The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
33-8-1, 6-3
Iowa State
12-22, 1-8
No. 9/10 Softball earns 33rd win, second Big 12 sweep
04.08.2023 | Softball
Texas races out to a seven-run lead after two innings, scores two more late to complete three-game sweep at Iowa State
AMES, IA – For the second time in the last three weeks, The University of Texas softball program completed a three-game sweep of a Big 12 Conference opponent following the Longhorns' 9-1 win at Iowa State on Saturday afternoon.
Reese Atwood began the offensive outburst for Texas on Saturday when the freshman catcher connected on a 2-1 pitch and sent it over the left field fence for a three-run home run in the top of the first. Following a seven-pitch bottom of the first from fellow freshman Citlaly Gutierrez (11-2), the Longhorn offense continued producing runs with a four-run bottom of the second.
After Iowa State strung together three two-out singles to produce a run in the bottom of the fourth, Baylea Brandon, who pinched hit for Alyssa Popelka with the bases loaded, was credited with an infield single that scored Lou Gilbert, who pinch ran for Courtney Day following a one-out single earlier in the top of the fifth, from third.
Two innings later, the Longhorns produced its ninth run on the afternoon when Popelka singled home Vanessa Quiroga, who earned her second start at first base for the second consecutive day, from third.
Moments later, sophomore Sophia Simpson entered the pitching circle with an eight-run lead to start the bottom of the seventh and went on to record four strikeouts in the inning to seal the series sweep.
FROM ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH STEVE SINGLETON
"(I saw) good focus (this weekend). They stuck to the game plan well and I don't think we really checked out. We've had some games this year where the younger bunch loses focus a little bit, but I thought everyone stayed focused. Everyone took good swings. They just had a good plan for what we wanted to do with each pitcher, and they went out and executed it."
FROM JUNIOR ALYSSA POPELKA
"My goal (today) was to just put the ball on the ground. I knew (Iowa State starting pitcher Jaiden Ralston) was a riseball pitcher, so I wanted to get on top of it. And then, when (Ellie) Spelhaug came in, my goal was to also slap it on the ground and use my speed."
GAME NOTES
- With her three-run home run in the top of the first inning, freshman catcher Reese Atwood now has a team-leading eight home runs on the season.
- Viviana Martinez turned in her team-leading ninth two-RBI outing when she capped a four-run top of the second when a two-run single to right field.
- Martinez' nine two-RBI games are one more than Leighann Goode, who is second on the team with eight total multiple RBI games.
- Martinez has 12 multiple RBI contests so far on the season.
- Martinez' nine two-RBI games are one more than Leighann Goode, who is second on the team with eight total multiple RBI games.
- Iowa State's fourth inning run on Saturday was the first earned run allowed by the Texas pitching staff on the weekend, snapping a streak of 15.2 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run.
- For the weekend, the quartet of Estelle Czech, Mac Morgan, Citlaly Gutierrez and Sophia Simpson combined for a 0.37 earned run average after allowing just one earned run in 19.0 innings of work.
- Czech, Morgan, Gutierrez and Simpson also combined to limit the Cyclone offense to just a .145 batting average.
- For the weekend, the quartet of Estelle Czech, Mac Morgan, Citlaly Gutierrez and Sophia Simpson combined for a 0.37 earned run average after allowing just one earned run in 19.0 innings of work.
- Alyssa Popelka turned in her first 3-for-3 game of the season and third of her career during Texas' win Saturday afternoon.
- Popelka's three hits marked the first time the Austin native has accomplished the feat since having three against Iowa State on April 2, 2022.
- By scoring from second on Reese Atwood's first-inning home run, sophomore Mia Scott scored her 100th career run, became the only active Longhorn softball student-athlete to have scored 100-or-more career runs.
- Scott, in just 106 career games at Texas, has now been credited with 130 career hits and 101 career runs scored.
- She's the only active Longhorn softball student-athlete to have accomplished the feat.
- Scott, in just 106 career games at Texas, has now been credited with 130 career hits and 101 career runs scored.
UP NEXT
- Texas (33-8-1) will now dip out of Big 12 Conference play for the first time since Wednesday, March 22 when the Longhorns travel down I-35 to San Marcos to play Texas State at 6 PM CT on Wednesday, April 12.
- The two softball programs played each other earlier this season — Sunday, March 12 — with the Bobcats earning a 5-4 victory in nine innings at Red & Charline McCombs Field.
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: Gutierrez, Citlaly (11-2)
L: Ralston, Jaiden (3-5)
Batting:
2B: Goode, Leighann 1
HR: Atwood, Reese 1
RBI: Goode, Leighann 1 ; Martinez, Viviana 2 ; Atwood, Reese 3 ; Popelka, Alyssa 1 ; Brandon, Baylea 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Goode, Leighann 1 ; Scott, Mia 2 ; Martinez, Viviana 1 ; Atwood, Reese 1 ; Mitchell, Joley 1 ; Quiroga, Vanessa 1 ; Maloney, Ashton 1 ; Popelka, Alyssa 1
SB: Popelka, Alyssa 1
HBP: Day, Courtney 1
Batting:
2B: Spelhaug, Carli 1
RBI: Johnson, Tatum 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Simpson, Kasey 1
