The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
3-0
Lamar
0-2
No. 6 Softball rolls past Lamar on Friday, 12-0 (5 inn.)
02.07.2020 | Softball
Nine different Longhorns posted hits; Kaitlyn Slack & Courtney Day led the way with three RBIs each
AUSTIN, Texas – Senior shortstop Kaitlyn Slack and freshman designated player Courtney Day each knocked in three runs to back a strong pitching performance from junior Ariana Adams as No. 6 Texas softball (3-0) rolled to its third consecutive run-rule victory by downing Lamar, 12-0 (5 inn.), on Friday night at Red & Charline McCombs Field.
Important Notes
- The Longhorns have now out-scored their opposition by a combined total of 39-2. The 39 runs are the second-most scored through the first three games of a season in school history, trailing only the 44 runs put up over the same stretch by the 2012 Texas squad.
- This marks the first time that Texas has ever started a year with three straight run-rule wins.
- Senior right fielder Miranda Elish's second-inning solo HR marked her sixth consecutive hit stretching over the opening three match-ups of 2020. She's now an incredible 6-for-6 this year (1.000 batting average) with three doubles, two HR's and eight RBIs.
- Texas is hitting .487 as a team during the Texas Classic with 17 extra-base hits, including 11 doubles, and a 1.375 OPS, while the pitching staff has combined for a minuscule 0.88 ERA.
- Texas has now scored in 10-of-14 total team at-bats this season and has registered at least three runs in a frame on seven of those occasions.
- Day's three-run, third-inning HR was the first big fly of her Texas career.
Major Players
Slack (1-for-2, three RBIs); Day (1-for-1, HR, three RBIs); Elish (1-for-1, HR, two RBIs); senior first baseman Kaitlyn Washington (2-for-2, two runs, double, triple); sophomore pinch hitter McKenzie Parker (1-for-1, run, double, two RBIs); senior center fielder Shannon Rhodes (1-for-3, triple)
In the Circle
Adams (1-0) earned the victory after allowing just one hit with two walks and a career-high four strikeouts over 4.0 innings of work. In relief, Day struck out a pair in a perfect frame of effort.
The Details
With Adams limiting Lamar to just one base runner over the opening two frames, Texas' bats roared to life in the bottom of the second. Elish made it six consecutive hits over three games by launching a leadoff solo shot over the wall in right to make it 1-0. A Washington two-bagger down the left field line was eventually cashed in via a perfect Slack bunt as the advantage doubled to 2-0.
Elish was at it again with two on in the third as her towering fly ball to left was dropped short of the track by Lamar's Elzabeth Castillo. On the error, two Longhorns raced across to make it 4-0. With sophomore catcher Colleen Sullivan and Elish aboard, Day stepped into the box and crushed a three-run bomb to left. Texas soon improved the gap to 8-0 as a Mary Iakopo grounder was misplayed at short to plate another tally.
A Tuesday DerMargosian walk, an MK Tedder infield single and a Lamar error on an Alyssa Popelka bouncer to second loaded the bases for the Horns in the fourth with two retired. That set the stage for more fireworks as Parker doubled in a pair down the left field line, and Slack followed with a two-RBI single to left to set the final offensive output at an even dozen runs.
Day relieved Adams, after her four strong innings, and struck out two during a perfect top of the fifth to bring the run-rule into effect.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Adams, Ariana (1-0)
L: Ruiz, A. (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Washington, Kaitlyn 1 ; Parker, McKenzie 1
3B: Rhodes, Shannon 1 ; Washington, Kaitlyn 1
HR: Elish, Miranda 1 ; Day, Courtney 1
RBI: Elish, Miranda 2 ; Day, Courtney 3 ; Iakopo, Mary 1 ; Parker, McKenzie 2 ; Slack, Kaitlyn 3
SH: Slack, Kaitlyn 1
SF: Elish, Miranda 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jefferson, Janae 1 ; Rhodes, Shannon 1 ; Sullivan, Colleen 1 ; DerMargosian, Tuesday 1 ; Elish, Miranda 1 ; Tedder, MK 2 ; Day, Courtney 1 ; Washington, Kaitlyn 2 ; Popelka, Alyssa 1 ; Parker, McKenzie 1
