No. 21/19 Softball uses Mary Iakopo walk-off HR to top Iowa State, 7-5

Friday, April 1

Austin, Texas

6 p.m. CT - MIKE-WHITE-OUT NIGHT

University of Texas

27-10-1, 4-0

Iowa State

19-14, 0-1

Iowa State

Texas

No. 21/19 Softball uses Mary Iakopo walk-off HR to top Iowa State, 7-5

04.01.2022 | Softball

Box Score

Texas’ senior catcher blasted a three-run walk-off shot to left with two outs in the bottom of the seventh

AUSTIN, Texas – The cardiac Longhorns utilized more of their "McCombs Magic" on Friday night in front of a season-high 1,379 fans at Red & Charline McCombs Field as a seventh-inning rally, highlighted by a three-run walk-off HR from senior catcher Mary Iakopo, powered No. 21/19 Texas softball (27-10-1, 4-0 Big 12 Conference) to a 7-5, series-opening win over Iowa State (19-14, 0-1 Big 12 Conference).

Notes

Iakopo's HR marked the first seventh-inning walk-off blast for Texas since former catcher Erin Shireman hit a two-run shot to beat Northwestern (5-4) at the Kajikawa Classic back on Feb. 7, 2015.
Iakopo's HR was also the 38th of her Texas career (46th combining her freshman year at Oregon), moving her into a tie for third on Texas' all-time list with former standout Taylor Thom (2011-14).
Texas' rally from a 5-2 deficit was the 10th time this season that the Longhorns have battled back to win or tie after trailing at any point in the game.
With a 2-for-4 effort, junior designated player McKenzie Parker stretched her reached base streak to a personal single-season high 21 straight games. That streak ties for the 11th longest in program history.
Parker's four RBIs against Iowa State were the second-most in a single game during her career.
Texas has started 4-0 in Big 12 Conference play for the fourth straight league campaign (there was no Big 12 season in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic).

Major Players

Senior catcher Mary Iakopo (1-for-4, run, walk-off three-run HR, three RBIs); junior designated player McKenzie Parker (2-for-4, double, four RBIs); senior second baseman Janae Jefferson (2-for-3, three runs, walk, double); sophomore center fielder Alyssa Popelka (2-for-3, two runs)

In the Circle

Senior pitcher Hailey Dolcini (12-4) picked up the win after walking one and striking out six over 3.1 no-hit innings of relief.

The Details

Iowa State wasted no time grabbing a first inning lead. Catcher Mikayla Ramos started the outburst by hitting a one-out solo HR to left. From there, three consecutive ISU hits, an Angelina Allen single through the right side, a Kaylee Pond double to right and a two-RBI base knock up the middle from Alesia Ranches, boosted the Cyclones in front, 3-0.

Jefferson kicked off the Longhorns initial at-bat by walking to start the bottom of the first. Parker stepped into the box with one down and launched a run-scoring double to right center to trim the deficit to 3-1.

With Texas freshman reliever Sophia Simpson having settled things down from the circle by striking out five consecutive Cyclone hitters over the second and third frames, Jefferson ignited the Texas offense again during the third with a leadoff double to right. Facing another early RBI opportunity, Parker delivered again by lining a RBI single into right center to score Jefferson and make it 3-2.

A trio of fielding errors soon helped Iowa State add two unearned runs in the top of the fourth and extend the Cyclone advantage back to three tallies at 5-2.

Texas clawed one run back in the bottom of the fifth as a Parker RBI groundout plated Popelka from third to cut the deficit to 5-3.

With Dolcini having kept the Cyclones from adding to their advantage down the stretch, the Longhorns found more of their McCombs Magic by scoring four unearned runs in the bottom of the seventh.

Popelka kick-started the decisive outburst by singling through the left side with one out. After Jefferson reached on a single to station runners at the corners, freshman third baseman Mia Scott hit a bouncer to first that was misplayed for an error to pack the bags. Parker immediately followed with what would have been the inning-ending grounder to second, but in the extended frame, Popelka raced home from third to make it 5-4. That set the stage for Iakopo's heroics as the Carson, Calif., product stepped up and crushed a three-run walk-off HR to deep left to set off Burnt Orange jubilation.