No. 10/13 Softball drops a 5-1 decision to Texas Tech at the Big 12 Championship

Saturday, May 15

Oklahoma City, Okla.

10:30 a.m. CT

University of Texas

39-11

Texas Tech

21-26

Texas Tech

Texas

No. 10/13 Softball drops a 5-1 decision to Texas Tech at the Big 12 Championship

05.15.2021 | Softball

Box Score

Texas will learn its postseason road on Sunday at 8 p.m. CT (ESPN2) during the NCAA Selection Show

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – On Saturday morning during the third-place game at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, No. 10/13 Texas softball (39-11) created numerous scoring chances but left 10 combined base runners stranded in a 5-1 loss to Texas Tech.

Texas will now wait to learn its postseason road during the annual NCAA Selection Show slated for 8 p.m. Sunday night on ESPN2.

Important Notes

Senior outfielder Shannon Rhodes didn't play against Texas Tech because of an elbow contusion suffered during Friday's action.
Texas is now 28-23 overall in 18 appearances at the Big 12 Championship dating back to 1997.
By going 3-for-3 against Texas Tech, sophomore shortstop McKenzie Parker registered her seventh multi-hit effort of the season
Sophomore first baseman Colleen Sullivan's HR marked her seventh overall and the 75th of the season for the Longhorns.

Major Players

Sophomore shortstop McKenzie Parker (3-for-3, walk); sophomore first baseman Colleen Sullivan (1-for-2, HR, RBI); senior center fielder Kaitlyn Washington (1-for-2, walk); freshman right fielder JJ Smith (1-for-2, walk)

In the Circle

Graduate transfer Molly Jacobsen (13-5) suffered the loss after allowing two earned runs on five hits with two strikeouts over 5.1 innings of work.

The Details

Texas Tech threatened immediately in the top of the first, loading the bases with one out on a single, a failed fielder's choice and a hit batter. Right fielder Payton Jackson then lifted a sacrifice fly to left to grant the Red Raiders a 1-0 lead. Jacobsen escaped any further damage by striking out TTU first baseman Zoe Jones to leave two stranded.

With the Horns hoping to answer right back, Jefferson started off Texas' first at-bat with a bunt single and a stolen base. Following a Parker walk, Burke stepped into the box and hit a deep drive to right that was caught at the top of the fence for loud first out. Ellsworth then hit a ball right on the button, but her line drive was directly to Orrick at third to begin a threat-ending double play.

Orrick kicked off the Texas Tech third by driving a triple to the wall in right center. Center fielder Karli Hamilton immediately followed with a soft bouncer back to the circle. Jacobsen fielded her position, turned and got the runner at first. Unfortunately for the Horns, Orrick managed to beat an eventual throw home to make it 2-0.

After leaving five runners stranded over the opening three frames, the Longhorns finally got on the board in the fourth as Sullivan christened the frame by blasting a solo HR to center to cut the deficit to 2-1.

With two down in the top of the fifth, Texas Tech's Orrick singled up the middle and soon took off on a steal of second. She eventually ended up at third after a throwing error on the steal attempt. Hamilton followed with a RBI single up the middle to boost the Tech lead to 3-1. From there, a walk and a Jackson two-RBI double to deep left raised the advantage to 5-1.

Texas threatened again in the sixth as Sullivan was hit by a pitch and Kaitlyn Washington walked to open the frame. Once again, the Red Raiders escaped the jam as a fly out to center and a 6-4-3 double play ended the inning.

Down to one final chance to claw back into the contest, Texas boasted runners at the corners with two down on Parker and Ellsworth singles. Unfortunately, a chopper to third was handled to finish off the Red Raider win.