The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
12-0
Lipscomb
5-4
No. 4 Softball run-rules Lipscomb to open Texas Invite, 12-0 (5 inn.)
02.21.2020 | Softball
Junior right fielder Lauren Burke went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and finished just a HR short of the cycle
AUSTIN, Texas – On a cold Friday morning in the Texas Invitational opener at Red & Charline McCombs Field, No. 4 Texas softball (12-0) got its offense heated up a major way by banging out seven extra-base hits to blast past Lipscomb (5-4), 12-0 (5 inn.).
Important Notes
- Junior right fielder Lauren Burke went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and finished her outing just a HR short of hitting for the cycle.
- Texas has out-hit all 12 opponents it has faced this season and is 7-0 when scoring in the first inning.
- Texas' pitching staff still hasn't allowed a HR to an opposing batter this season over 71 innings of work.
- At 12-0, Texas has now tied the 2016 Longhorns for the third-best opening to a season in school history.
- Freshman pitcher Courtney Day improved to 3-0 in the circle and hit her third career HR during the third inning. The Pearland, Texas, native's career ERA is still 0.00 through her first 17 collegiate innings of work.
- Texas improved to 2-0 all-time against Lipscomb and has out-scored the Lady Bison all-time, 17-0.
Major Players
Burke (3-for-3, run, double, triple, three RBIs); Day (1-for-1, run, HR, RBI); redshirt junior catcher Taylor Ellsworth (2-for-3, run, two RBIs); senior center fielder Shannon Rhodes (2-for-3, run, double); redshirt senior left fielder Reagan Hathaway (1-for-1, two runs, double, two RBIs)
In the Circle
Day (3-0) earned the win after striking out two in 3.0 one-hit innings of work, while junior Ariana Adams walked one and struck out one over 2.0 hitless frames of relief.
The Details
Texas jumped all over Lipscomb starter Katie Turner in the bottom of the first by plating five runs on four hits while sending nine batters to the plate. With two already in scoring position on a Rhodes leadoff double and a Janae Jefferson walk, sophomore first baseman Colleen Sullivan quickly made it 1-0 on a RBI groundout to third. Ellsworth followed by driving a RBI single up the middle to boost the Texas advantage to 2-0. Lipscomb had a chance to get out of the inning with no further damage, but a Peyton Ward error on senior designated player Miranda Elish's bouncer to short extended the frame. After the miscue, a two-run Hathaway double down into the left field corner and Burke's RBI two-bagger to the wall in left center combined for three unearned runs on the way to a 5-0 lead.
With Day in control from the circle to the tune of one hit allowed over her three innings of work, the Longhorns offense exploded again with five more runs in the bottom of the third. The big blows came on a Burke two-RBI triple to right center, a Day solo HR to left, a McKenzie Parker RBI double to left center and an Ellsworth RBI single through the left side to make it 10-0.
UT added two more in the bottom of the fourth to finalize the count at 12-0. Consecutive singles by Burke and senior shortstop Kaitlyn Slack were cashed in on a RBI base knock from freshman center fielder Alyssa Popelka. After a MK Tedder walk loaded the bases, freshman pinch hitter Grace Green hit into a RBI fielder's choice to score another.
With one last chance to avoid the run-rule, Lipscomb went down in order against reliever Adams in the top of the fifth on a groundout, a fly ball to left and a strikeout.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Day, Courtney (3-0)
L: TURNER (2-1)
Base Running:
SB: WARD 1
Batting:
2B: Rhodes, Shannon 1 ; Parker, McKenzie 1 ; Elish, Miranda 1 ; Hathaway, Reagan 1 ; Burke, Lauren 1
3B: Burke, Lauren 1
HR: Day, Courtney 1
RBI: Popelka, Alyssa 1 ; Green, Grace 1 ; Sullivan, Colleen 1 ; Parker, McKenzie 1 ; Ellsworth, Taylor 2 ; Hathaway, Reagan 2 ; Burke, Lauren 3 ; Day, Courtney 1
SH: Iakopo, Mary 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rhodes, Shannon 1 ; Jefferson, Janae 1 ; Tedder, MK 1 ; Iakopo, Mary 1 ; Ellsworth, Taylor 1 ; Elish, Miranda 1 ; Corona, Camille 1 ; Hathaway, Reagan 2 ; Burke, Lauren 1 ; Slack, Kaitlyn 1 ; Day, Courtney 1
SB: Rhodes, Shannon 1 ; Iakopo, Mary 1
