Softball falls on Saturday at No. 3 Oklahoma, 7-1

Saturday, April 28

Norman, Okla.

1 p.m.

University of Texas

28-20, 0

#3 Oklahoma

43-3, 0

Texas

Oklahoma

Softball falls on Saturday at No. 3 Oklahoma, 7-1

04.28.2018 | Softball

Box Score

Three Texas defensive miscues led to three unearned OU runs over the first five innings

NORMAN, Okla. – More missed scoring chances and three uncharacteristic defensive miscues doomed Texas softball (28-20, 10-5 Big 12 Conference) on Saturday in front of 1,696 fans at the OU Softball Complex as No. 3 Oklahoma (43-3, 14-0 Big 12 Conference) rallied back from an early one-run deficit with three unearned runs before a sixth-inning grand slam sealed a 7-1 victory over the Longhorns.

UT's offense out-hit the powerful Sooner attack, 5-3, but left six runners stranded, including four over the opening two frames, against a combination of starter Mariah Lopez and reliever Paige Lowary.

Freshman second baseman Janae Jefferson (1-for-3, walk) managed a first-inning single to extend her hitting streak to a career-best 11 games. The Humble, Texas, native has now reached base safely in all 15 Big 12 contests this season and maintained her league-leading batting average (counting Big 12 games only) at .551 overall.

Sophomore catcher Taylor Ellsworth (1-for-2, run, walk, HR, RBI) provided the big blow for the Longhorns, blasting her fifth HR of the season in the third inning to grant UT a brief, 1-0 advantage. Senior right fielder Randel Leahy, sophomore left fielder Kaitlyn Washington and junior center fielder Kay Kay Hayter all went 1-for-3 at the dish.

In the circle, senior Paige von Sprecken (10-9) suffered a tough loss in a complete-game effort, allowing four earned runs on just three hits with five walks and three strikeouts.

Jefferson led off Saturday's contest exactly the same way she did on Friday with a leadoff single, extending her streak of reaching base safely in Big 12 match-ups to 15 consecutive games. With the rookie speedster in scoring position and two down, Ellsworth joined her teammate on the base paths via walk. Unfortunately for the Longhorns, the pair were left stranded on a strikeout.

The theme of missed opportunities continued for UT into the top of the second as singles from Washington and Hayter stationed a pair aboard for the Burnt Orange & White with two outs. Oklahoma starter Mariah Lopez again wiggled out of danger by inducing a fly out to left to end the frame.

Meanwhile, von Sprecken was in control of the dangerous Sooner line-up through the opening two frames, retiring all six batters she faced with a strikeout.

The Longhorns finally struck with two down in the top of the third as Ellsworth launched an 0-1 pitch deep over the left field wall for her fifth HR of the season to grant Texas a 1-0 lead.

Oklahoma finally managed its first base runner with one out in the bottom of the third as catcher Lea Wodach reached on an error. That miscue opened the door for the Sooners as second baseman Eliyah Flores ricocheted OU's first hit of the day off von Sprecken's leg and into center to place runners at the corners. Second baseman Sydney Romero stepped into the box and chopped a ball back to the circle. The bouncer was fielded cleanly by von Sprecken and tossed to the plate, but as Ellsworth was applying the tag on pinch runner Hannah Sparks, the ball popped out of her glove allowing Oklahoma to tie things up at 1-1. With a pair of runners in scoring position, shortstop Caleigh Clifton followed by lifting a tough fly ball down the left field. Her UT counterpart Kaitlyn Slack raced over into foul ground and made a terrific catch before turning and holding OU's runners at second and third. The decision was made to walk Sooner HR leader Jocelyn Alo to get to first baseman Shay Knighten, and the move paid off as Knighten flew out to right to leave the bases loaded.

Things got wilder in the bottom of the fifth after OU's Wodach christened the frame with a walk. Pinch hitter Reagan Rogers dropped what should have been a sacrifice bunt only for Texas' defense to deliver an errant throw to first, stationing Sooners at the corners with no outs. Romero stepped into the box and hit a chopper toward second. Jefferson fielded the ball for the Longhorns and fired to the plate. Unfortunately, her throw forced Ellsworth to dive out to her right to corral the toss. UT's catcher spun around quickly on a knee and dove back towards the plate. Somehow, pinch runner Hannah Sparks managed to dance around a tag attempt to score and hand Oklahoma its first lead of the contest. Knighten followed three batters later with a sacrifice fly to improve OU's advantage to 3-1.

Two walks and a bunt single loaded the bases full of Sooners with one out in the bottom of the sixth. That set the stage for Romero as the OU third baseman hit a grand slam to left to make it 7-1.

With Texas needing a big rally, Oklahoma's Lowary wouldn't permit it as the senior reliever allowed just one base runner over her four innings of work while completing the victory.