The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
No. 11 Softball rolls past Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 7-1
03.13.2019 | Softball
The Longhorns played 17-of-21 available roster players during the victory
AUSTIN, Texas – On Wednesday night at Red & Charline McCombs Field, No. 11/13 Texas softball (22-5) banged out nine hits and got a combined one-hitter from junior Miranda Elish and senior Brooke Bolinger to climb back in the "W" column with a 7-1 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Important Notes
- By striking out 11 Islanders, the occurrence marked the ninth time this season that the Texas pitching staff has struck out at least 10 batters in a single game.
- Elish (worked the first 4.0 innings) and Bolinger combined to take a no-hitter 5.1 innings before losing it on a one-out Keagan Helson double in the top of the sixth.
- Texas added to its remarkable offensive output in the fourth inning this season, scoring three times to raise its run total in the frame to 52. UT has now outscored opponents during the fourth frame, 52-7, while the 52 runs represent 30% of the Longhorns 173-run total.
Major Players
Junior left fielder Kaitlyn Washington (2-for-2, run, double) and freshman shortstop McKenzie Parker (1-for-2) led the offense with two RBIs each, while redshirt junior center fielder Reagan Hathaway was 1-for-2 with a run, her first triple and a RBI. Sophomore right fielder MK Tedder was credited with a RBI on a sixth-inning sacrifice fly.
In the Circle
As the starter, Elish improved to 6-3 after allowing one earned run with two walks and eight strikeouts over 4.0 no-hit innings. Bolinger picked up her third save of 2019 after allowing one hit, walking one and K'ing three in 3.0 scoreless frames of relief.
The Details
Consecutive walks to open the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi second came back to hurt the Longhorns as the Islanders secured a quick 1-0 advantage. With two in scoring position following the free passes and a sac bunt, pinch hitter Sammi Thomas hit a bouncer to second. Sophomore Janae Jefferson fielded the ball and made a strong throw home, but a tag was judged just late as center fielder Whitney Wendel scored.
Trying to answer right back in the bottom of the second, Texas used a Shannon Rhodes leadoff walk and stolen base and a Elish hit-by-pitch to station two base runners aboard with one out. Washington then delivered the clutch hit by blooping a RBI single just in front of on-rushing Islander right fielder Ashley Moss, plating Rhodes to even the contest at 1-1.
The Burnt Orange & White jumped to the lead during the bottom of the third. A Ki'Audra Hayter leadoff single and stolen base were quickly cashed in by Hathaway as the Lenexa, Kan., native lined a RBI triple down the right field line. A two-out wild pitch soon scored Hathaway from 60 feet away to make it 3-1.
With the first two Longhorns on in the bottom of the fourth, via Lauren Burke hit-by-pitch and a Elish base knock, Texas blew the game wide open. First, Washington launched a RBI double off the wall in left to boost UT in front by three runs. Parker soon followed with a two-RBI single through the left side as the Horns nabbed a 6-1 advantage.
The Islanders broke up the combined no-hit bid after 5.1 innings as pinch hitter Keagan Helson blasted a one-out double off the wall in left. In her second inning of relief work, Bolinger quickly rebounded from the hit by inducing a fly out to center and a groundout to third.
A sixth-inning Kaitlyn Slack leadoff single, a stolen base, a wild pitch and a Tedder sacrifice fly to center finalized the Texas offensive output at seven tallies.
Bolinger then wasted no time setting down Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in order in the top of the seventh to conclude the UT triumph.
