No. 16 Softball blasts past Boise State, 8-0 (5 inn.)

Saturday, February 9

Austin, Texas

1 p.m. CT

University of Texas

2-0

#RV/NR Boise State

1-2

Boise State

Texas

No. 16 Softball blasts past Boise State, 8-0 (5 inn.)

02.09.2019 | Softball

Box Score

Junior transfer pitcher Miranda Elish allowed one hit and faced the minimum in earning her first Texas win

AUSTIN, Texas – No. 16 Texas softball (2-0) continued its winning ways on Saturday afternoon at Red & Charline McCombs Field by utilizing a one-hit shutout from junior transfer pitcher Miranda Elish and a 12-hit offensive onslaught, that included scoring in every inning, to blast past Boise State (1-2), 8-0 (5 inn.).

Elish was strong in her debut for the Longhorns as the Crown Point, Ind., native allowed only a fourth-inning single while facing the minimum of 15 Broncos in the contest.

At the plate, six Texas batters managed RBIs led by junior designated player Taylor Ellsworth's 2-for-3 effort with three RBIs. Redshirt junior Reagan Hathaway (1-for-2, double, two runs, two walks), sophomore transfer catcher Mary Iakopo (1-for-3, double), sophomore pinch hitter MK Tedder (1-for-1, run), junior third baseman Malory Schattle and senior pinch hitter Bekah Alcozer (1-for-1) all managed single RBIs with Alcozer's serving as a walk-off to end things via run-rule.

Junior transfer left fielder Shannon Rhodes went 2-for-3 with a run scored to improve her career average over her first two games at UT to .800 (4-for-5).

Texas' offense roared to life during its opening at-bat against the Broncos, using three hits, a walk and a hit batter to nab a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Hathaway got things started by drawing a lead-off walk, while sophomore second baseman Janae Jefferson stepped to the dish and ripped a base knock through the right side. Unfortunately for the Horns, Hathaway was thrown out trying to advance all the way to third. That didn't slow down the UT assault, however, as junior first baseman Kaitlyn Washington was struck by a one-out pitch, Ellsworth drove in the game's first run on a single through the left side, and Iakopo managed her first Texas hit by blasting a run-scoring double to right.

Rhodes did the heavy lifting in manufacturing a run for the Longhorns during the bottom of the second. After the Fort Worth, Texas, native started the frame with a double to left, she wasted little time swiping third. That set the stage for a perfect one-out sac bunt from Schattle as Rhodes easily scampered home for a 3-0 lead.

With Elish having retired all nine Broncos she had faced from the circle, the Burnt Orange & White put another run on the board in the bottom of the third. A Jefferson leadoff walk and a Washington double to right stationed two Longhorns in scoring position with no one out. Ellsworth stepped into the box and hit a sharp grounder to third that plated Jefferson for a 4-0 advantage.

Boise State right fielder Ashlyn Adams managed the Broncos' first hit, to break a string of 10 straight retired by Elish, with a one-out single up the middle in the fourth. That was all BSU would get, however, as third baseman Bradie Fillmore grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the frame.

A key two-out fielding miscue on Boise State opened the door for the Longhorns to put more on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth. With Hathaway aboard on a walk, a botched Jefferson grounder put two on. Washington walked to load the bases before Ellsworth ripped a RBI single through the middle to make it 5-0.

Consecutive singles opening the bottom of the fifth from sophomore transfer right fielder Lauren Burke (her first Texas hit), Rhodes and Tedder combined for a 6-0 advantage. With only one Texas runner left on base after a rundown, Hathaway soon stretched the gap to seven on a RBI double to left center. From there, Jefferson beat out a bunt single and set the stage for Alcozer to end the game via run-rule with a RBI base knock to right.