No. 11 Softball uses walk-off RBI single to beat No. 18/21 Kentucky, 4-3

Saturday, February 16

Clearwater, Florida

9 a.m. CT

University of Texas

7-1

#18/21 Kentucky

4-5

Kentucky

Texas

No. 11 Softball uses walk-off RBI single to beat No. 18/21 Kentucky, 4-3

02.16.2019 | Softball

Box Score

Junior first baseman Kaitlyn Washington delivered the clutch walk-off hit with one down in the seventh

CLEARWATER, Fla. – On Saturday morning in St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational action at the Eddie C. Moore Complex, No. 11 Texas Softball (7-1) got a clutch, walk-off RBI single from junior first baseman Kaitlyn Washington with one out in the bottom of the seventh to complete a late rally and down No. 18/21 Kentucky (4-5), 4-3.

Trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth, the Longhorns got a key two-run double off the bat of junior pitcher Miranda Elish to take a brief lead at 3-2. After UK tied things up on a solo HR in the top of the seventh, consecutive hits from redshirt junior center fielder Reagan Hathaway, sophomore second baseman Janae Jefferson and Washington finished off the thrilling victory.

The Burnt Orange & White offense managed nine total hits in the match-up led by 2-for-4 efforts from both Hathaway and Jefferson. Elish was 1-for-3 with a double and two RBIs, while Washington was 1-for-4 with the walk-off RBI. Senior right fielder Bekah Alcozer got the Horns on the board on a RBI triple to deep center in the second.

In the circle for the Horns, senior Brooke Bolinger (2-1) earned the win by tossing a single inning of perfect relief. Elish started the contest, allowing one earned run on five hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts over 6.0 frames of effort.

After the pitchers controlled the early going, Texas struck first off Kentucky's Grace Baalman in the bottom of the second. Sophomore catcher Mary Iakopo kicked off the rally by battling to a full count before chopping a single up the middle. With a UT base runner at second following a groundout, Alcozer lifted a high fly ball to center that turned UK's Kayla Kowalik completely around before dropping near the fence for a RBI triple to make it 1-0.

Kentucky answered right back in the top of the third with the benefit of a crucial UT fielding error that led to two unearned runs. Kowalik reached on the infield miscue and stole second to get into scoring position. A RBI double from catcher Jenny Schaper, on a blooper that dropped just inside the chalk down the right field line, and a RBI single from third baseman Abbey Cheek staked the Wildcats to a 2-1 advantage.

Texas got another promising outburst going in the bottom of the third as the Longhorns got a Hathaway leadoff double and a failed fielder's choice off Jefferson's bat to put two aboard with no outs. Unfortunately for the Horns, a bouncer to third started a double play, and a sliding catch in foul ground down the left field line ended UT's once promising frame with no scoring.

The two pitchers dueled for a stretch until Texas put two on base with one retired in the bottom of the sixth via a UK error and a Lauren Burke infield single. Iakopo battled over nine pitches to draw a key walk that packed the bags full of Longhorns. Elish stepped into the batter's box and helped her own cause by driving a two-RBI double the other way down into the left field corner to hand the Horns back the lead at 3-2.

The advantage lasted just one batter as Kentucky first baseman Mallory Peyton christened the top of the seventh with a solo HR to left to dead-lock the score at 3-3. Bolinger was eventually summoned out of the bullpen with a runner at first and retired the next three in order to limit the damage.

That relief work proved vital as Texas strung together a winning rally with one out in the bottom of the seventh. Consecutive singles from Hathaway and Jefferson set the stage for Washington as the Humble, Texas, native strode to the plate and chopped a base knock through the right side to plate the winning run in a 4-3 final.