No. 11 Softball shuts out No. 15 Texas Tech in series opener, 2-0

Friday, April 5

Lubbock, Texas

3 p.m. CT

University of Texas

33-8, 0

#15 Texas Tech

29-7, 0

Texas

Texas Tech

No. 11 Softball shuts out No. 15 Texas Tech in series opener, 2-0

04.05.2019 | Softball

Box Score

Junior pitcher Miranda Elish scattered five hits while striking out six over a complete-game effort

LUBBOCK, Texas – On Friday afternoon at Rocky Johnson Field, a two-run sixth proved enough offense to back junior Miranda Elish's five-hit shutout as No. 11 Texas softball (33-8, 6-2 Big 12 Conference) opened a key league road series by blanking No. 15 Texas Tech (29-7, 2-5 Big 12 Conference), 2-0.

Important Notes

With today's win, the Longhorns picked up their 33rd victory of the year over just 41 games played, matching UT's win total from each of the last two seasons (33-26 record both years).
Elish has been dominant as of late as the junior hurler owns a 0.60 ERA and a 4-1 mark with five complete games and three solo shutouts over her last seven appearances in the circle. The Crown Point, Ind., native has 49 strikeouts over a stretch of 35 innings while limiting opponents to just a .115 batting average.
Texas improved to a perfect 25-0 this season when scoring first in a contest and 29-1 when the UT pitching staff allows two-or-fewer runs.

Major Players

Junior left fielder Kaitlyn Washington was 1-for-2 at the plate with a RBI, redshirt junior center fielder Reagan Hathaway was 2-for-3 with her Big 12-leading 15th double of the season and sophomore second baseman Janae Jefferson scored a run and was credited with a RBI on a sixth-inning groundout.

In the Circle

Elish (10-5) scattered five hits, walked none and struck out six over 7.0 innings of work in registering her 11th complete game and sixth solo shutout of the season.

The Details

After Texas wasted a leadoff Hathaway double in the top of the first, it was Texas Tech that missed a pair of golden scoring chances during the second and third frames.

The Red Raiders managed to put two on in both the second and third innings, but a fielder's choice (second) and consecutive strikeouts (third) left the TTU base runners stranded.

Neither team seriously threatened against until the top of the sixth as senior right fielder Bekah Alcozer started off the key Texas outburst by drawing a one-out walk. A Hathaway single through the right side moved Alcozer all the way to third as the Longhorns boasted a pair in scoring position. Jefferson stepped into the box and hit a chopper to short, but a throw home by TTU's Taylor Satchell was too late as Hathaway slid home for a 1-0 advantage. With the bases loaded after a two-out Elish walk, Washington was struck by a Missy Zoch pitch to force home another run to make it 2-0.

Texas Tech wouldn't go quietly in the last of the seventh as third baseman Breanna Russell singled through the left side with one out to bring the potential tying run to the plate. Elish would allow nothing else, however, as a strikeout and a bouncer to third clinched UT's shutout victory.