No. 9 Softball sweeps its Saturday action at the NCAA Austin Regional

Saturday, May 18

Austin, Texas

3:30 p.m. CT

University of Texas

42-15

Texas A&M

28-27

Texas

Texas A&M

No. 9 Softball sweeps its Saturday action at the NCAA Austin Regional

05.18.2019 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

The Longhorns must now beat Houston twice on Sunday to avoid elimination (3:30 & 6 p.m. CT)

AUSTIN, Texas – With its back against the wall on Saturday in NCAA Austin Regional action in front of 1,405 fans at Red & Charline McCombs Field, No. 9 Texas softball (43-15) staved off elimination by knocking off both in-state rival Texas A&M (3-2, 8 inn.) and Sam Houston State (3-0) to advance on to "Championship Sunday."

Important Notes

Junior pitcher Miranda Elish threw a combined 229 pitches on Saturday while tossing all 15 possible innings.
Elish has never allowed an earned run in her career during NCAA Regional play. She's now gone 34.0 innings without allowing an earned run with 47 total strikeouts over five regional appearances from 2017-19.
Elish also struck out 10 batters in both wins over the Aggies and Bearkats. She's now reached double-digits in strikeouts 10 times in 2019.
Freshman McKenzie Parker's second-inning double against Texas A&M was the 87th of the season for the Longhorns. That broke the previous single-season school record of 86 set by UT's 2012 squad.
On Saturday, junior third baseman Shannon Rhodes homered in consecutive games for the third time this season. She previously performed the feat against California and Florida Atlantic (Feb 14-15) and at Texas Tech (April 6-7).

Major Players

Against Texas A&M: Rhodes was 2-for-3 with a two-run HR and two RBIs, while sophomore second baseman Janae Jefferson and redshirt junior Reagan Hathaway both went 2-for-4.

Against Sam Houston State: Rhodes blasted her seventh HR (second of the day) as part of a 2-for-3, two-RBI effort. Sophomore catcher Mary Iakopo knocked in the other run while going 1-for-2 at the dish.

In the Circle

Elish (16-9) picked up both wins in the circle on Saturday, christening her day by allowing no earned runs on six hits with two walks and 10 K's in the victory over Texas A&M. In the nightcap, the Crown Point, Ind., native struck out 10 and walked none while firing a one-hit shutout.

The Details

vs. Texas A&M

Two crucial errors led to an unearned run that boosted Texas A&M to a 1-0 lead after one complete. With Aggie leadoff hitter Kelbi Fortenberry in scoring position after a walk and a stolen base, a misplay on the UT infield stationed runners at the corners with one out. Texas catcher Mary Iakopo tried to pick Fortenberry off third, but her throw escaped down the line to bring home the game's first tally.

The A&M lead lasted just a few minutes thanks to a two-out Longhorns outburst in the top of the second. Parker got things started by driving a double to left center. That set the stage for Rhodes as the Fort Worth, Texas, product crushed a two-run HR down the left field line to boost UT in front, 2-1.

The Aggies threatened in a major way during the bottom of the fifth as first baseman Kelly Martinez opened the inning with a double. She moved to third on a bunt single from center fielder Kelbi Fortenberry as A&M boasted runners at the corners with still no outs. Second baseman Kayla Garcia was called upon to drop a bunt, but popped it up as Rhodes charged in for a big catch. A foul out outside of first and Elish's eighth K of the afternoon left two on as Texas A&M's left stranded count rose to six.

Facing their last at-bat, the Aggies put the potential tying run on in the bottom of the seventh as left fielder Blake-Ann Fritsch led off the frame with a double to right center. Texas eventually clawed within one out of victory, but a possible inning-ending grounder was thrown wide of first for an error allowing Texas A&M to plate the game-tying run and even things up at 2-2.

Texas refused to quit as Jefferson ignited another outburst in the top of the eighth with a double to left center. Hathaway stepped to the dish and dropped a bunt out in front of the plate for a hit. The ball was fielded but thrown wide of first and down the line as Jefferson raced around for a 3-2 advantage.

Forced to try to rally again, Texas A&M couldn't manufacture another comeback in the bottom half. The Aggies did manage a one-out single, but nothing else as consecutive pop-ups ended the Longhorns victory.

vs. Sam Houston State

In the nightcap, Texas wasted no time manufacturing a run in the top of the first. Sophomore first baseman Lauren Burke kicked off the frame with a walk, moved up two bases on a groundout and a Hathaway single to right center and raced home to score on an Iakopo RBI bouncer to short.

Sam Houston State got a one-out bunt single out of shortstop Tiffany Thompson during the bottom of the first, but little else against Elish as the UT hurler would go on from there to retire 18 straight Bearkats until hitting a batter in the bottom of the seventh.

The Longhorns managed base runners in the second and third innings, but couldn't get on the board again until the sixth. That's when a Hathaway leadoff walk was cashed in on a towering Rhodes two-run shot to left center to boost the Texas advantage to 3-0.

That was all Elish would need as the right hander worked around the hit batter in the seventh with her 10th K, a fly out to center and a fielder's choice play to second.