No. 21/19 Softball walks-off to beat Iowa State again, 11-10 (8 inn.)

Saturday, April 2

Austin, Texas

1 p.m. CT

University of Texas

28-10-1, 5-0

Iowa State

19-15, 0-2

Iowa State

Texas

No. 21/19 Softball walks-off to beat Iowa State again, 11-10 (8 inn.)

04.02.2022 | Softball

Box Score

Sophomore right fielder Bella Dayton played Saturday’s heroine with a walk-off RBI double to right center

AUSTIN, Texas – On Saturday afternoon in front of the second-largest crowd (1,464) in Red & Charline McCombs Field history, No. 21/19 Texas softball (28-10-1, 5-0 Big 12 Conference) registered its second consecutive walk-off victory as right fielder Bella Dayton blasted a RBI double to right center to complete a thrilling, 11-10 (8 inn.) comeback triumph over Iowa State (19-15, 0-2 Big 12 Conference).

Notes

With Saturday's win, Texas registered consecutive walk-off victories for the first time since beating Arkansas (6-5, 8 inn.) and North Dakota State (3-2) back-to-back over Feb. 13-14, 2016.
The Longhorns offense banged out a season-high 15 combined hits during the victory.
The comeback "W" marked the 11th time this season that the Longhorns have battled back to win or tie after trailing at any point in the game.
There were two ties and seven lead changes during Saturday's 11-10 (8 inn.) contest.
With a single up the middle, senior second baseman Janae Jefferson reached base safely to start Texas' initial at-bat for the fifth consecutive game (four singles, one walk).
All nine Texas starters reached base safely on Saturday against Iowa State, while six registered hits.
With a third-inning walk, junior designated player McKenzie Parker stretched her reached base streak to a single-season high 22 straight games. That streak ties for the eighth longest in program history.
Four different Longhorns (Janae Jefferson, Mia Scott, Mary Iakopo, Alyssa Popelka) had three hits on Saturday against Iowa State.
Freshman third baseman Mia Scott recorded a career-high three RBIs in Saturday's win.
Jefferson doubled in the fourth inning to move into a tie for fourth in career doubles (43) in Texas history.
Texas has started 5-0 in Big 12 Conference play for the second straight league campaign (there was no Big 12 season in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic).

Major Players

Sophomore right fielder Bella Dayton (2-for-4, two runs, walk, walk-off double, RBI); senior second baseman Janae Jefferson (3-for-5, two runs, double, RBI); freshman third baseman Mia Scott (3-for-5, two runs, triple, three RBIs); senior first baseman Mary Iakopo (3-for-4, run, walk, three RBIs); sophomore center fielder Alyssa Popelka (3-for-4, two runs); sophomore catcher JJ Smith (run, two walks, RBI)

In the Circle

Senior pitcher Hailey Dolcini (13-4) picked up the win after allowing five earned runs on seven hits with two walks and nine strikeouts over two separate stints that combined to total 5.1 innings of work.

The Details

Texas quickly jumped in front in the bottom of the first as Scott's RBI triple down the right-field line and Iakopo's RBI single up the middle boosted the Longhorns to an early 2-0 lead.

After Iowa State utilized a two-out Angelina Allen RBI single to trim UT's advantage in half during the top of the third, the Burnt Orange & White added two more runs in the bottom half on Iakopo's two-run single to make it 4-1.

The Cyclones fought right back to grab their first lead of the game with two outs in the fourth as a Sarah Tyree RBI single and back-to-back HRs from center fielder Skyler Ramos and Carli Spelhaug pushed ISU in front, 5-4.

Jefferson's fourth-inning, RBI double to right center and a fifth-inning, run-scoring wild pitch briefly handed Texas back the lead at 6-5.

Following a three-run outburst that handed Iowa State an 8-6 advantage in the top of the sixth, the Longhorns answered with three tallies of their own during the bottom half. In all, Texas sent nine batters to the plate in the frame with a crucial Scott two-RBI single to left center and a Smith bases-loaded walk doing the major damage as UT clawed back on top, 9-8.

In the seventh, ISU shortstop Alesia Ranches hit a clutch, two-run HR to left center to grant the Cyclones their last lead of the afternoon at 10-9.

In need of another seventh-inning rally to extend or even win the contest, Texas proved up to the task again on Saturday. Popelka and Jefferson opened the frame with consecutive singles, while Scott reached on a fielding error to load the bases with one out. Parker stepped into the batter's box and drove in the tying run via groundout to make it 10-10.

After Dolcini successfully stranded a Cyclone at second base during the top of the eighth, UT quickly ended things in the bottom half as a Smith lead-off walk, an Alyssa Washington sac bunt and Dayton's walk-off double completed the 11-10 victory.