The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
1-0
Missouri
0-1
No. 6/9 Softball splits Opening Day action as five newcomers debut
02.10.2023 | Softball
Martinez, Goode pace a Longhorn offense that scored 20 runs in two games Friday.
CLEARWATER, Fla. – The 2023 edition of The University of Texas softball program entered the new season with several question marks, but most were answered during a nearly seven-hour period Friday despite splitting games against No. 23 Missouri and No. 8 Northwestern.
In Texas' 11-1 win over the Tigers, Leighann Goode delivered a run-scoring triple during her first career collegiate plate appearance. Goode passed the freshman magic to Viviana Martinez, who singled home Goode. The duo sparked an eight-run outburst for the Longhorns over the next four innings all while fellow first-year Longhorn Mac Morgan was keeping Missouri out of the run column.
Facing a potential five-inning complete game shutout from Morgan, Missouri plated its only run in the bottom of the fifth inning to avoid an eight-run mercy rule and extend the game.
The offensive production for Goode and Martinez carried over into Texas' 10-9 loss to Northwestern, too, as the freshmen combined to go 4-for-6 at the plate with three runs batted in and three runs scored.
FROM HEAD COACH MIKE WHITE:
"(The freshmen) just aren't thinking like freshmen. They all understand that the game doesn't know you're a freshmen, so they're just up there attacking the pitchers and just playing the game as it should be played. In fact, they were the ones who looked like the veterans today, so hopefully we can take that and continue to build as a squad. It's just harder to have a full negative on the day. I think there were both some positives and negatives, but I think the positives definitely outweighed the negatives."
GAME NOTES:
- Mac Morgan, a first-year Longhorn after transferring from Arizona State, started Texas' win over No. 23 Missouri, which she limited to only one run, scattered five hits, issued one walk and struck out two batters in five innings of work.
- Viviana Martinez, who batted seventh against the Tigers and eighth against the Wildcats, finished her first two career collegiate softball games batting 1.000 as the Arizona native recorded five hits in five official plate appearances.
- Of Texas' 20 runs scored throughout Friday's two games, the Longhorns were credited with 14 2-out RBI led by Mia Scott's four. Additionally, Martinez (3), Jordyn Whitaker (3) and Alyssa Washington (2) all finished with multiple 2-out RBI.
- Eight different Texas softball student-athletes finished with at least one 2-out hit as the Longhorns concluded their two games Friday with a .567 batting average with two outs in an inning.
- Looking to build off her Big 12 All-Freshman campaign during the 2022 season, Katie Cimusz matched Martinez' team-high five hits, which included three extra base hits: two doubles as well as the team's first home run on the season with a sixth-inning solo shot against Northwestern.
- Texas' two-game run total of 20 was the highest by the Longhorn offense since plating 21 in games against UTA (14) on Wednesday, April 6, 2022 and Iowa State (7) on Sunday, April 3, 2022.
UP NEXT:
- Texas will continue its stay in Clearwater, Fla., where the Longhorns will play Illinois (1-1) and No. 13 Tennessee (2-0) on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 3:00 p.m. CT / 4:00 p.m. ET and 5:30 p.m. CT / 6:30 p.m. ET, respectively.
- Illinois beat Southern, 14-2, before dropping a contest to the Volunteers, 9-2.
- In addition to Tennessee's win over Illinois, the Volunteers also knocked off Howard, 21-1.
FOLLOW US:
- For the latest information on the team, follow @TexasSoftball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at @TexasLonghorns on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Morgan, Mac (1-0)
L: Weber, J. (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Washington, Alyssa 1 ; Cimusz, Katie 1
3B: Goode, Leighann 1
RBI: Popelka, Alyssa 1 ; Whitaker, Jordyn 1 ; Scott, Mia 2 ; Washington, Alyssa 2 ; Goode, Leighann 2 ; Martinez, Viviana 2
SH: Mitchell, Joley 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Popelka, Alyssa 1 ; Scott, Mia 1 ; Maloney, Ashton 1 ; Cimusz, Katie 2 ; Dayton, Bella 1 ; Goode, Leighann 3 ; Martinez, Viviana 1 ; Mitchell, Joley 1
SB: Scott, Mia 2 ; Goode, Leighann 1 ; Mitchell, Joley 1
CS: Cimusz, Katie 1
Batting:
2B: Moll, M. 1
RBI: Honnold, A. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Moll, M. 1
HBP: Hollingsworth, V. 1 ; Moll, M. 1
