No. 3/2 Softball blanks Liberty at Longhorn Invitational, 3-0

Saturday, March 7

Austin, Texas

5:30 p.m. CT

University of Texas

23-3

Liberty

9-13

Liberty

Texas

No. 3/2 Softball blanks Liberty at Longhorn Invitational, 3-0

03.07.2020 | Softball

Box Score

Sophomore Shea O’Leary scattered four hits in tossing a complete-game shutout

AUSTIN, Texas – Sophomore pitcher Shea O'Leary scattered four hits in a complete-game shutout while redshirt junior catcher Taylor Ellsworth and senior center fielder Shannon Rhodes each registered key RBIs as No. 3/2 Texas softball (23-3) blanked Liberty on Saturday night in Longhorn Invitational action at Red & Charline McCombs Field, 3-0.

Important Notes

Tonight's attendance of 1,392 marked a season-high at McCombs Field and was Texas' fourth home crowd over 1,000 fans during the first month-plus of the 2020 season.
O'Leary is currently riding a 14-inning scoreless streak that includes back-to-back shutouts of No. 13/11 Michigan at the Judi Garman Classic (Feb. 29) and tonight's blanking of Liberty.
Junior second baseman Janae Jefferson extended her streak of reaching base safely to 16 games. That's just three short of equaling her personal record of 19 games set from April 11-May 12, 2018.
Texas added two more doubles to reach a NCAA Division I-leading 60 doubles for the season over the first 26 games. The school single-season record of 91 two-baggers was established by the 2019 edition of the Longhorns over 63 contests.

Major Players

Ellsworth (2-for-2, double, stolen base, RBI); senior right fielder Miranda Elish (1-for-2, double); junior first baseman Lauren Burke (1-for-3, triple); Rhodes (RBI groundout)

In the Circle

O'Leary (6-0) remained undefeated by scattering four hits, walking none and striking out four over a complete-game performance.

The Details

After O'Leary battled out of a jam by stranding two Lady Flames in the top of the second, the Longhorns offense grabbed a 2-0 lead during the bottom half. Junior third baseman Mary Iakopo and senior left fielder Kaitlyn Washington started the outburst with consecutive singles. With the duo in scoring position following an Elish sac bunt, Rhodes delivered a RBI groundout and Ellsworth followed with a RBI single to left.

O'Leary hit a Liberty batter to begin the top of the third, but then settled in to retire 10 of the next 11 batters she faced (one reached via fielder's choice) from the third through the sixth innings.

Ellsworth kicked off the UT fifth by driving a double down the left field line into the corner. With freshman speedster Camille Corona inserted in the game to run, an errant throw on a sac bunt, while trying to double off the runner at third, got away from the Lady Flames allowing Corona to race home for a 3-0 advantage.

Liberty did get a one-out Emily Sweat single through the right side in the seventh, but nothing else as O'Leary finished off the contest by inducing a pop-up to third and recording a looking strikeout.