Softball opens Bevo Classic by sweeping Nicholls State & Minnesota

Saturday, March 12

Austin, Texas

3 p.m. CT

University of Texas

14-9

Nicholls State

8-16

Nicholls State

Texas

Softball opens Bevo Classic by sweeping Nicholls State & Minnesota

03.12.2022 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2

Sophomore designated player Courtney Day blasted three combined HR’s over the two victories

AUSTIN, Texas – On Saturday in Bevo Classic action at Red & Charline McCombs Field, Texas softball's (15-9) offense hit .477 overall, managed 11 extra-base hits and posted a 1.470 combined OPS while registering consecutive run-rule triumphs over Nicholls State (9-0, 5 inn.) and Minnesota (12-3, 5 inn.).

Notes

Texas' win over Nicholls State marked the 1,000th all-time victory in program history.
UT sophomore right fielder Courtney Day blasted two HR's during the second inning of the win over Nicholls State. She hit a combined .800 (4-for-5) on Saturday with three HR's and four RBIs.
After registering seven combined two-out RBIs during Saturday's wins over Nicholls State & Minnesota, 57 of Texas' 124 total RBIs (46%) have now come with two outs in an inning this season.
Following Saturday's action, Texas third baseman Mia Scott (16 games) and freshman catcher/first baseman Katie Cimusz (15 games) are currently riding the squad's two longest reached base streaks of the season.
With three combined hits on Saturday, senior second baseman Janae Jefferson now sits just three hits from becoming the first Texas & fifth all-time Big 12 Conference player to reach the 300-career-hit milestone.

Major Players

vs. Nicholls State:

Sophomore right fielder Courtney Day (2-for-2, two runs, two HR's, three RBIs); freshman catcher Katie Cimusz (1-for-1, run, double, RBI); senior second baseman Janae Jefferson (2-for-3, run); freshman third baseman Mia Scott (1-for-3, run, RBI); sophomore catcher JJ Smith (1-for-1, run, triple)

vs. Minnesota:

Senior catcher Mary Iakopo (2-for-3, run, double, three RBIs); Cimusz (1-for-3, double, two RBIs); Jefferson (1-for-2, two runs, two walks, double, two RBIs); Scott (2-for-3, three runs, walk, triple, RBI); Day (2-for-3, run, HR, RBI); sophomore center fielder Bella Dayton (2-for-2, two runs)

In the Circle

vs. Nicholls State:

Freshman Sophia Simpson (4-2) allowed three hits, walked one and struck out seven over 4.0 innings of work. Junior Shea O'Leary struck out two in a single inning of perfect relief.

vs. Minnesota:

Senior Hailey Dolcini (5-3) earned the win after permitting two earned runs on five hits with three walks and eight strikeouts over 4.2 frames. O'Leary allowed one earned run on two hits with a single K in one inning of relief.

The Details

vs. Nicholls State:

After leaving the bags packed in the first, Texas used the long ball to get on the board in the bottom of the second. Day stepped into the box starting the frame and launched a solo HR to right center for a 1-0 advantage. The Longhorns kept their foot on the gas as Dayton blasted a double to left center, while Jefferson followed with an infield single to short and a steal. Scott hit a bouncer to first that was misplayed to score Dayton and make it 2-0. With sophomore Alyssa Popelka check-swinging on ball four, Jefferson got caught straying a little too far off third and ended up in a rundown. The senior speedster somehow managed to slide in safely to home, while a throwing error also allowed Scott to scamper in from second, as the UT lead grew to 4-0. From there, a Cimusz RBI double to center, a Burke sac fly and Day's second HR of the inning finished off Texas' eight-run outburst.

Nicholls State managed a two-out base runner on a walk in the top of the second and put two aboard via single with two down in the third, but couldn't string enough together off Simpson to break up the shutout.

After Texas' freshman hurler struck out the Colonel side during the top of the fourth, the Longhorns added a ninth tally in the bottom half as a Smith leadoff triple was cashed in by a Gilbert RBI groundout.

Needing a rally to avoid the run-rule, Nicholls State went down in order in the fifth against reliever O'Leary.

vs. Minnesota:

In the Bevo Classic nightcap, Minnesota jumped to a quick 2-0 advantage in the top of the first as right fielder Chloe Evans blasted a two-run HR to center.

Texas' offense answered right back to cut its deficit to 2-1 in the bottom of the first as Scott tripled down the left field line before racing home on a Parker RBI single.

After Dolcini struck out the Golden Gopher side during top of the second, the Longhorns erupted for six runs while sending 10 batters to the plate in the bottom half. During the outburst, Jefferson registered a bases-loaded walk, Scott and Iakopo each managed RBI singles and Cimusz knocked in a pair on a double to right center as the advantage expanded to 7-2.

In the top of the third, Minnesota loaded the bases with two outs against Dolcini. Catcher Sara Kinch stepped to the plate facing a huge spot and popped up behind the plate. Iakopo raced over and made an underhanded catch near the netting as the Golden Gophers missed a vital opportunity to get back in the game.

Day struck for the third time on Saturday by launching a solo shot to left center to open the bottom of the third. A Jefferson RBI double and a two-RBI Iakopo two-bagger soon combined for an 11-2 lead.

UM again left the bags packed in the fourth, while Texas used a Washington sac fly in the bottom half to finalize a 12-run offensive output.

A Nani Valencia fifth-inning solo HR clawed Minnesota within 12-3, but that was as close as the Golden Gophers could get as O'Leary finished off the contest with a swinging K.