamilton gave Texas Tech hope by christening the frame with a single up the middle. That hope was short lived, however, as von Sprecken struck out Myamie Thompson before UT's defense finished things off on consecutive fielder's choice plays to second.