No. 9 Softball run-rules Texas Southern, 8-0 (5 inn.)

Friday, March 8

Austin, Texas

4:30 p.m. CT

University of Texas

19-3

Texas Southern

2-15

Texas Southern

Texas

No. 9 Softball run-rules Texas Southern, 8-0 (5 inn.)

03.08.2019 | Softball

Box Score

The UT pitchers haven’t allowed an earned run at home over the last 38 innings (parts of seven games)

AUSTIN, Texas – Make it 38 consecutive innings at home without allowing an earned run as No. 9/10 Texas softball (19-3) opened its Longhorn Invitational on Friday evening at Red & Charline McCombs Field with an 8-0 (5 inn.) rout of Texas Southern.

Important Notes

Texas' offense extended its streak of innings with at least two base runners to 15 after putting at least two on during the first, second and third frames against the Lady Tigers. The streak also included the final three innings of last Sunday's game at No. 15/17 Arizona State and all nine UT at-bats during Wednesday's doubleheader sweep of Longwood.
Texas' pitchers haven't allowed an earned run at McCombs Field since the fourth inning of a 3-2 victory over Ole Miss back on Feb. 23. That includes parts of seven straight games and a streak of 38 consecutive innings.
This marked Texas' 11th run-rule victory in 22 games this season. UT managed just five run-rule triumphs during all of the 2018 season.
The Longhorns kept on pace to break the school single-season doubles record (86 in 2012) with three more against the Lady Tigers. UT now has 43 doubles this season for a 1.95 doubles-per-game pace.
Six of Texas' seven RBIs in the win over Texas Southern came with two retired in an inning. That means that the Longhorns have now knocked in 70-of-139 total RBIs (50.4%) this season with two outs.

Major Players

Sophomore catcher Lauren Burke led the charge at the plate for the Longhorns by going 2-for-4 with her fifth double and three RBIs. Redshirt junior left fielder Reagan Hathaway was 2-for-3 from the leadoff spot in the order with her Big 12 Conference-leading 10th double, two runs scored, a walk, two stolen bases and a RBI. Junior center fielder Shannon Rhodes extended her streak of consecutive games reaching base to a team-leading 14 by going 1-for-1 with her fourth double and two RBIs. Junior shortstop Kaitlyn Slack added a 1-for-1 effort with two runs scored and a RBI.

In the Circle

Sophomore right hander Ariana Adams improved to 4-0 overall by allowing four hits, walking one and striking out two over 5.0 shutout innings.

The Details

The Longhorns speed game got rolling right from the start of the bottom of the first as a Hathaway walk, a Janae Jefferson (1-for-3, run) bunt single and two steals stationed a pair in scoring position to open UT's first at-bat. With one down, a Mariah Youngblood wild pitch plated Hathaway easily from third to boost Texas to a 1-0 advantage. After a Mary Iakopo walk put runners at the corners, the Burnt Orange & White added more two-out damage as Rhodes smoked a two-RBI double down the left field line to make it 3-0.

Another Texas leadoff walk got the Lady Tigers in trouble in the bottom of the second as Slack christened the frame with a free pass. A one-out double to right from Hathaway and a two-out, two-RBI double into the right center gap by Burke staked the Longhorns to a 5-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Adams was in the process of retiring seven straight Lady Tigers from the circle over a stretch from the first through third frames. Left fielder Kelsey Riley got Texas Southern in the hit column for the first time with a two-out single to center in the third. Adams bounced right back to get the next batter on a fly out to right center to leave one stranded.

Two-out walks to Slack and freshman pinch hitter McKenzie Parker got Texas back in business in the bottom of the third. Hathaway took advantage by blooping in a RBI single to right center to make it 6-0.

TSU got a leadoff double from center fielder Tevenae Tate to begin a promising fourth. After a pop-up, Texas got a huge play from emergency catcher Burke as the Eugene, Ore., native gunned down Tate at third for the first caught stealing of her brief catching career. That play proved potentially run-saving as the Lady Tigers got another single before a line out to left concluded the frame with no scoring.

The end came quickly in the bottom of the fifth as a leadoff Tuesday DerMargosian walk, a failed fielder's choice attempt and RBI singles from Slack and Burke wrapped up an 8-0 (5 inn.) triumph.