No. 11/9 Softball pushes win total to 25

Saturday, March 18

Tampa, Fla.

1 p.m.

University of Texas

24-5-1

Lehigh

17-6

Lehigh

Texas

03.18.2023 | Softball

Box Score 1 Box Score 2 Photo Gallery

Texas bounces back from Friday night’s heartbreaker to knock off Lehigh, Iowa to add to its season win total

By: Chris Allen Brown

TAMPA, FL – As she did just four days ago in Huntsville, Reese Atwood directed both the Texas pitching staff as well as the team's offense as the Longhorns beat both Lehigh, 7-0, and Iowa, 5-1, during their Saturday slate of games at the South Florida Showdown.

Against the Mountain Hawks, Atwood was behind the dish for Texas' seventh shutout on the season. Citlaly Gutierrez (8-1) worked six scoreless innings and did not issue a walk while striking out three. Mac Morgan, with the Longhorns holding a seven-run advantage, took over in the pitching circle to toss a scoreless seventh inning and close the door on Lehigh.

Nearly six hours later — because of a lengthy rain delay during the game between Texas' two — Atwood turned in her first career four-RBI game, one shy of tying her career high of five set against Illinois on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023. She broke a 0-0 tie in the top of the fourth when a two-run single to left field before extending the Longhorns' lead with a two-run home run two innings later.

FROM HEAD COACH MIKE WHITE

"Yeah, it was a good bounce back day for us. We came out with two wins and had solid performances both in the (pitching) circle and (in) the field and at the plate. It was good to see some great pitching performances out there, too. Citlaly (Gutierrez) did a great job out there for us and Mac Morgan threw well, too. I thought the most impressive thing I saw from the team today was the noise. We picked ourselves up. Yesterday, we were flat and today there was some good energy from the team and that's something we've talked about."

FROM FRESHMAN CATCHER REESE ATWOOD

"Yeah, what was really working for me (at the plate today) was just seeing the ball (well) out of the pitchers' hand. I had struggled a little bit recently, because I wasn't making great contact, but everything is starting to click now."

GAME NOTES

Texas freshman right-handed pitcher Citlaly Gutierrez threw 8.1 innings across both Longhorn games on Saturday and did not allow an earned run, pushing her consecutive scoreless appearance streak to four.
- The four-game scoreless appearance streak ties Gutierrez' career long after she did not allow a run in four consecutive stints from Feb. 25, 2023 to March 3, 2023.
Mac Morgan's four strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work against Iowa marked the most strikeouts in a game by the Arizona State transfer since she struck out four UIW Cardinal batters in five innings on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023.
Camille Corona earned her first start of the season when the Dripping Springs native was penciled in at third base in Texas' starting lineup against Iowa.
- In three official plate appearances against the Hawkeyes, Corona matched her season high with two hits while also scoring a run.
  - Against Texas Southern on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2023, Corona turned in her only other two-hit performance on the season when she was credited with two hits and an RBI in three at bats.
By entering the pitching circle in the bottom of the fifth inning with Iowa runners on first and second and Texas holding a 2-1 lead, Citlaly Gutierrez went on to retire the next seven consecutive Hawkeye batters to earn her team-leading second save on the season.
Texas' freshman infielder Viviana Martinez turned in her team-leading ninth multi-RBI game on the season when the Arizona native drove in the first three runs in the Longhorns' seven-run victory over Lehigh.
- Not only does Martinez lead the team with nine multi-RBI contests, her three-RBI performance Saturday afternoon tied her with fellow Longhorn freshman Leighann Goode for the team lead with two three-RBI games this season.

UP NEXT

Texas (25-5-1) will conclude its five-game slate at the South Florida Showdown on Sunday, March 19, when the Longhorns play host USF (19-14) at 11:30 AM CT / 12:30 PM ET.
- The two teams tangled Friday night with the Bulls winning, 4-3, on a game-ending solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

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