No. 9/8 Softball concludes three-game series at Oklahoma

Sunday, April 2

Norman, Okla.

11 a.m.

University of Texas

30-8-1, 0

Oklahoma

33-1, 0

Texas

Oklahoma

Photo by: Texas Athletics

No. 9/8 Softball concludes three-game series at Oklahoma

04.02.2023 | Softball

Box Score

Eight runs throughout second, third innings haunt Texas in series finale against Oklahoma

By: Chris Allen Brown

NORMAN, OK – For the third consecutive regular season game against No. 1/1 Oklahoma, No. 9/8 Texas found its way into the run column first. But ultimately, it was the Sooners who picked up the win — 10-2 — in six innings Sunday afternoon.

Mia Scott opened the 11 AM CT contest by sending a 1-2 pitch from Nicole May (10-0) beyond the right-centerfield fence for a solo home run in the top of the first. However, Oklahoma (33-1, 6-0) tied the game in the bottom half when Jayda Coleman scored from third on a 6-4-3 double play turned by the Longhorn defense.

An inning later, Tiara Jennings put a 1-1 pitch up into the Oklahoma crosswinds that ultimately landed inches beyond the right-field fence for a three-run home to push the Sooners ahead. A five-run bottom of the third followed for the home team, which capitalized on two Longhorn fielding errors to take an eight-run lead into the top of the fourth.

The bottom of the lineup produced the second run for Texas (30-8-1, 3-3) in the top of the fourth after Viviana Martinez reached first on a fielding error by Oklahoma's Cydney Sanders. Martinez advanced to second on a first-pitch single off the bat of Katie Cimusz, before moving to third on a fielder's choice. On the very next pitch, Lou Gilbert plated Martinez with a single to left field.

Oklahoma brought the game to an end in the bottom of the sixth with a two-out double to the right-centerfield gap.

FROM HEAD COACH MIKE WHITE

"We battled today. We got down early and kept fighting. Early on, there was that one wind-aided home run that helped their cause, but there's not much you can do about that. They took advantage of (the wind). We had the same wind but couldn't. That was just the disappointing part of it: the management of the strike zone. We chased some pitches that we shouldn't have and then, of course, the five unearned runs … you just cannot do that against a team as good as Oklahoma."

GAME NOTES

With Mia Scott's first inning home run, Texas has now hit at least one home run in all six Big 12 games so far this season.
- The long ball was Scott's first since a Sunday game in Austin against UIW on Feb. 19, 2023.
With her two hits on the afternoon, Katie Cimusz recorded her first multi-hit game since going 2-for-3 against Texas Tech on Friday, March 24, 2023.
- On the season, Cimusz now has six multi-hit games, which is tied with Alyssa Washington and Bella Dayton for the sixth most on the team this season.
Leighann Goode added to her team-leading hit total with a one-out, infield single during the top of the third inning.
- Goode now has 54 hits on the season, five more than Mia Scott's 49 for second place and eight more than Viviana Martiniez for the most by a Longhorn freshman softball student-athlete.
Sunday's game marked the first time since April 18, 2021, that the Texas pitching staff did not strikeout at least one batter.
- The Longhorns have struck out at least one batter in every game since April 18, 2021, when Texas dropped a five-inning game, 9-0, against Oklahoma in Norman.
Working four innings of relief during Sunday's game, Citlaly Gutierrez did not issue a walk, marking the second time in conference play this season she did not allow a free pass.
- The four innings of walk-less softball is the third-most innings of work without a walk for Gutierrez this season: 6 innings against Lehigh (March 18) and 5 frames versus Texas Southern (Feb. 26).
- She also did not allow a walk in an inning of work against Texas Tech on March 24, 2023.

UP NEXT

Texas (30-8-1) will continue Big 12 action the next time the Longhorns take the field as a three-game series in Ames, Iowa against Iowa State awaits.
- The first game of Texas' third conference series of the year will begin at 4 PM CT on Thursday, April 6. The second contest is scheduled for 4 PM on Friday, April 7, while the finale is slated for 1 PM on Saturday, April 8.
  - All games will be available to stream on ESPN+ or heard on the airwaves at 105.3 FM with Andrew Haynes on the call.

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.