The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
5-0
LMU
1-3
No. 8/5 Softball uses eight-run fourth to cap West Coast swing
02.11.2024 | Softball
Texas begins its latest season with third consecutive run-rule victory, fourth in 2024
LOS ANGELES — The high-octane Texas offense picked up right where it left off Saturday night as the Longhorns concluded its five-game swing throughout California with a 10-2 six-inning win over Loyola Marymount on Sunday afternoon.
After the game entered the top of the fourth tied 1-1, Alyssa Washington, who scored Texas' first run of the game on an Ashton Maloney infield single two innings earlier, sparked the momentum by drawing a one-out walk. She came around to score from first when freshman Kayden Henry connected for a double just four pitches later.
Henry took third on a fielder's choice off the bat of Maloney, before Victoria Hunter, who pinched hit for Bella Dayton, was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Mia Scott, who hit her first career grand slam just the night before in the Longhorns' 16-run win over No. 10/8 UCLA.
Even though the ball stayed in the park during Scott's at bat, the junior sent a pitch back up the middle to score Henry. Looking to capitalize on the momentous opportunity, true freshman Katie Stewart broke out the game when she sent a pitch blistering towards the Lions' third baseman, who was unable to field the ball as it began to roll into left-centerfield allowing both Maloney and Hunter to score.
Reese Atwood cleared the bases during the Longhorns' next plate appearance with a two-run double to the right-centerfield gap. The sophomore catcher became the seventh different Texas softball student-athlete to touch home plate in the inning when she came around to score on a Viviana Martinez single to right field.
Washington, who began the inning with a walk, capped Texas' scoring with a single through the left side to plate Martinez and give the Longhorns a 9-1 advantage on the scoreboard.
LMU responded with one in the bottom half of the fourth, but Texas answered back in the sixth to extend its lead back to an eight-run advantage.
GAME NOTES
- In just her third career collegiate softball game, Kayden Henry was credited with a career-high three hits in four official plate appearances.
- Henry, in 10 official trips to the dish, has six hits and four runs batted in (RBI).
- With her two hits against the Lions on Sunday, Reese Atwood now has 11 hits in just 15 official plate appearances.
- The sophomore catcher's hit total is highlighted by multi-hit games in four of the Longhorns' five games so far this season.
- With its eight-run fourth inning against the Lions, the Texas offense has now scored two-or-more runs in a single inning on 11 different occasions this season.
UP NEXT
- With its three-day trip to the West Coast now completed, Texas (5-0) will travel to the other side of the United States for a five-game-in-three-day span as part of the 2024 Shriners Children's Clearwater Invitational in Clearwater, Fla.
- The Longhorns will begin play at 5 p.m. CT / 6 p.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 16 against No. 2/2 Tennessee, which knocked off No. 22/19 Baylor twice over the weekend.
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: Kavan, Teagan (2-0)
L: Lindsay O'Dell (1-0)
Batting:
2B: Atwood, Reese 1 ; Mitchell, Joley 1 ; Henry, Kayden 1
RBI: Scott, Mia 1 ; Stewart, Katie 1 ; Atwood, Reese 2 ; Martinez, Viviana 1 ; Washington, Alyssa 1 ; Henry, Kayden 1 ; Maloney, Ashton 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hunter, Victoria 1 ; Scott, Mia 1 ; Stewart, Katie 1 ; Atwood, Reese 1 ; Martinez, Viviana 1 ; Mitchell, Joley 1 ; Washington, Alyssa 2 ; Henry, Kayden 1 ; Maloney, Ashton 1
SB: Mitchell, Joley 1 ; Washington, Alyssa 1 ; Henry, Kayden 1 ; Maloney, Ashton 1
HBP: Hunter, Victoria 1
Batting:
HR: Lauryn Carter 1
RBI: Lauryn Carter 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Lauryn Carter 2
SB: Avery Francis 1 ; Lauryn Carter 1 ; Elisa Rosado 1
HBP: Arianna Jaurequi 1
