No. 10/11 Softball rallies past McNeese State in the seventh, 5-2

Tuesday, March 16

Lake Charles, La.

6:30 p.m. CT

University of Texas

16-2

McNeese State

10-14

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Texas	0	0	0	1	0	0	4	5	13	2
McNeese	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	2	7	1

No. 10/11 Softball rallies past McNeese State in the seventh, 5-2

03.16.2021 | Softball

Box Score

Trailing 2-1 in the seventh, the Longhorns strung together four runs on six hits to secure the road victory

LAKE CHARLES, La. – Down 2-1 with one out in the top of the seventh, No. 10/11 Texas softball (16-2) utilized a stirring, four-run outburst to fight past a battle-tested McNeese State (10-14) squad, 5-2.

Including tonight's match-up against the Longhorns, the Cowgirls have now faced a daunting schedule of 10 ranked opponents over a total of 14 games.

Important Notes

Tonight's seventh-inning comeback was the first for Texas since rallying from a 2-1 deficit to win 3-2 (9 inn.) against North Texas back on Feb. 19, 2020.
Jefferson has now reached base safely in 17-of-18 games in 2021 and already owns 10 multi-hit performances.
During its current six-game winning streak, the Longhorns are batting .453 as a team with 66 runs scored (11 runs-per-game) and 78 hits (13 hits-per-game), including 15 doubles and 12 HR's.
Senior center fielder Shannon Rhodes delivered a key hit with a seventh-inning single against McNeese State. The Fort Worth, Texas, native is now hitting .455 (10-for-22) with 12 runs scored, three HR's and 12 RBIs over the last six games.
Over that six-game win streak, four Longhorns are hitting .583 or better: junior second baseman Janae Jefferson (.650, 13-for-20), redshirt junior catcher/designated player Taylor Ellsworth (.615, 8-for-13); sophomore catcher Colleen Sullivan (.615, 8-for-13) and sophomore shortstop McKenzie Parker (.583, 7-for-12).
Graduate transfer pitcher Molly Jacobsen tied her Texas career-high with six strikeouts in just 3.0 innings of relief. She struck out the first five Cowgirls she faced over the fifth and sixth frames.
The Longhorns have out-hit 13 of their first 18 opponents in 2021 and are now 74-11 under the guidance of head coach Mike White when putting more hits on the board.

Major Players

Sullivan (2-for-4, two RBIs); Rhodes (2-for-4, two runs, RBI); Jefferson (3-for-4, run); junior first baseman Lauren Burke (1-for-4, RBI); senior pinch hitter Kaitlyn Washington (1-for-1, run)

In the Circle

Jacobsen allowed just two hits and struck out six in 3.0 innings of relief to improve to 6-1 on the season. Sophomore right hander Shea O'Leary started the contest, allowing one earned run on five hits with three K's over 4.0 frames.

The Details

Texas missed a golden opportunity to grab an early lead in the top of the first. With Jefferson on after a perfect leadoff bunt single, a fielder's choice and a Sullivan single up the middle stationed two Longhorns on with one out. The runners took off on a double steal attempt, but both got caught in rundowns as the double play ended a once promising inning with no damage.

It was McNeese State that actually broke the scoreless deadlock in the bottom of the third. A Tayler Strother single and a Cori McCrary double down the left field line put two aboard with one down. Designated player Chloe Gomez hit a chopper, but it was bobbled briefly by the Texas infield. The only play was to first for the force as the initial run of the game scored. First baseman Aaliyah Ortiz followed immediately with a sharp bouncer that was misplayed for an error as McNeese State plated an unearned run to boost its lead to 2-0.

Texas answered right back with a two-out run in the top of the fourth to cut its deficit in half to 2-1. Rhodes kicked things off with a leadoff single to left. After an Iakopo walk, Rhodes swiped third to put runners at the corners. That set the stage for Burke, as the Eugene, Ore., native ripped a RBI single to left to score Rhodes.

Jacobsen was summoned out of the bullpen to begin the bottom of the fifth and was solidly in control, striking out five batters in a row at one point to keep it a one-run game.

With the Longhorns down to their final two outs in the seventh, Parker battled hard to draw a key walk. Kaitlyn Washington was summoned off the bench to pinch hit and delivered by pulling a single through the right side of the infield. Jefferson soon followed with a base knock to center, and UT had the bases loaded heading into the heart of the order. Rhodes stepped into the box and hit a hot shot up the middle that was nabbed on a dive by McNeese State shortstop Caleigh Cross. The Cowgirl infielder tried a quick flip to second for the force, but the throw got away allowing both pinch runner Camille Corona and Washington to cross for a 3-2 advantage. Sullivan blew things open a few pitches later with a two-RBI single to left to make it 5-2.

In the bottom of the seventh, Jacobsen allowed a two-out double to McCray, but that was all as a bouncer back to the circle ended the contest.