The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
18-3
Longwood
11-7
No. 9 Softball gets O’Leary no-hitter in 9-1 (5 inn.) win over Longwood
03.06.2019 | Softball
O’Leary’s no-hitter was the first for the Longhorns since Blaire Luna no-hit Florida State on May 26, 2013
AUSTIN, Texas – Freshman pitcher Shealyn O'Leary tossed her first career no-hitter and the 47th in Longhorns history on Wednesday night at Red & Charline McCombs Field to help No. 9/10 Texas softball (18-3) complete a doubleheader sweep of Longwood (11-7), 9-1 (5 inn.).
Important Notes
- O'Leary's no-hitter was the first for the Longhorns program (and 47th all-time) since Blaire Luna no-hit Florida State back on May 26, 2013.
- With the win, O'Leary became the first Longhorns freshman pitcher to ever start her collegiate career at a perfect 6-0.
- O'Leary hasn't allowed an earned run over her last 35.2 innings of work, dating back to the second inning of her collegiate debut against Boston College (Feb. 10), and has allowed only one earned run in her brief career for a Big 12 Conference-leading 0.19 ERA.
- Texas' offense batted .532 during the doubleheader sweep of the Lancers with seven extra-base hits and a 1.356 OPS while out-scoring Longwood, 17-1.
- Brooke Bolinger (won the DH opener) and O'Leary combined to limit Longwood to three hits and a .088 batting average over 10 combined innings from the circle.
Major Players
Sophomore second baseman Janae Jefferson went 2-for-3 with two runs, two doubles and three RBIs (was 5-for-6 combined during the doubleheader). Senior designated player Ki'Audra Hayter was 2-for-2 with a run, a triple (her third of 2019) and a RBI. Junior center fielder Shannon Rhodes was 1-for-3 with a two-run HR (her third of 2019) and two RBIs. Sophomore catcher Lauren Burke was 1-for-3 with two RBIs. Redshirt junior left fielder Reagan Hathaway was 2-for-3 with a run scored, and junior right fielder Kaitlyn Washington was 1-for-2 with a run scored and a RBI.
In the Circle
O'Leary improved to 6-0 after allowing one unearned run during her no-hitter with a walk and two strikeouts over 5.0 innings of work.
The Details
A fielding miscue on the Longhorns infield got the Lancers in business opening the top of the first. Left fielder Jordan Clark followed by dropping a sac bunt out in front of the plate for the first out as third baseman Alexis Wayland took advantage of UT's defense by racing around to third on the play. A Kaylynn Batten RBI groundout to second quickly pushed Longwood in front via an unearned run, 1-0.
As she so often does, Jefferson got Texas' offense started in the bottom of the third by driving a leadoff double to the wall in left and hustling to take third on an errant throw back into the infield. It took just seconds for Burke to tie the score at 1-1 on a RBI groundout to second.
Meanwhile, O'Leary was in firm control from the circle for the Burnt Orange & White, needing just 26 total pitches to get through four innings of work.
Texas got back to it in the bottom of the fourth as junior third baseman Malory Schattle led off the frame with a single through the right side and moved to second on a perfect Kaitlyn Slack sac bunt. With two on after a Hayter free pass, a single down the right field line from Hathaway loaded the bases with one out. That set the stage for an offensive explosion as Jefferson cleared the bags on a three-RBI double to the wall in left center. From there, a Burke RBI groundout, a Washington RBI single and Rhodes' two-run blast to center boosted the Longhorns lead to 8-1 as 10 batters came to the plate during the frame.
With O'Leary having worked her way out of a little trouble in the top of the fifth with two Lancers on via a walk and an error, UT quickly ended the game via run-rule in the bottom half.
Freshman shortstop McKenzie Parker singled to open the Texas fifth and raced all the way around to score the game-ending run as Hayter ripped a RBI triple just inside the first base line and down into the right field corner.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: O'Leary, Shea (6-0)
L: GAY, S. (6-4)
Batting:
RBI: BATTEN, K. 1
SH: CLARK, J. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: WAYLAND, A. 1
Batting:
2B: Jefferson, Janae 2
3B: Hayter, Ki'Audra 1
HR: Rhodes, Shannon 1
RBI: Jefferson, Janae 3 ; Burke, Lauren 2 ; Washington, Kaitlyn 1 ; Rhodes, Shannon 2 ; Hayter, Ki'Audra 1
SH: Slack, Kaitlyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hathaway, Reagan 1 ; Jefferson, Janae 2 ; Iakopo, Mary 1 ; Washington, Kaitlyn 1 ; Rhodes, Shannon 1 ; Schattle, Malory 1 ; Parker, McKenzie 1 ; Hayter, Ki'Audra 1
SB: Burke, Lauren 1
