No. 7/7 Softball knocks off No. 3/3 Cowgirls in eight innings

Friday, April 21

Austin, Texas

4:30 p.m.

University of Texas

37-9-1, 0

Oklahoma State

39-6, 0

Oklahoma State

Texas

No. 7/7 Softball knocks off No. 3/3 Cowgirls in eight innings

04.21.2023 | Softball

Box Score

For the second consecutive Big 12 Conference game, freshman Reese Atwood provides late-game heroics to lift Texas to the win

By: Chris Allen Brown

AUSTIN, TX – Just five days after helping No. 7/7 Texas to a series win over Kansas, freshman catcher Reese Atwood struck, again, during the Longhorns' 1-0 win over No. 3/3 Oklahoma State on Friday night.

As Oklahoma State's starting pitcher Lexi Kilfoyl took a no-hitter into the bottom of the seventh, Atwood was credited with the first of her game-high two hits after singling an 0-2 pitch through the left side of the diamond to break up the Cowgirls' no-hitter.

An inning later, Atwood, again, stepped up to the plate in a game-altering situation.

After Ashton Maloney and Mia Scott recorded back-to-back one-out singles in the bottom of the eighth, Viviana Martinez advanced both on a groundout to first base. Following a two-out, full-count walk by Leighann Goode to load the bases, Atwood sent an 0-1 pitch back up the middle to score Maloney from third for her second consecutive game-ending, run-scoring hit in as many Longhorn conference games.

FROM HEAD COACH MIKE WHITE

"First off, hats off to Lexi Kilfoyl, she pitched a great game and was really frustrating us by keeping the ball down and made some tremendous plays. And then Rachel Becker, at second base, was an all-star today and kept making great defensive plays. It was a really tight ballgame and we just had to keep pushing and keep grinding. Mac Morgan kept us right in that game with her pitching after giving up a few hits early on."

FROM FRESHMAN REESE ATWOOD

"In the eighth inning, with the bases loaded, I knew I wanted to hit the ball on the ground and that's what I did. I shortened up my stride and just focused on making contact and just found a hole in the defense."

GAME NOTES

Friday's win marked the first time Texas has won three conference games via game-ending hits under fifth-year head coach Mike White.
- The Longhorns opened conference play by scoring two in the bottom of the seventh in a 3-2 win over Texas Tech on Friday, March 24.
- Texas, then, broke a 2-2 tie with a single run in the bottom of the seventh in a 3-2 win over Kansas on Sunday, April 16.
  - Last season, Texas beat Iowa State in seven and eight innings, respectively, in back-to-back days on April 1 and April 2, 2022.
- The last time Texas has had at least three game-ending at bats in three Big 12 games in the same season came during the 2006 season.
With her career-high eight scoreless innings pitched Friday evening, first-year Longhorn Mac Morgan extended her career-long streak of consecutive scoreless frames to 28.0.
Friday night's eight-inning complete game shutout was first of Mac Morgan's collegiate career.
- Additionally, Morgan's eight innings pitched were a career high.
Mac Morgan has not allowed an extra base hit in her last 26.0 consecutive innings dating back to a leadoff double in the top of the second of a five-inning win on Thursday, April 6.
Friday evening's win over Oklahoma State marked the first time Texas has beaten the Cowgirls in Austin since April 20, 2018, when the Longhorns won 3-0.
- Friday's series-opening victory also marked the first Texas win over Oklahoma State in Austin under fifth-year head coach Mike White.
Texas' win over No. 3/3 Oklahoma State on Friday marked the first win over a top-three ranked softball program in Austin since knocking off then-No. 1 Oklahoma, 4-2, on April 16, 2022.

UP NEXT

Texas (37-9-1, 9-4) will look for its fourth Big 12 Conference series win on the season when the Longhorns and Oklahoma State (39-6, 8-2) will conclude the weekend's three-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 22.
- First pitch of game one is set for 12 PM CT, while the second is slated for 3 PM.
  - The first game will be broadcasted live on Longhorn Network, while game two will be shown on LHN following Texas' baseball game against Oklahoma.

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