The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
13-0
North Dakota State
4-7
No. 4 Softball uses big inning to blast North Dakota State, 10-0 (5 inn.).
02.21.2020 | Softball
The Longhorns scored eight runs in the fourth while sending 13 batters to the plate against the Bison
AUSTIN, Texas – On Friday night in Texas Invitational action at Red & Charline McCombs Field, No. 4 Texas softball (13-0) picked up the offense where it left off earlier in the day by using an eight-run fourth inning to crush North Dakota State (4-7), 10-0 (5 inn.).
Important Notes
- At 13-0, Texas has now tied the 2013 Longhorns for the second-best opening to a season in school history (record is 16-0 by the 2003 Longhorns).
- Junior right fielder Lauren Burke went 2-for-3 with a RBI against North Dakota State to boost her Friday overall Texas Invitational totals to 5-for-6 with four RBIs.
- The Longhorns have now scored at least five runs in a single inning 10 times over their first 13 games of 2020.
- Texas has out-hit all 13 opponents it has faced this season and is averaging 10.54 hits-per-contest.
- Texas' pitching staff still hasn't allowed a HR to an opposing batter this season over 76 innings of work.
- Texas improved to 2-0 all-time against North Dakota State and has out-scored the Bison in series history, 13-2.
Major Players
Burke (2-for-3, two runs, RBI); senior left fielder Kaitlyn Washington (2-for-2, run, triple, two RBIs); junior pinch hitter MK Tedder (1-for-2, run, two RBIs); senior center fielder Shannon Rhodes (1-for-2, run, RBI); freshman right fielder Courtney Day (2-for-3, run, two RBIs)
In the Circle
Elish (6-0) allowed just two hits and struck out eight while firing a complete-game, five-inning effort.
The Details
The Longhorns offense got something going with one out in the bottom of the second on consecutive Day and Burke singles. After a NDSU wild pitch moved the UT duo into scoring position, Washington stepped into the box and launched a two-run triple off the wall in right to plate both runners for a 2-0 advantage.
Meanwhile, in the circle Elish allowed an infield single in the second and a pair of base runners during the third, but NDSU couldn't string together enough to locate a breakthrough.
Texas got back to it offensively in the bottom of the fourth as a RBI groundout from Day and a Burke RBI single up the middle boosted the lead to 4-0. After a Washington base knock and an Elish walk loaded the bases with one out, Rhodes was struck by a Mac Schulz pitch to force in another tally. The outburst continued unabated as Tedder soon followed by driving a two-RBI single through the left side, and sophomore catcher Colleen Sullivan picked up a RBI on a bases-loaded walk to bring the run-rule into play at 8-0. A Tuesday DerMargosian sac fly and a Day RBI hit finalized the offensive output at eight runs in the inning and a 10-0 lead.
Elish wasted no time shutting the door on the two-hit shutout in the top of the fifth by sitting down the Bison in order with two strikeouts.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Elish, Miranda (6-0)
L: Lyle (0-3)
Batting:
SH: S. Koehn 1
Batting:
3B: Washington, Kaitlyn 1
RBI: Rhodes, Shannon 1 ; Tedder, MK 2 ; Sullivan, Colleen 1 ; DerMargosian, Tuesday 1 ; Day, Courtney 2 ; Burke, Lauren 1 ; Washington, Kaitlyn 2
SF: DerMargosian, Tuesday 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rhodes, Shannon 1 ; Tedder, MK 1 ; Iakopo, Mary 1 ; Popelka, Alyssa 1 ; DerMargosian, Tuesday 1 ; Day, Courtney 1 ; Burke, Lauren 2 ; Washington, Kaitlyn 1 ; Slack, Kaitlyn 1
SB: Popelka, Alyssa 1 ; DerMargosian, Tuesday 1
CS: Rhodes, Shannon 1
HBP: Rhodes, Shannon 1 ; Iakopo, Mary 1
