No. 3/2 Softball shuts out Liberty in Texas Invite opener, 2-0

Friday, March 6

Austin, Texas

4 p.m. CT

University of Texas

21-3

Liberty

8-12

Liberty

Texas

No. 3/2 Softball shuts out Liberty in Texas Invite opener, 2-0

03.06.2020 | Softball

Box Score

Senior pitcher Miranda Elish allowed just four hits while tossing a complete-game shutout

AUSTIN, Texas – On Friday evening in its Texas Invitational opener at Red & Charline McCombs Field, No. 3/2 Texas softball (21-3) used a complete-game shutout from senior pitcher Miranda Elish and got key RBIs from senior right fielder Kaitlyn Washington and junior second baseman Janae Jefferson to blank Liberty, 2-0.

Important Notes

With two more doubles against Liberty, Washington now owns 43 two-baggers in her career. That's just five from equaling the school mark of 48 held by Jodi Reeves (1997-2000). She's currently tied with Taylor Thom (2011-14) for third in the category in program history.
Jefferson improved her streak of reaching base safely to 14 games by going 3-for-3 with a walk and a RBI against the Lady Flames. The 3-for-3 effort also marked Jefferson's fourth three-hit game of the season.
After scoring both of its runs against Liberty in the fourth inning, Texas has now out-scored its opponents during the frame this year, 53-5.
Jefferson raised her season batting average to a remarkable .538 (35-for-65) overall. The school single-season record is .438 set by Lexy Bennett back in 2011.
Texas is now 19-2 when out-hitting its opponent and 15-2 when scoring first this year.
The Longhorns picked up another two-out RBI against Liberty to give UT 67 as a team in 2020. Overall, 40% of Texas' RBIs this season have come with two retired in an inning.

Major Players

Jefferson (3-for-3, walk, RBI); Washington (2-for-2, run, walk, two doubles, RBI); redshirt junior catcher Taylor Ellsworth (2-for-3); senior center fielder Shannon Rhodes (1-for-3, run)

In the Circle

Elish improved to 10-3 after scattering four hits, walking one and striking out four over a complete-game effort.

The Details

The story of the early going was missed opportunities for both offenses as the two squads combined for six total base runners (three each) over the first two frames with no scoring.

After leaving two more in scoring position in the third, Texas finally found a breakthrough against Liberty starter Karlie Keeney in the bottom of the fourth. Rhodes kicked things off by beating out an infield single to third. The Fort Worth, Texas, product quickly swiped second and moved to third on a sac bunt. Washington stepped up with one out and drove a RBI double just inside the first-base line to score Rhodes for a 1-0 lead. Jefferson followed three batters later with a key, two-out, RBI single up the middle to double the advantage to 2-0.

In the circle for the Longhorns, Elish settled into the contest by retiring 10 batters in a row from the second through the fifth frames.

Liberty tried to manufacture something in the top of the sixth as designated player Blake Gibson led off the inning with a single to left. UT's defense responded immediately, however, by turning a 6-4-3 double play to neutralize the building threat.

With one final opportunity to get back in the game, the Lady Flames got a two-out base runner in the seventh on a fielding error, but nothing else as a fly ball to center was squeezed by Rhodes to end the contest.