The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
14-2
Tarleton State
8-14
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tarleton State | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 1 |
| Texas | 0 | 7 | 5 | 9 | X | 21 | 21 | 1 |
No. 10/11 Softball combines for 31 runs in sweeping past Tarleton State & BYU
03.13.2021 | Softball
Over the two match-ups, Texas batted .533 (32-for-60) as a team with 14 extra-base hits and a 1.562 OPS
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 10/11 Texas softball's (15-2) offense was set to a record-breaking level of hot on Saturday afternoon at Red & Charline McCombs Field as the Longhorns combined for 31 total runs in bashing their way past Tarleton State (W, 21-5, 5 inn.) and BYU (W, 10-7).
During Saturday's opener versus Tarleton State, Texas registered its most hits (21), tied for the most doubles (seven) and posted its second-most runs (21), RBIs (21) and HR's (five) in a single-game in program history.
Important Notes
- Saturday's win over BYU marked the 500th victory in the history of McCombs Field. Texas is now 500-132-2 (.790) overall within the friendly confines.
- With a fifth-inning single against BYU, senior center fielder Shannon Rhodes reached the 200-career hit plateau (107 of those came during her stay at Oregon).
- With a first-inning HR against BYU, sophomore catcher Colleen Sullivan extended her streak of reaching base safely to a career-best 15 straight games. She's hitting .632 (12-for-19) over the last nine contests with two HR's and seven RBIs.
- Rhodes has hit a team-leading nine HR's this year (blasted one vs. Tarleton State) and continues at a Texas single-season HR record pace of one HR every 5.7 at-bats.
- Texas improved to 11-0 at home this year and 54-8 at McCombs Field under the guidance of head coach Mike White.
- Texas has already hit 32 HR's through the first 17 games of 2021. Last season, the Longhorns hit 24 HR's over 27 contests.
- Sophomore shortstop McKenzie Parker registered a career-high 4-for-4 effort and five RBIs while also bashing her first collegiate HR during the win over Tarleton State.
- Freshman third baseman Bree Cantu hit her first collegiate HR late in the victory over Tarleton State.
Major Players
vs. Tarleton State: Sophomore left fielder McKenzie Parker (4-for-4, four runs, two doubles, HR, five RBIs); junior second baseman Janae Jefferson (3-for-4, three runs, double, HR, three RBIs); senior left fielder Kaitlyn Washington (2-for-4, two runs, two doubles, three RBIs); senior center fielder Shannon Rhodes (2-for-3, three runs, HR, three RBIs); junior third baseman Mary Iakopo (1-for-2, run, HR, three RBIs); freshman third baseman Bree Cantu (1-for-3, HR, three RBIs); freshman catcher JJ Smith (2-for-3, run, two doubles, RBI)
vs. BYU: Rhodes (2-for-5, run, two RBIs); sophomore catcher Colleen Sullivan (2-for-3, run, double, HR, two RBIs); freshman right fielder Jordyn Whitaker (1-for-2, two RBIs); Parker (1-for-3, run, walk, RBI); K. Washington (1-for-2, run, RBI); Jefferson (2-for-3, two runs)
In the Circle
vs. Tarleton State: Freshman Ryleigh White (4-1) started and earned the win after allowing five earned runs on four hits with two walks and a K over 3.0 innings. Junior Ariana Adams fired two perfect frames in relief.
vs. BYU: Graduate transfer Molly Jacobsen improved to 5-1 overall after permitting six earned runs on eight hits and striking out five over 5.0 innings. Sophomore Shea O'Leary permitted one earned run on three hits with two K's in two frames.
The Details
vs. Tarleton State: After eight pitches from White, the skies opened up at McCombs Field and forced a one-hour and 20-minute rain delay before the teams eventually resumed play at 11:29 a.m. CT. Once back in action, both teams ended up leaving a runner stranded during the opening frame.
Consecutive hits from Ellsworth and Whitaker got the Texas offense rolling to begin the bottom of the second. After a Parker RBI double and a JJ Smith RBI groundout, the Texans got two quick outs to almost escape further damage. UT had other ideas, however, as a Jefferson RBI double to center and two-run HR's from both Rhodes and Iakopo boosted Texas to a commanding 7-0 advantage.
