No. 16 Softball finishes perfect Saturday with a 7-2 win over Northwestern State

Saturday, February 9

Austin, Texas

3:30 p.m. CT

University of Texas

3-0

Northwestern State

1-1

Northwestern State

Texas

No. 16 Softball finishes perfect Saturday with a 7-2 win over Northwestern State

02.09.2019 | Softball

Box Score

This marks the first time Texas won three games in a single day in 23 years of Longhorns softball history

AUSTIN, Texas – A five-run, fourth-inning outburst proved plenty for No. 16 Texas softball (3-0) on Saturday evening at Red & Charline McCombs Field as the Longhorns completed a perfect Saturday with a 7-2 victory over Northwestern State (1-1).

With the win, UT managed to win three games in a single day for the first time in 23 years of program history. On the three previous occasions that the Horns played three times in a single day (Feb. 14, 1998; March 5, 1998; Feb. 13, 1999), Texas went 2-1.

During Saturday's three contests, the Texas offense batted .391 overall with 27 hits, including eight doubles, while out-scoring the opposition, 23-2.

UT was led at the plate by redshirt junior center fielder Reagan Hathaway as the Lenexa, Kan., native went 2-for-4 with two doubles and three RBIs. Senior right fielder Bekah Alcozer went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a RBI, sophomore transfer Mary Iakopo went 1-for-1 off the bench with two RBIs and sophomore designated player MK Tedder went 1-for-3 with a run and a RBI.

In the circle for the Longhorns, sophomore pitcher Ariana Adams picked up her first collegiate win by allowing one unearned run on three hits with a walk and three strikeouts over 4.0 innings. Senior Brooke Bolinger earned a three-inning save after permitting one run on one hit with three walks and six strikeouts.

Consecutive inning-opening singles from center fielder Hayley Barbazon and second baseman Cayla Jones got Northwestern State in immediate business during the top of the first. With one down after a K, NSU first baseman Riley Cantrell hit a bouncer that was thrown away to first. The miscue allowed Barbazon the chance to score easily from 60 feet away to give the Lady Demons a quick 1-0 lead.

A two-out Northwestern State error, on a play that should have ended the bottom of the third, instead opened the door for the Longhorns to tie the game. Senior left fielder Ki'Audra Hayter reached on a throwing miscue to first, swiped second and raced around on Hathaway's RBI double off the right field wall to make it 1-1.

Singles from junior catcher Taylor Ellsworth and Alcozer put two more aboard with two down for the Longhorns in the bottom of the fourth. Tedder stepped to the dish facing a big spot and delivered a RBI single to left as Texas grabbed its first advantage of the game at 2-1. From there, a Iakopo two-RBI single and a two-run Hathaway double to the wall in left center expanded UT's lead to a commanding 6-1.

Northwestern State refused to quit fighting, however, cutting the deficit to 6-2 as a two-out Bolinger walk was cashed in on first baseman Riley Cantrell's RBI triple to left.

With Texas looking to answer right back during its half of the fifth, junior first baseman Kaitlyn Washington started off the frame by blasting a two-bagger off the wall in left. An error and an Elicia Espinosa walk loaded the bases with still no one out. Alcozer came to the dish and extended the lead back to five runs on a RBI base knock to left.

Down to their final three outs in the seventh, the Lady Demons drew a one-out walk, but that was all as Bolinger finished off the game on a fly ball and her sixth strikeout.