No. 23/24 Softball wraps Texas Classic with wins over Tulsa & Texas State

Monday, February 28

Austin, Texas

1:30 p.m. CT

University of Texas

8-7

Tulsa

5-8

Tulsa

Texas

No. 23/24 Softball wraps Texas Classic with wins over Tulsa & Texas State

02.28.2022 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

The Longhorns hit .331 as a team during the five-game event with 32 runs scored and 13 extra-base hits

AUSTIN, Texas – A rare softball Monday at Red & Charline McCombs Field ended with two more victories for No. 23/24 Texas softball (9-7) as the Longhorns knocked off Tulsa (5-1) and Texas State (5-2) to conclude the weather-delayed Texas Classic.

Notes

Texas went 4-1 during the Texas Classic while hitting .331 as a team, out-scoring its five opponents by a 32-6 count and managing 13 extra-base hits.
During the Texas Classic, the Longhorns pitching staff posted a 1.09 ERA led by freshman Sophia Simpson's efforts (2-0 record, 0.00 ERA, no-hitter, 15 strikeouts in 10.0 IP).
Freshmen Mia Scott (.571, 8-for-14) & Katie Cimusz (.500, 6-for-12) and sophomore Alyssa Popelka (.583, 7-for-12) all hit above the .500 mark over at least 12 at-bats during the Texas Classic.
Scott registered the sixth multi-hit game of her brief career by going 2-for-4 during the 5-1 triumph over Tulsa.
Cimusz equaled her career-high with three RBIs as part of a 2-for-3, HR, three-RBI effort against Tulsa.

Major Players

vs. Tulsa: Freshman catcher Katie Cimusz (2-for-3, HR, three RBIs); sophomore designated player Jordyn Whitaker (1-for-1, RBI); freshman third baseman Mia Scott (2-for-4, double, run); sophomore center fielder Alyssa Popelka (2-for-4, run)

vs. Texas State: Senior left fielder Lauren Burke (1-for-2, run, double, two RBIs); Whitaker (1-for-2, double, RBI); Popelka (2-for-3): Scott (1-for-2, run, two walks); sophomore catcher JJ Smith (sacrifice fly, RBI)

In the Circle

vs. Tulsa: Senior Hailey Dolcini improved to 3-2 by allowing one earned run on two hits with one walk and seven strikeouts over 6.0 innings of work. Sophomore reliever Logan Hulon tossed a perfect seventh inning to wrap up the win.

vs. Texas State: Freshman Sophia Simpson (3-1) picked up the victory after scattering five hits, walking one and K'ing three over 4.0 frames of relief. Junior starter Shea O'Leary permitted one earned run on three hits with two walks and a K in 3.0 innings.

The Details

vs. Tulsa:

Cimusz handed Texas a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second as the freshman catcher led off the frame by launching a 240-foot solo shot off the scoreboard in center.

With Dolcini limiting Tulsa to just one base runner over the opening three frames, the Longhorns strung together a three-spot in the bottom of the third on five hits. Sophomore shortstop Alyssa Washington kicked off the outburst with a double to the wall in left center. An errant catcher's throw back to the circle escaped into the outfield as Washington raced around to score for a 2-0 advantage. Following a Scott double past second and a Popelka bunt single, Cimusz rattled a liner off Tulsa pitcher Sara Llamas-Howell's glove and into left for two RBIs to expand Texas' lead to 4-0.

The Golden Hurricane finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth as shortstop Celeste Wood followed up a hit-by-pitch with a RBI double to cut the Tulsa deficit to 4-1.

Texas expanded the gap back to four runs during the bottom of the fifth as Whitaker lined a RBI single off the wall in right.

Tulsa managed one more base runner in the sixth as center fielder Haley Morgan singled with one out and swiped second. That was all the Golden Hurricane could get as Dolcini and Hulon combined to retire the final five batters of the game to complete the victory.

vs. Texas State:

A Texas miscue on the opening batter of the game opened the door for Texas State to secure a first-inning lead. After center fielder Piper Randolph reached on an error and moved to second on a groundout, designated player Anna Jones hit a RBI single up the middle to make it 1-0.

The Longhorns answered right back in the bottom of the first with the help of a key Bobcat mistake. With Scott at first on a leadoff walk, Iakopo stepped to the dish and hit a sharp bouncer to third. Trying to retire the lead runner, TXST's Sara Vanderford fired a strike to second only to have the ball dropped and roll away into left center. Scott somehow managed to race all the way around from first to tie the game. From there, a Burke RBI fielder's choice and a Whitaker RBI double down into the left field corner boosted the Texas lead to 3-1.

A Randolph leadoff single, a groundout and two wild pitches all combined for a Bobcat run in the top of the third at Texas State clawed back within one at 3-2.

After UT reliever Simpson wiggled her way out of a two-on jam behind a key strikeout of catcher Caitlyn Rogers in the top of the fifth, Texas added two valuable insurance runs in the bottom half on a Burke RBI double and a Smith sac fly.

Trailing 5-2, TXST managed to put two aboard in the sixth on consecutive singles from second baseman Claire Ginder and shortstop Hannah Earls. UT's freshman hurler again danced out of danger with a huge Randolph K.

With one final chance in the top of the seventh, Texas State utilized a Vanderford walk and a Texas error to station runners at the corners with two outs. Pinch hitter Samara Lagway stepped into the box but hit a high fly ball to left that was tracked down by Burke to end the contest.