Tarleton State cut into its deficit in the top of the third as third baseman Katy Schaefer lifted a sacrifice fly to center.
The Burnt Orange & White onslaught continued into its half of the third as Texas sent nine to the plate for the second consecutive inning while scoring five times to make it 12-1. The big contributions during the outburst came through RBI doubles from both Parker and Kaitlyn Washington, a Jefferson two-run HR to right center and an Iakopo sac fly.
The Texans did some long ball damage of their own in the top of the fourth as catcher Miranda Pruitt hit a grand slam to left center to cut the gap to 12-5. The decision was made to summon in Adams out of the bullpen, and the junior right hander worked around an error to retire three of the four batters she faced in the frame.
From there, the Longhorns exploded in the bottom of the fourth to the tune of nine runs while 13 batters stepped to the dish in securing a 21-5 advantage. Parker kicked the inning off with a single through the left side and later added a three-run HR during the inning. Between those two hits, Kaitlyn Washington doubled in a pair, Rhodes recorded an infield RBI single and Cantu hammered a three-run shot down the left field line.
Adams wasted no time finishing things off in the fifth by retiring the Tarleton State side in order on a pair of foul outs and a grounder to second.
vs. BYU: Texas' offense kicked into gear from the start against BYU as the Longhorns plated four in the first inning on a Cougar throwing error, a two-run Sullivan HR to left and a Whitaker RBI single up the middle.
BYU answered back with a pair of tallies off Jacobsen in the top of the second as a run-scoring double steal and a RBI base knock from pitcher Autumn Moffat-Korth cut the deficit to 4-2.
A Parker RBI single, a Whitaker sac fly and a Kaitlyn Washington run-scoring base knock expanded the UT advantage out to 7-2 in the third, but BYU refused to fold.
The Cougars battled within 7-6 during the top of the fifth after right fielder HannahJo Peterson blasted a three-run shot to left and third baseman Martha Epenesa drove a RBI single to center.
Again, Texas' offense responded to adversity with an immediate response by plating three tallies in the bottom of the fifth for a 10-6 lead. Rhodes managed the key hit via a two-RBI single back through the middle.
O'Leary entered the contest in relief of Jacobsen starting the sixth and allowed a solo HR to left fielder Rylee Jensen to make it 10-7.
The Cougars eventually went on to bring the potential tying run to the plate with one out in the seventh, but UT's 6-2 right hander induced a fly out to right before striking out designated player Arissa Paulson to end the back-and-forth match-up.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: White, Ryleigh (4-1)
L: Wernet, J. (6-5)
Batting:
HR: Pruitt, M. 1
RBI: Schaefer, K. 1 ; Pruitt, M. 4
SF: Schaefer, K. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Peterson, M. 1 ; Dickerson,J. 1 ; Medford, M. 1 ; Pruitt, M. 1 ; Riggs, B. 1
SB: Capell, G. 1
HBP: Capell, G. 1 ; Peterson, M. 1
Batting:
2B: Jefferson, Janae 1 ; Parker, McKenzie 2 ; Smith, JJ 2 ; Washington, Kaitlyn 2
HR: Jefferson, Janae 1 ; Rhodes, Shannon 1 ; Iakopo, Mary 1 ; Cantu, Brianna 1 ; Parker, McKenzie 1
RBI: Jefferson, Janae 3 ; Rhodes, Shannon 3 ; Iakopo, Mary 3 ; Cantu, Brianna 3 ; Parker, McKenzie 5 ; Smith, JJ 1 ; Washington, Kaitlyn 3
SF: Iakopo, Mary 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jefferson, Janae 3 ; Rhodes, Shannon 3 ; Burke, Lauren 1 ; Iakopo, Mary 1 ; Cantu, Brianna 1 ; Ellsworth, Taylor 1 ; Day, Courtney 1 ; Whitaker, Jordyn 1 ; Popelka, Alyssa 2 ; Parker, McKenzie 4 ; Smith, JJ 1 ; Washington, Kaitlyn 2
HBP: Rhodes, Shannon 1 ; Smith, JJ 1
