No. 9 Softball wins eighth straight with 5-1 victory over Wisconsin

Friday, March 1

Tempe, Arizona

1 p.m. CT

University of Texas

14-1

#RV Wisconsin

14-2

Texas

Wisconsin

No. 9 Softball wins eighth straight with 5-1 victory over Wisconsin

03.01.2019 | Softball

Box Score

Texas’ Bekah Alcozer and Miranda Elish blasted back-to-back HR’s during the third inning

TEMPE, Ariz. – Make it eight straight victories for No. 9/10 Texas softball (14-1) as the Longhorns got back-to-back HR's from senior right fielder Bekah Alcozer and junior designated player Miranda Elish, to back a complete game four-hitter from senior Brooke Bolinger, to knock-off Wisconsin (14-2) in Friday's Sun Devil Classic opener, 5-1.

Team Notes

During the third inning, Texas blasted back-to-back HR's for the first time since Feb. 9, 2018, in Texas Classic action at home against Wisconsin. In an amazing coincidence, Reagan Hathaway and Taylor Ellsworth hit those consecutive HR's off the same Badger pitcher that was victimized by the Horns on Friday in Tempe, Kaitlyn Menz.
With the victory, Texas has now won a season-high eight straight games. That's the longest winning streak for the Horns since triumphing in 12 straight to begin the 2016 campaign.
Texas has proven very dangerous with two outs this season, registering four more two-out RBIs in the win over Wisconsin. That gives Texas a staggering 44 two-out RBIs this season, 50% of UT's overall RBI output (88).

Major Players

Alcozer was 2-for-4 with a double, her first HR of 2019, two runs scored and two RBIs, while Elish was 2-for-3 with a double and a solo HR (her second). Senior left fielder Ki'Audra Hayter was 1-for-3 with a RBI triple, while sophomore first baseman Lauren Burke knocked in a run on a sacrifice fly.

In the Circle

Bolinger (3-1) tossed a complete-game, scattering four hits, allowing one earned run, walking one and striking out a season-high 10.

The Details

After leaving a pair stranded in the top of the first, the Longhorns got on the board against Wisconsin's Menz in the second. Alcozer got things underway by driving a leadoff double to the wall in left. Stationed within 60 feet of pay dirt after a K and a groundout, she quickly raced home to score as Hayter ripped a RBI triple past second and to the wall in right center to make it 1-0.

With Bolinger settling in from the circle, having retired five straight through two complete, the Burnt Orange & White offense erupted in the top of the third. Consecutive singles from sophomore second baseman Janae Jefferson and junior third baseman Shannon Rhodes got the Longhorns off to a promising start, and sophomore catcher Mary Iakopo sacrificed both runners up 60 feet into scoring position. That set the stage for the UT fireworks to begin as Burke launched a sacrifice fly to left for a 2-0 lead. From there, Alcozer crushed a two-run HR down the left field line, and Elish made it back-to-back jacks on a solo shot to center as the advantage expanded to 5-0.

Wisconsin finally managed its first hit with two down in the bottom of the fifth as shortstop Lauren Foster dropped a single just in front of a charging Reagan Hathaway in right center. Bolinger responded to the hit in style, however, by ending the frame on her eighth strikeout.

The Texas shutout finally ended with two down in the bottom of the sixth as UW first baseman Kayla Konwent hit a solo HR to left to cut the deficit to 5-1.

Down to their last three outs to try to get back in the contest, the Badgers managed a two-out single to deep short, but that was it as Bolinger struck out her 10th to end the contest.