The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
29-3, 4-0
Iowa State
23-12, 0-7
No. 7/8 Softball takes the series opener at Iowa State, 8-5
04.09.2021 | Softball
Longhorns Colleen Sullivan, Courtney Day and Taylor Ellsworth each blasted two-run HR’s in the victory
AMES, Iowa – With temperatures hovering in the low 50's and winds gusting as high as 20 mph on Friday evening at the Cyclone Sports Complex, No. 7/8 Texas softball (29-3, 4-0 Big 12 Conference) blasted three HR's while battling past Iowa State (23-12, 0-7 Big 12 Conference) in the two teams' league series opener, 8-5.
Important Notes
- With the win, Texas head coach Mike White improved his record with the Longhorns to 99-23. He needs just one more victory to reach the 100-win plateau on the Forty Acres.
- With three HR's in the opener against Iowa State, Texas has now hit multiple HR's in a game on 15 separate occasions this season.
- Texas is currently riding a season-long 12-game winning streak dating back to March 19.
- Texas has now scored at least three runs in an inning 46 times in 2021 and at least once in 24-of-32 games.
- The Longhorns have blasted 52 HR's this year in 32 games. The 2010 Texas squad that set the school single-season mark of 88 HR's managed 47 over its opening 32 contests.
- At 29-3, Texas is tied with the 2006 & 2011 Longhorns for the second-best 32-game start in school history.
- Redshirt junior right fielder Taylor Ellsworth and sophomore first baseman Colleen Sullivan each hit their fifth HR's to tie their single-season career highs. Ellsworth previously hit five back in 2018, while Sullivan blasted five at UCLA back in 2019.
- With two more hits, junior second baseman Janae Jefferson now has 237 in her career. The Humble, Texas, native needs just 18 more to break former Longhorns standout Brejae Washington's (2011-14) career mark of 254 hits.
- Texas extended its series advantage over the Cyclones to a remarkable 57-4, including 25-0 all-time in Ames.
Major Players
Senior center fielder Shannon Rhodes (2-for-3, run, two RBIs); redshirt junior right fielder Taylor Ellsworth (1-for-4, run, HR, two RBIs); sophomore first baseman Colleen Sullivan (2-for-4, run, HR, two RBIs); freshman designated player Courtney Day (1-for-3, run, HR, two RBIs); freshman third baseman Bree Cantu (2-for-3, run, double), junior second baseman Janae Jefferson (2-for-4, run, double)
In the Circle
Sophomore Shea O'Leary improved to 8-0 overall after allowing four earned runs on six hits with six walks and seven K's over a complete-game effort.
The Details
Iowa State cashed in a one-out walk in the bottom of the first to grab an early lead as catcher Mikayla Ramos followed with a two-run HR to left for a quick 2-0 Cyclones advantage.
Sophomore shortstop McKenzie Parker kicked off what eventually turned into a seven-run Longhorns outburst in the top of the second by launching a double to right center. Sullivan stepped into the box and tied things up on a two-run blast to left. With junior left fielder Lauren Burke at third on a triple, after a pair of Cyclone outfielders collided while trying to track down her fly ball to right center, Day hit a towering shot to center that just snuck over the center field wall for a two-run HR. Following a UT fly out, a Jefferson double to the wall in left, a Rhodes RBI single up the middle and an Ellsworth two-run HR all combined to boost Texas' lead to 7-2.
Looking to answer right back, Iowa State put two runners on in the second and got the first two batters aboard to open the third only to have O'Leary battle her way out of danger both times.
The Cyclones finally clawed one back in the bottom of the fourth as first baseman Carli Spelhaug hit a two-out solo HR to center to make it 7-3.
Texas got the run right back in the top of the sixth to boost the gap back to five at 8-3. Cantu kicked things off with a double to right center. After a grounder moved the runner to third, Rhodes hit a bouncer up the middle that was misplayed by shortstop Sami Williams for an error as Cantu scored.
Iowa State threatened again in its half of the sixth by putting two aboard with two outs, but a bouncer to third was handled by Cantu to end another threat.
With one final opportunity to climb back in the contest, the Cyclones got its initial two batters on in the bottom of the seventh via a Ramos walk and a double to center from right fielder Milaysia Ochoa. ISU eventually cut its deficit to 8-5 on a pair of Texas errors. Ramos stepped to the dish as the potential tying run, but bounced back to O'Leary as the 6-2 right hander fielding the ball and tossed on to first to complete the victory.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: O'Leary, Shea (8-0)
L: Charles, Karlie (10-6)
Batting:
2B: Jefferson, Janae 1 ; Parker, McKenzie 1 ; Cantu, Brianna 1
3B: Burke, Lauren 1
HR: Ellsworth, Taylor 1 ; Sullivan, Colleen 1 ; Day, Courtney 1
RBI: Rhodes, Shannon 2 ; Ellsworth, Taylor 2 ; Sullivan, Colleen 2 ; Day, Courtney 2
SH: Rhodes, Shannon 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Jefferson, Janae 1 ; Rhodes, Shannon 1 ; Ellsworth, Taylor 1 ; Parker, McKenzie 1 ; Sullivan, Colleen 1 ; Burke, Lauren 1 ; Day, Courtney 1 ; Cantu, Brianna 1
SB: Rhodes, Shannon 2 ; Iakopo, Mary 1 ; Parker, McKenzie 1
Batting:
2B: Spelhaug, Carli 1 ; Ochoa, Milaysia 1
HR: Spelhaug, Carli 1 ; Ramos, Mikayla 1
RBI: Spelhaug, Carli 1 ; Ramos, Mikayla 2 ; Ranches, Alesia 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Spelhaug, Carli 1 ; Williams, Sami 1 ; Ramos, Mikayla 2 ; Ochoa, Milaysia 1
HBP: Ochoa, Milaysia 1 ; Ramos, Skyler 1
