The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
1-0
San Diego
0-3
No. 8/5 Softball begins new season with a pair of wins
02.10.2024 | Softball
Texas opens the 2024 campaign with a no-hitter, before taking down No. 10/8 UCLA
LOS ANGELES – One doesn't have to be a pitching guru like Texas softball head coach Mike White to appreciate what the Longhorn pitching staff achieved during a 19-0 win over San Diego and a 3-2 victory against No. 10/8 UCLA on Friday.
White wasted little time in opting to send Mac Morgan (1-0) to the pitching circle in 2024 as the junior right-hander drew the starting assignment for Texas' season-opening contest against San Diego (0-2). The Missouri tossed 93 pitches, struck out five, issued only one walk and did not allow a hit throughout the game's five innings. As a result, she became just the fourth student-athlete — joining Christa Williams, Carmen Martinez and Blaire Luna — in program history to throw a no-hitter in the first game of the season.
Luna was the last to achieve the feat with a seven-inning, 14-strikeout performance against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Feb. 7, 2013.
Morgan received more than enough run support — the Longhorns scored at least two runs in all five innings, including a nine-run top of the fifth —to cruise to her 19th win since arriving on the Forty Acres.
In the night gap in front of a nation-wide audience on ESPN, White elected to give the ball to true freshman Teagan Kavan against No. 10/8 UCLA, marking the second consecutive season the head coach has started a true freshman against a top-10 ranked opponent in the second game of the season after starting Citlaly Gutierrez against then-No. 8 Northwestern on Feb. 10, 2023.
Kavan, a highly-touted recruit out of West Des Moines, Iowa, was more than spectacular as the 6-foot, right-hander blanked the Bruin offense for five consecutive innings, while the Longhorns built a three-run lead that was sparked by a solo home run off the bat of Reese Atwood in the top of the second.
UCLA (1-1) attempted a late-game rally when the Bruins loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the sixth, which ultimately led to Gutierrez enter from the bullpen, but the home team only plated two runs and still trailed by one.
The Texas victory was clinched when the Stamford, Texas native returned to the circle for the seventh and retired the Bruins in order on just 12 pitches for her fourth career save.
FROM HEAD COACH MIKE WHITE
"We didn't want to leave tonight looking at the wins and losses, but, obviously, finishing the day with two wins is awesome. I thought, to be in this environment against that kind of pressure playing one of the top teams in the country and to hang on to a one-run win, tonight was huge for us. That really helps with the confidence."
FROM JUNIOR PITCHER MAC MORGAN
"You know, I wasn't really thinking about the no-hitter, because I was just out there (on the field) having fun and ready to get back into the swing of things. Every time I take the circle, I'm going to compete with every pitch that I throw for my girls."
FROM SOPHOMORE CATCHER REESE ATWOOD
"I thought Teagan (Kavan) had the mental side of a veteran (against UCLA) tonight. I thought she went out there and pitched so well even though she's a freshman. It's really awesome to see her succeed like that."
GAME NOTES
- Texas' 19 runs against San Diego on Friday afternoon were the most by a Longhorn program in a season-opening game since scoring 23 against Cal State Fullerton in a 23-0 five-inning win on Feb. 9, 2012.
- With the win over San Diego, Texas now moves to 28-0 in season-opening games since the program became a varsity sport on the Forty Acres in 1997.
- Mac Morgan tossed her first career no-hitter — regardless of innings pitched — by keeping San Diego out of the hit column for the duration of the game's five innings.
- Morgan is now in a five-way tie for sixth on the program's career no-hitter/perfect game chart with two.
- Friday's no-hitter by the Missouri native was the 55th no-hitter or perfect game in program history and first since Morgan and Estelle Czech combined for a five-inning no-hitter against Seton Hall on May 19, 2023.
- With the win over UCLA to cap the day, Texas snapped a streak of six consecutive losses against ranked opponents.
- The victory was the first for the Longhorns against a top-25 team since knocking off then-No. 3 Oklahoma State, 5-2, on April 22, 2023.
- Following the win over the Bruins, Texas is now 3-2 all time against UCLA in games played in Los Angeles.
- In fact, the Longhorns have now handed the Bruins their last two home losses against a non-conference opponent.
- Feb. 27, 2020 – UT, 6-4 (8 innings)
- Feb. 9, 2024 – UT, 3-2 (7 innings)
- In fact, the Longhorns have now handed the Bruins their last two home losses against a non-conference opponent.
UP NEXT
- No. 8/5 Texas (2-0) will look to add to the win column on Saturday, Feb. 10, when the Longhorns play San Diego (3:30 p.m. CT) and No. 10/8 UCLA (6 p.m. CT).
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: Rose (0-1)
Batting:
2B: Hunter, Victoria 1 ; Stewart, Katie 1 ; Quiroga, Vanessa 1 ; Mitchell, Joley 1
HR: Washington, Alyssa 1
RBI: Dayton, Bella 3 ; Hunter, Victoria 2 ; Martinez, Viviana 2 ; Stewart, Katie 2 ; Atwood, Reese 3 ; Washington, Alyssa 1 ; Quiroga, Vanessa 2 ; Cimusz, Katie 1 ; Whitaker, Jordyn 1
SH: Washington, Alyssa 1
SF: Atwood, Reese 1 ; Whitaker, Jordyn 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dayton, Bella 2 ; Scott, Mia 2 ; Hunter, Victoria 1 ; Martinez, Viviana 1 ; Stewart, Katie 3 ; Atwood, Reese 1 ; Washington, Alyssa 1 ; Quiroga, Vanessa 1 ; Mitchell, Joley 3 ; Cimusz, Katie 1 ; Maloney, Ashton 3
SB: Dayton, Bella 1 ; Scott, Mia 1 ; Mitchell, Joley 2
