No. 10/11 Softball fights off Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 10-6

Wednesday, March 10

Austin, Texas

6 p.m. CT

University of Texas

11-2

Texas A&M - Corpus Christi

7-9

Texas A&M-CC

Texas

No. 10/11 Softball fights off Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 10-6

03.10.2021 | Softball

Box Score

Two-time All-American second baseman Janae Jefferson blasted her first career HR in the fourth

AUSTIN, Texas – On a warm and blustery Wednesday night at Red & Charline McCombs Field, No. 10/11 Texas softball (11-2) utilized a 12-hit offensive attack, including back-to-back HR's from junior second baseman Janae Jefferson and senior center fielder Shannon Rhodes as well as a three-RBI effort from redshirt junior catcher Taylor Ellsworth, to down Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (7-9), 10-6.

Important Notes

Two-time All-American leadoff hitter Janae Jefferson's solo HR with two outs in the bottom of the fourth was the first of her collegiate career.
Jefferson and senior center fielder Shannon Rhodes hit back-to-back HR's in the fourth. That marked the second time the Longhorns have gone back-to-back in 2021 after Rhodes and Mary Iakopo did so in the first inning of the 8-7 win over Mississippi State (Feb. 27).
Rhodes has now hit has seven HR's this season. That total would have led the Longhorns for the entire season in nine previous campaigns (1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2017, 2018, 2020).
The Longhorns registered three more two-out RBIs to give them 37 this season. In all, 43% of the team's RBIs this year have come with two outs.
Freshman pitcher Courtney Day started her first game of the season and picked up her first win of 2021. The Pearland, Texas, native has now opened her career a perfect 6-0 in the Burnt Orange & White.
Texas improved to 8-0 in 2021 when scoring in the first inning and 9-0 when out-hitting its opponent.
Sophomore first baseman Colleen Sullivan extended her streak of reaching base safely to a career-high 12 consecutive games.
Freshman JJ Smith doubled in the sixth inning against Texas A&M-CC and is now batting .600 (6-for-10) with four extra-base hits in limited at-bats in 2021.

Major Players

Redshirt junior catcher Taylor Ellsworth (3-for-3, two runs, double, three RBIs); junior second baseman Janae Jefferson (2-for-3, two runs, HR, RBI); senior center fielder Shannon Rhodes (2-for-3, two runs, HR, RBI); freshman pinch hitter JJ Smith (1-for-1, run, double, two RBIs); freshman right fielder Alyssa Popelka (1-for-3, RBI); freshman designated player Jordyn Whitaker (2-for-2).

In the Circle

Freshman Courtney Day (1-0) started and earned her first win of the season after allowing three earned runs on six hits with three strikeouts over 4.0 innings. Junior Ariana Adams picked up her second career save by striking out the only batter she faced in relief during the seventh. Freshman Ryleigh White permitted three unearned runs on two hits with five walks and four K's over 2.2 innings of relief.

The Details

Texas raced out to a quick 4-0 lead, against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the top of the first, by batting around with five hits and a walk.

Jefferson kicked things off during the opening frame with a single to center and was soon joined on the base paths via consecutive hits by Rhodes and Sullivan. Junior third baseman Mary Iakopo got the Longhorns on the board with a bases-loaded walk. Ellsworth then stepped to the dish and delivered the big shot by clearing the bags on a three-run double down the line in left.

The Islanders fought right back against Day in the top of the third, utilizing five singles, four of those with two outs, to cut their deficit to 4-3.

Leading 5-3 after a Kaitlyn Washington RBI groundout in the third, Texas used back-to-back jacks to add two more in the bottom of the fourth. First, it was Jefferson who drove her first collegiate HR over the wall in left. Rhodes followed immediately by hammering a shot off the scoreboard in center to make it 7-3.

The Burnt Orange & White advantage continued to grow in the bottom of the fifth as a two-run Smith double to left center and freshman right fielder Alyssa Popelka's RBI base knock to short boosted the gap to 10-3.

Texas appeared to be cruising to victory until the top of the seventh when the Islanders utilized a leadoff Kennedy Jimenez single to right, an errant throw on a force attempt at second and consecutive walks to force in a tally to make it 10-4. From there, a sacrifice fly and another bases-loaded free pass cut the deficit to just four runs. With the potential tying run at the plate, Adams was summoned out of the bullpen facing a save situation and closed the door by striking out pinch hitter Sydney Hoyt to end the eventful contest.