No. 11 Softball blanks Lipscomb, 5-0

Monday, March 18

Nashville, Tennessee

5 p.m. CT

University of Texas

26-6

Lipscomb

19-8-1

Texas

Lipscomb

03.18.2019 | Softball

Box Score

Junior pitcher Miranda Elish took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning while striking out 11 Lady Bisons

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – On a chilly Monday evening at Draper Diamond at Smith Stadium, No. 11/13 Texas softball (26-6) got a one-hit shutout and 11 strikeouts from junior pitcher Miranda Elish to blank Lipscomb (19-8-1), 5-0.

Important Notes

Texas is the highest-ranked team to ever play Lipscomb at Draper Diamond at Smith Stadium. UT is currently ninth in the Softball America, No. 11 in the USA Today/NFCA and No. 13 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball polls.
The Longhorns pitching staff has now tossed three consecutive shutouts for the first time since April 28-May 3, 2017, and hasn't allowed a run over its last 21.1 innings of work.
With 11 strikeouts against Lipscomb, Elish has now reached double-digits K's six times in 12 career Texas starts.

Major Players

Sophomore first baseman Lauren Burke was 1-for-3 with a run, her seventh double of the season and two RBIs, while freshman shortstop McKenzie Parker and junior left fielder Kaitlyn Washington each went 1-for-3 with a RBI. Sophomore catcher Mary Iakopo added a 2-for-3 effort, while junior third baseman Malory Schattle went 1-for-3 with a triple.

In the Circle

Elish (7-4) took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning before settling for a complete-game, one-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts.

The Details

With a pitcher's duel in full effect over the first three innings of play, Texas finally got to Lipscomb starter Mandy Jordan in the top of the fourth.

The fourth-inning outburst started on an Elish hit-by-pitch and an Iakopo single through the right side. With two Longhorns in scoring position, Burke managed the big hit by driving a two-RBI double to the wall in center for a 2-0 lead. Washington followed immediately with a RBI single just inside the chalk down the left field line to extend the UT advantage to 3-0.

Lipscomb finally managed its first base runner on a Texas fielding miscue with two outs in the bottom of the fourth. That was all the Lady Bisons could get against Elish, however, as sophomore Janae Jefferson handled a bouncer to second to leave the runner stranded.

Looking for more, Jefferson got Texas off to a promising start with a leadoff single to left to begin the sixth. After an Elish base knock through the right side, a pair of stolen bases and a Lipscomb throwing error combined to plate another UT run for a 4-0 lead. With Elish stationed at third, Parker made it 5-0 by adding a two-out RBI for the Burnt Orange & White on a single through the left side of the infield.

Elish's no-hit bid was broken up starting the bottom of the seventh as Lipscomb shortstop Peyton Ward hit a double into the left center gap. Catcher Sarah Higgins would add a two-out walk, but that was all that LU could string together off Texas' junior hurler as a bouncer to first completed the one-hit shutout.