The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Boston College
No. 16 Softball rolls past Boston College, 9-1 (5 inn.)
02.10.2019 | Softball
During a 4-0 weekend, Texas batted .378 as a team while out-scoring its four opponents by a 32-3 margin
AUSTIN, Texas – On Sunday afternoon at Red & Charline McCombs Field, an eight-run first inning, highlighted by the first UT homer from sophomore catcher Mary Iakopo, set the tone for No. 16 Texas softball (4-0) as the Longhorns remained perfect in 2019 with a commanding 9-1 (5 inn.) victory over Boston College.
For the weekend, the Burnt Orange & White offense hit .378 overall, out-scored its four opponents by a 32-3 margin and registered 11 extra-base hits. On the flipside, the pitching staff posted a miniscule 0.64 ERA, tossed two one-hit shutouts, allowed just 10 total hits and limited the opposition to a .128 batting average.
In the circle on Sunday for the Longhorns, freshman right-hander Shealyn O'Leary earned her first collegiate pitching victory by allowing just one earned run on four hits with four strikeouts over 4.0 innings of work. Junior hurler Miranda Elish struck out one during a single inning of perfect relief.
Iakopo led the offensive charge by going 1-for-3 with a two-run HR, while redshirt junior center fielder Reagan Hathaway (two runs, two walks), junior first baseman Kaitlyn Washington (run, two walks), junior left fielder Shannon Rhodes and junior third baseman Malory Schattle all knocked in a single run.
Texas' offense got rolling right from its opening at-bat as Hathaway walked, sophomore second baseman Janae Jefferson beat out an infield single to the circle and Washington walked to load the bases with no outs. Rhodes stepped to the dish and handed the Longhorns an early lead on a sacrifice fly to left. From there, the inning got completely out of hand for the Eagles as UT eventually sent 13 batters to the plate. Jefferson raced home to score on a botched throw to second on a steal attempt, Iakopo blasted her first Texas HR to left, Schattle was hit by a pitch and both Hathaway and Washington walked all with the bases loaded to force in runs and a BC wild pitch finalized the early advantage at 8-0.
Boston College got its own rally started in the top of the second as catcher Gianna Boccagno led off the frame with a solo HR down the left field line. The Eagles got two more runners on base via a wild pitch on a third strike and a throwing error, but Texas' defense got out of the inning on a fielder's choice and a pop-up to short.
The Eagles managed to get the leadoff batter on against O'Leary via single in both the third and fourth frames, but couldn't string anything together off the freshman hurler to cut further into the deficit.
After Elish came in to toss a perfect fifth inning for the Horns, the Texas offense quickly finished the win by run-rule. Senior pinch hitter Bekah Alcozer got things started by driving a lead-off single to center and advancing into scoring position on a BC throwing error. Freshman pinch hitter Janna Roberts walked in her first career at-bat, and eventually moved all the way to third on a groundball and an Eagle fielding miscue. With runners stationed at the corners and two down, junior third baseman Shannon Rhodes swiped second as Boston College catcher Boccagno fired her throw into center. That mistake allowed Roberts the opportunity to trot home with the game-ending run.
