No. 11 Softball blanks BYU on Saturday, 3-0

Saturday, March 16

Knoxville, Tennessee

11 a.m. CT

University of Texas

24-6

BYU

10-14

BYU

Texas

03.16.2019 | Softball

Box Score

Senior Brooke Bolinger and junior Miranda Elish combined for Texas’ 10th shutout of the season

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – A combined shutout from senior starter Brooke Bolinger and junior reliever Miranda Elish helped No. 11/13 Texas softball (24-6) knock off BYU on Saturday afternoon in Tennessee Invitational action at Lee Softball Stadium, 3-0.

Important Notes

With Elish's two innings of relief, the Texas pitching staff now has six saves this season. That's tied for the fourth-most saves in one season in program history and is just two from equaling the 2002 & 2018 squads for the school single-season record (eight).
All three of Texas' RBIs against BYU came with two-outs, giving the Longhorns 78 two-out RBIs this season. In all, 45% of the Burnt Orange & White's total RBIs have come with two down in a frame.
Through three games of the Tennessee Invitational, Texas' offense is batting .386 overall with 14 extra-base hits. With seven doubles during the event, the Longhorns now have 59 doubles over 30 games this season and are now just 27 from equaling the 2012 squad's school record of 86.

Major Players

Junior second baseman Kaitlyn Slack went 2-for-3 with her fourth double of the season, a run scored and a RBI, while redshirt junior center fielder Reagan Hathaway was 2-for-4 with a RBI. Sophomore first baseman Lauren Burke added her team-leading 22nd RBI of the year on a bases-loaded walk in the second.

In the Circle

Bolinger improved to 6-2 overall after striking out 10 and walking one over 5.0 one-hit innings of work. Elish picked up her second save by permitting one hit, walking one and striking out three in 2.0 frames of relief.

The Details

After leaving two stranded in the first, the Longhorns put together a two-out rally in the bottom of the second to nab the advantage. With a pair aboard on consecutive two-out singles from Slack and senior right fielder Ki'Audra Hayter, Hathaway ripped a 3-2 pitch up the middle to plate Slack for a 1-0 lead. From there, back-to-back walks to sophomore catcher Mary Iakopo and Burke forced in another run to make it 2-0.

Texas got back to two-out offensive work again in the bottom of the third as freshman shortstop McKenzie Parker and Slack registered consecutive doubles to boost the gap to 3-0.

Meanwhile, in the circle for the Burnt Orange & White, Bolinger had struck out nine Cougars over four no-hit innings of work.

BYU eventually broke up Bolinger's no-hit bid with two down in the top of the fifth as shortstop Marissa Chavez hit a double into the right center gap. UT's senior left-hander bounced right back, however, by catching center fielder Brooke Vander Heide looking at a called strike three for the hurler's 10th strikeout of the game.

With Elish on in relief, BYU loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the sixth on a Rylee Jensen double to left center, a walk and a two-out Texas fielding error. UT's junior reliever battled her way of the jam by inducing an inning-ending groundout to second as the Cougars missed a huge chance to get back in the game.

That proved the last gasp for BYU as Elish rolled through the top of the seventh in order to record her second save of 2019.