Softball knocks off North Texas on the road, 8-2

Wednesday, March 9

Denton, Texas

6 p.m. CT

University of Texas

13-9

North Texas

11-4

Texas

North Texas

Softball knocks off North Texas on the road, 8-2

03.09.2022 | Softball

Box Score

All nine position starters reached base safely as Texas’ offense banged out 14 hits versus the Mean Green

DENTON, Texas – On Wednesday night at Lovelace Stadium, Texas softball's (13-9) offense banged out 14 hits to back a complete-game effort from sophomore pitcher Estelle Czech in rolling past North Texas (11-4), 8-2.

Notes

The Longhorns are now just one win from reaching 1,000 program victories (999-444-3 record).
Texas freshman third baseman Mia Scott and rookie catcher Katie Cimusz extended their season-long reached base streaks to 14 and 13 straight games, respectively.
Texas sophomore center fielder Alyssa Popelka's second-inning triple marked the first extra-base hit of her collegiate career.
Texas sophomore pitcher Estelle Czech's six strikeouts against North Texas were a career-high.
Texas' 14 hits tied a season single-game high done twice previously at FGCU (Feb. 12) and versus Miami (March 5).
By going 3-for-4 against North Texas, senior second baseman Janae Jefferson now sits just six hits from becoming the first Texas & fifth all-time Big 12 Conference player to reach the 300-career-hit milestone.

Major Players

Senior first baseman Mary Iakopo (2-for-4, two RBIs); sophomore center fielder Alyssa Popelka (1-for-3, run, triple, two RBIs); senior second baseman Janae Jefferson (3-for-4, RBI); freshman third baseman Mia Scott (2-for-4, two runs); junior left fielder Lou Gilbert (2-for-2, run); senior left fielder Lauren Burke (2-for-2, run); junior shortstop McKenzie Parker (1-for-3, run, double, RBI)

In the Circle

Sophomore Estelle Czech improved to 4-1 overall after allowing one earned run on six hits with two walks and a career-high six strikeouts over a complete-game effort.

The Details

Texas wasted no time grabbing an early lead against the Mean Green. Scott got things started by chopping a single through the right side of the infield. After a groundout moved the speedster into scoring position with two outs, Iakopo stepped up and drove a RBI single up the middle for a 1-0 advantage.

North Texas tied things up immediately in the bottom of the first as left fielder Kalei Christensen drove a one-out solo HR to right center.

The early fireworks continued into the second as Popelka cashed in a Burke leadoff single and an Alyssa Washington walk by launching a two-RBI double to the wall in right center to make it 3-1. The lead soon expanded to 6-1 as Jefferson hit a RBI single to right center, Parker doubled in a run on a shot to left and Iakopo blasted a RBI base knock to center.

Czech soon settled in from the circle, retiring eight straight Mean Green batters in a stretch over the second, third and fourth innings.

Texas put together a pair of insurance runs in the top of the seventh to grab an 8-2 advantage. With Cimusz aboard on a one-out double, Gilbert beat out an infield single to first. Taking advantage of a slow reaction by the UNT defense, sophomore pinch runner Camille Corona quickly scampered around from second to score on the play. Washington followed one batter later with a RBI groundout to short, plating Gilbert and finalizing the offensive output at eight tallies.

The Mean Green kept battling in the bottom of the seventh as two singles and a UT fielding error quickly cut the North Texas deficit to 8-2. On the final play of the contest, Christensen hit a bouncer up the middle that was knocked down near second. Unable to retire the runner at second, Washington corralled the ball and fired a strike to the plate where sophomore catcher JJ Smith applied a tag to end the game.