No. 7 Softball fights off Texas State in pitcher’s duel, 1-0 (8 inn.)

Wednesday, February 24

Austin, Texas

5 p.m. CT

University of Texas

3-0

Texas State

2-1

Texas State

Texas

No. 7 Softball fights off Texas State in pitcher’s duel, 1-0 (8 inn.)

02.24.2021 | Softball

Box Score

The Longhorns have now won their last seven home openers dating back to the 2015 campaign

AUSTIN, Texas – It proved to be an old fashioned pitcher's duel on Wednesday night at Red & Charline McCombs Field as No. 7 Texas softball (3-0) scored the decisive run on a throwing error in the eighth to fend off a strong challenge from Texas State (2-1), 1-0 (8 inn.).

Important Notes

The Texas pitching staff has yet to allow an earned run over the first 20 innings of 2021.
With the victory, Texas has now won its last seven home openers dating back to the 2015 campaign.
With one hit on Wednesday, junior second baseman Janae Jefferson improved her career hit total to 199. She needs just one more to become the 11th Longhorns player to reach the 200-hit plateau.
Sophomore right hander Shea O'Leary tossed a career-high 7.2 innings against Texas State.
Texas has now won its last four extra-inning contests dating back to May 18, 2019, a NCAA Regional victory over Texas A&M (3-2, 8 inn.).
With a double against TXST, Jefferson stretched her reached base streak to 20 games and her hitting streak to 10 games (both obviously dating back to last season).
Texas improved to a perfect 3-0 for the third straight season under the guidance of head coach Mike White.
Texas is now 40-14 all-time against Texas State and 25-7 in Austin match-ups.

Major Players

Jefferson (1-for-3, double); junior third baseman Mary Iakopo (1-for-4); freshman right fielder Courtney Day (1-for-3); freshman designated player Jordyn Whitaker (1-for-2, walk)

In the Circle

Graduate transfer Molly Jacobsen improved to 2-0 in the circle by tossing one-third of an inning of perfect relief. Sophomore right hander O'Leary started and worked a career-high 7.2 frames while scattering four hits and striking out three.

The Details

It looked like Texas might get off to another quick start as Jefferson opened the contest against Texas State by lining a double to right center. With two down and runners at the corners following a Colleen Sullivan walk, a double steal went awry as Jefferson was eventually tagged out sliding back into third to conclude the threat.

Texas State put together a one-out threat of its own against O'Leary in the top of the second as left fielder Hannah Earls singled and right fielder ArieAnn Bell followed with a first pitch two-bagger to left center. With a pair in scoring position, a failed squeeze play cost the Bobcats dearly as Earls was picked off third. UT's 6-2 hurler followed that up with her second K of the inning to end any potential scoring opportunity.

The Longhorns offense kept the pressure on as UT put two runners on in the third and loaded the bases in the fourth only to be undone by TXST's Baylee Lemons. The third baseman leapt to snag a line drive to end the third and knocked down a bouncer before recovering to force a runner at second to complete the fourth.

With the leadoff on via error in the Texas State fifth and one retired, a chopper back to the circle off the bat of designated player Caitlyn Rogers was knocked down by O'Leary. The Castaic, Calif., product quickly recovered and tossed the ball to Lauren Burke at first for the force. Earls ventured around second and tried to advance on to third only to be cut down on a strong Burke throw for an inning-ending Texas double play.

Neither team put together a serious threat again until the eighth. TXST got a Bell leadoff single, but O'Leary rebounded for a pair of outs while the Bobcat runner advanced 60 feet into scoring position. The call was made to summon Jacobsen in from the Texas bullpen, and the decision paid dividends as the Adel, Iowa, native induced a foul-out near third.

Burke started off the Longhorns decisive eighth by reaching on a miscue by TXST second baseman Sara Vanderford. After a sac bunt and a K, Iakopo stepped to the dish and hit a chopper to short. Tara Oltmann air-mailed her throw to first allowing Burke to score the walk-off run from second as Texas prevailed, 1-0 (8 inn.).