No. 19 Softball blasts past UT Arlington, 14-4 (5 inn.)

Wednesday, April 6

Austin, Texas

6 p.m. CT

University of Texas

30-10-1

UT Arlington

15-15

UT Arlington

Texas

No. 19 Softball blasts past UT Arlington, 14-4 (5 inn.)

04.06.2022 | Softball

Box Score

The Longhorns offense banged out 14 total hits while scoring in all four of its offensive innings

AUSTIN, Texas – On Wednesday night in front of 923 fans at Red & Charline McCombs Field, No. 19 Texas softball (30-10-1) banged out 14 total hits, including four of the extra-base variety, to blow past UT Arlington (15-15) in a mid-week match-up, 14-4 (5 inn.).

Notes

By battling out of an early 2-0 hole against UTA, Texas has rallied from a deficit to win each of its last four games (all three against Iowa State & tonight vs. UTA) and 12 times overall this season.
With a single to open the game, senior second baseman Janae Jefferson raised her average when leading off any inning this year to an even .500 (26-for-52).
Jefferson went 3-for-3 at the plate to climb to 325 career hits, just eight from breaking former Iowa State standout Sami Williams' Big 12 Conference career mark of 332 hits.
Freshman pinch hitter Vanessa Quiroga registered her first collegiate hit and RBI on a fourth inning single up the middle.
Jefferson tied her career-highs for hits (three) and runs scored (four), while freshman third baseman Mia Scott established a new career best with four RBIs and equaled her career run total (three).
Sophomore catcher JJ Smith set a new career-high for runs scored (three) and tied her career mark for doubles (two).
Scott has now recorded 10 of her 20 career RBIs (50%) over Texas' last three games.
Sophomore right fielder Courtney Day blasted her eighth HR to tie Mary Iakopo for the 2022 team lead.
Iakopo walked against UTA to extend her reached base streak to 13 straight games.

Major Players

Senior second baseman Janae Jefferson (3-for-3, four runs, walk); freshman third baseman Mia Scott (3-for-4, three runs, double, four RBIs); freshman left fielder Katie Cimusz (2-for-3, two RBIs); sophomore right fielder Courtney Day (2-for-3, run, HR, RBI); sophomore catcher JJ Smith (2-for-2, three runs, walk, two doubles, RBI); sophomore center fielder Bella Dayton (1-for-2, two runs, RBI); freshman pinch hitter Vanessa Quiroga (1-for-1, RBI)

In the Circle

Freshman Sophia Simpson (6-2) picked up the win after allowing four runs on six hits with five walks and seven strikeouts over 5.0 innings of work.

The Details

UT Arlington quickly jumped to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first as a leadoff single and walk were cashed in on first baseman Meagan Smith's two-out single to right center.

The Longhorns answered right back with a two-spot of their own in the bottom of the opening frame. Jefferson and Scott kick-started the outburst with consecutive singles to open the inning. Following a McKenzie Parker sac bunt that moved the duo into scoring position, senior first baseman Mary Iakopo's sac fly and Cimusz's RBI single to deep short tied the game at 2-2.

After Simpson struck out the UTA side in the top of the second, the Longhorns offense put its foot back on the gas in the bottom half. Smith started the inning with a double to left and quickly raced around to put UT in front to stay on Dayton's RBI base knock down the left field line. From there, a Scott two-RBI double to right center and a Cimusz run-scoring base knock to right center proved the big blows as Texas' advantage grew to 6-2.

A pair of one-out walks came back to hurt Simpson in the top of the third as UT Arlington first baseman Meagan Smith hit a RBI double past third to cut the Maverick deficit to 6-3.

Day wasted no time making it 7-3 by christening the bottom of the third with a 275-foot HR straight into a stiff wind to left. A Smith walk, a sac bunt, a Jefferson free pass, a Scott RBI groundout and a UTA error that scored another combined to make it 9-3.

Trailing 9-4 after shortstop Jaydn Erickson's run-scoring groundout in the top of the fourth, the Mavericks soon watched as the Longhorns erupted for five tallies in the bottom of the frame. Smith's second double of the night plated one, while the second UTA miscue of the game scored another. With Jefferson and Dayton standing at the corners with one out, Scott hit a looping liner to left for a single that got by Aaliyah White for another error as both runners raced around for a 13-4 lead. Pinch hitter Quiroga soon stepped into the box and made it 14-4 with her first career hit and RBI on a single to center.

Looking to avoid the run-rule, UT Arlington managed to load the bases with two outs in the fifth on a pair of singles and a walk. That was all the Mavericks could get, however, as Simpson handled a bouncer back to the circle to complete UT's triumph.