No. 11 Softball wins fifth in a row with 2-0 shutout of Tulsa

Saturday, February 23

Austin, Texas

3:30 p.m. CT

University of Texas

11-1

Tulsa

8-5

Tulsa

Texas

No. 11 Softball wins fifth in a row with 2-0 shutout of Tulsa

02.23.2019 | Softball

Box Score

Shealyn O’Leary and Miranda Elish combined on a four-hit blanking of the Golden Hurricane

AUSTIN, Texas – Make it five straight victories for No. 11/10 Texas softball (11-1) as the Longhorns got a combined four-hit shutout from freshman Shealyn O'Leary and junior Miranda Elish to blank Tulsa (8-5) on Saturday afternoon in Texas Invitational action at Red & Charline McCombs Field, 2-0.

Major Players

Leadoff hitter redshirt junior center fielder Reagan Hathaway led the Texas offense by going 2-for-2 with a double and a RBI, while junior third baseman Shannon Rhodes and junior left fielder Kaitlyn Washington each went 1-for-2 with a run scored. Junior shortstop Kaitlyn Slack was also credited with a RBI during UT's two-run second inning.

In the Circle

O'Leary improved to 5-0 to begin her collegiate career by starting and allowing just two hits over 5.0 shutout innings. Elish walked one, struck out a pair and allowed two hits over 2.0 scoreless frames of relief in earning her first Texas save.

With her Saturday effort against Ole Miss and Tulsa, it's believed that O'Leary became the first Texas softball pitcher to win two games in a single day since Blaire Luna defeated Northwestern twice in NCAA Austin Regional action back on May 20, 2012.

The Details

After leaving runners stranded at the corners in the first, the Longhorns broke through with a pair of runs in the second. Rhodes kicked things off with a single to center and moved to third on both a sacrifice bunt and a Kaitlyn Washington single back to the circle. With one down, Slack dropped a perfect bunt for a RBI to make it 1-0. The advantage soon doubled as Hathaway drove a RBI base knock to left center.

Meanwhile, Tulsa's offense managed four combined base runners over the first three frames against O'Leary, including two in the third inning, but UT's rookie starter bore down from the circle to leave them all stranded.

The Golden Hurricane broke a string of eight straight retired by Texas pitching with a Josie Muffley leadoff single against reliever Elish to start the sixth. Tulsa eventually stationed runners at the corners with two out. That set the stage for Texas sophomore catcher Mary Iakopo to show off her arm from behind the plate, as the Carson, Calif., native cut down a runner on a steal attempt to end the threat.

With one final chance to get back in the game in the top of the seventh, the Golden Hurricane got a two-out single from right fielder Jesse Smith, but nothing else as Elish closed out her first career Texas save.