No. 23/24 Softball sweeps UTSA & Tulsa at the Texas Classic

Sunday, February 27

Austin, Texas

5 p.m. CT

University of Texas

6-7

UTSA

3-9

UTSA

Texas

No. 23/24 Softball sweeps UTSA & Tulsa at the Texas Classic

02.27.2022 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Freshman pitcher Sophia Simpson fired her first collegiate no-hitter during the victory over UTSA

AUSTIN, Texas – On Sunday in Texas Classic action at Red & Charline McCombs Field, freshman pitcher Sophia Simpson's first collegiate no-hitter, and a dominant Longhorns offensive assault, highlighted a strong evening of work as No. 23/24 Texas softball (7-7) routed UTSA (8-0, 6 inn.) and Tulsa (14-1, 5 inn.).

Notes

Texas freshman pitcher Sophia Simpson's no-hitter against UTSA was the first of her collegiate career and the 52nd all-time in Texas program history.
Simpson also established a new career-high with 12 strikeouts in the victory over UTSA
Senior second baseman Janae Jefferson set a new career-high with four RBIs against UTSA. She went a combined 4-for-5 over Sunday's two games with a team-leading five RBIs.
Freshman third baseman Mia Scott continued her strong production, hitting .667 (4-for-6) over the two contests with four runs scored. She also tied her career-high with two hits and two runs in both games.
Freshman catcher Katie Cimusz set new career highs for hits (two) and RBIs (three) during the 14-1 (5 inn.) rout of Tulsa.
Jefferson is now just 16 hits from becoming the first Longhorns player to reach the 300-career hit mark.
Texas' offense out-scored UTSA and Tulsa by a combined total of 22-1 and out-hit them, 20-3.

Major Players

vs. UTSA: Senior second baseman Janae Jefferson (2-for-2, run, double, four RBIs); senior left fielder Lauren Burke (2-for-3, two runs, double, HR, RBI); freshman first baseman Katie Cimusz (1-for-3, RBI); sophomore catcher JJ Smith (1-for-3, double, RBI); freshman third baseman Mia Scott (2-for-3, two runs, double)

vs. Tulsa: Cimusz (2-for-2, two runs, two walks, double, three RBIs); junior left fielder Lou Gilbert (1-for-2, run, two RBIs); Scott (2-for-3, two runs); Jefferson (2-for-3, two runs, walk, RBI); Smith (1-for-2, run, RBI); sophomore right fielder Bree Cantu (1-for-2, two runs, RBI); sophomore center fielder Alyssa Popelka (1-for-2, run, RBI); sophomore outfielder Bella Dayton (two runs, walk, RBI)

In the Circle

vs. UTSA: Simpson (2-1) was outstanding against the Roadrunners, firing her first collegiate no-hitter over 6.0 innings of work with four walks and a career-high 12 strikeouts.

vs. Tulsa: Sophomore Estelle Czech (2-1) earned the win after allowing one earned run on three hits with one walk and four K's over 4.0 frames. Junior Shea O'Leary struck out one during a perfect inning of relief.

The Details

vs. UTSA:

Texas grabbed an immediate lead in the bottom of the first off UTSA starter Alexa Williams. With two in scoring position following a Scott leadoff single & steal, a Popelka walk and a wild pitch, Jefferson laced a two-RBI single to right for a quick 2-0 advantage. A Cimusz RBI single through the left side, and a Smith RBI groundout soon boosted the gap to 4-0.

With Simpson cruising along to the tune of five strikeouts through three innings of work, the Longhorns added to their lead in the bottom of the third. It was Burke delivering the big fly as the senior left fielder hammered the first pitch she saw from Jamie Gilbert out to deep right center for a 5-0 lead.

Burke was back causing chaos during the bottom of the fifth. After starting the frame with a double to center, the Eugene, Ore., native hustled all the way from second to score on a passed ball to make it 6-0.

In the circle, Simpson continued to roll along, registering two strikeouts in both the fourth and fifth innings before striking out the side (all looking K's) in the sixth.

With the no-hitter still in play, Texas' offense finished it off early for its hurler during the bottom of the sixth. After a Scott walk and a UTSA error to begin the frame, Jefferson stepped up and launched a walk-off, two-RBI double to the wall in right center to finalize the 8-0 win.

vs. Tulsa:

Tulsa jumped in front 1-0 during the top of the first as designated player Makayla Jackson laced a two-out, run-scoring double down the left field line.

The Longhorns answered right back in the bottom half as Scott started the inning with a single through the left side. With the freshman speedster on second after a steal, Popelka stepped into the box and dropped a perfect bunt out in front of the plate. She easily beat the play to first for a RBI single as Scott hustled all the way around from second to tie the game at 1-1. Cimusz stepped into the box with one out and launched a high drive to deep left. Tulsa's Kennedy Cramer got turned around slightly and couldn't make the play on the double as Popelka scored. Smith followed two batters later with a RBI single, that just eluded a diving Haley Morgan in center, to make it 3-1.

Jefferson kick-started what eventually became an eight-run third inning with 13 Longhorns coming to the plate. After the three-time All-American's leadoff single, she moved to second on a steal and third on a wild pitch. The Humble, Texas, product soon scored on a Burke RBI base knock to left for a 4-1 advantage. With the bags packed, a bases-loaded Dayton walk, an Alyssa Washington sacrifice fly, a two-run Tulsa fielding error, a Cimusz bases-loaded free pass and a two-run Gilbert infield single combined to set the count in Texas' favor, 11-1.

Another Tulsa fielding miscue, this one to start the Texas fourth, opened the door for the Longhorns to add three more unearned runs on RBIs singles by Cantu, Jefferson and Cimusz.

In the circle, Czech and O'Leary combined to retire the final 10 Golden Hurricane batters of the contest to complete the run-rule triumph.