The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
19-3
New Mexico - GM-1
1-20
No. 10/11 Softball sweeps Saturday doubleheader from New Mexico
03.20.2021 | Softball
Junior pitcher Ariana Adams fired her first career no-hitter in the 12-0 (5 inn.) DH-opening victory
AUSTIN, Texas – Junior pitcher Ariana Adams' first career no-hitter, during Saturday's doubleheader opener at Red & Charline McCombs Field, highlighted No. 10/11 Texas softball's (20-3) commanding sweep of New Mexico, 12-0 (5 inn.) & 8-1.
Important Notes
- Adams' no-hitter was the first of her career and the 51st in program history. The Magnolia, Texas, native also became the 11th Longhorns pitcher to toss a solo no-hitter.
- The no-hitter was the first for Texas since Miranda Elish fired a perfect game against the same New Mexico team back on March 8, 2020.
- Junior right fielder MK Tedder posted career-high in hits (four) and doubles (two) while going a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate in Saturday's second game.
- The Longhorns hit three total HR's on Saturday to give them 39 for the season over 23 games. The 2010 Texas squad that set the school single-season record with 88 HR's also had 39 after its first 23 games.
- Junior utility player Mary Iakopo blasted her team-leading 10th HR in Saturday's DH opener. She continues on a school single-season HR record pace of one HR in every 5.5 at-bats (record total by Taylor Hoagland of 18 HR's in 2012 came off a HR in every 9.9 AB's)
- With Saturday's two home wins, Texas improved to 15-1 at McCombs Field this season. The Longhorns are now 58-9 at home under the guidance of head coach Mike White.
- Redshirt junior catcher Taylor Ellsworth has now reached base safely in a career-long 14 straight games, while Iakopo (11 games) and sophomore shortstop McKenzie Parker (10 games) each own double-digit streaks. Iakopo is also riding a nine-game hitting streak.
Major Players
Game 1: Iakopo (1-for-2, run, HR, three RBIs); freshman third baseman Brianna Cantu (1-for-2, run, walk, two RBIs); sophomore first baseman Colleen Sullivan (1-for-1, two runs, walk, HR, two RBIs); Parker (2-for-3, two runs, RBI); senior center fielder Shannon Rhodes (1-for-3, run, double, RBI); freshman catcher JJ Smith (1-for-3, run, RBI)
Game 2: Ellsworth (2-for-4, run, double, HR, two RBIs); Tedder (4-for-4, run, two doubles, RBI); Sullivan (2-for-3, double, RBI); junior first baseman Lauren Burke (2-for-3, run, two walks, RBI), freshman second baseman Camille Corona (2-for-4, run); senior left fielder Kaitlyn Washington (1-for-3, RBI); freshman center fielder Alyssa Popelka (1-for-4, run, RBI)
In the Circle
Game 1: Adams improved to 4-0 this season by tossing her first career and the program's 51st overall no-hitter. The Magnolia, Texas, product allowed two base runners (one hit batter, one walk) and struck out four over 5.0 innings.
Game 2: Graduate transfer Molly Jacobsen (7-2) earned the win after permitting one earned run on four hits with a K over 4.0 innings. Sophomore Shea O'Leary picked up her second save of the season with 3.0 frames of three-hit relief and four K's.
The Details
Game 1: Adams hit New Mexico center fielder Andrea Howard with a two-out pitch in the top of the first. No one knew at the time, but that would be the last Lobo to reach base until the fifth inning.
Texas used the long ball to grab a first-inning lead in the doubleheader opener. With Parker aboard on a one-out single off New Mexico starter Ashley Roberts, Sullivan stepped into the box and hammered her fourth HR of the season out to center to make it 2-0.
A two-out fielding error on UNM second baseman Rachael Hathoot opened the door for the Longhorns offense to put up an unearned five-spot in the second. A Rhodes RBI double to left center, a Parker RBI single and a three-run blast to left from Iakopo boosted the UT advantage to 7-0.
The Horns used another Hathoot miscue to plate another unearned tally in the third as freshman third baseman Bree Cantu scampered home on a misplayed Alyssa Popelka slap to second.
Youth continued to shine for Texas into the fourth as Smith added a RBI single to left, Cantu knocked in a pair and Corona hit a sacrifice fly to right to make it 12-0.
From there, the drama was left in whether Adams could finish off the no-no. The right hander walked New Mexico third-baseman Izabella Owen to begin the fifth, but got a strikeout, a fielder's choice and a fly out to left to conclude a dominant performance.
Game 2: After being no-hit in Saturday's opener, the Lobos wasted no time getting something started against Jacobsen in game two. UNM got its initial hit of the day on a first-inning single and followed with back-to-back hits in the second. On an Owen bunt single out in front of the plate, Hathoot was aggressive on the base paths by racing around to score all the way from second to make it 1-0.
Having left a combined five runners stranded over the opening two frames, Texas finally struck pay dirt in the bottom of the third off New Mexico starter Emma Guindon. Ellsworth tied the game with one out by blasting a solo HR to right center. Tedder later added a RBI single up the middle to boost the Horns in front, 2-1.
The Texas advantage continued to grow over the next two innings. In the fourth, a Sullivan RBI double and a Kaitlyn Washington RBI single to center made it 4-1.
The Longhorns eventually blew things wide open by sending nine batters to the plate in scoring four times during the bottom of the fifth. A Burke RBI base knock through the left side, an Ellsworth RBI double to left center and a Popelka RBI fielder's choice did the major damage.
On in relief of Jacobsen over the final three innings, O'Leary allowed a two-out base runner in each frame but finished off her second save of 2021 by striking out catcher Sydney Broderick.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Adams, Ariana (4-0)
L: ROBERTS (0-2)
Base Running:
HBP: HOWARD 1
Batting:
2B: Rhodes, Shannon 1
HR: Sullivan, Colleen 1 ; Iakopo, Mary 1
RBI: Rhodes, Shannon 1 ; Parker, McKenzie 1 ; Sullivan, Colleen 2 ; Iakopo, Mary 3 ; Smith, JJ 1 ; Cantu, Brianna 2 ; Corona, Camille 1
SF: Corona, Camille 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Rhodes, Shannon 1 ; Parker, McKenzie 2 ; Sullivan, Colleen 2 ; Burke, Lauren 1 ; Iakopo, Mary 1 ; Whitaker, Jordyn 1 ; Day, Courtney 1 ; Smith, JJ 1 ; Cantu, Brianna 1 ; Popelka, Alyssa 1
SB: Cantu, Brianna 1
HBP: Day, Courtney 1
