The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
14-1
Northwestern State
10-11
No. 2/2 Softball hammers six home runs across two victories
03.01.2024 | Softball
Texas slashes .520/.590/1.060 en route to outscoring Northwestern State, Tarleton State 27-2 in 10 combined innings
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas' time on the softball diamond at Red & Charline McCombs Field didn't last long — only 10 innings across two games — on Friday, but it was long enough for the Longhorns to knockoff Northwestern State, 10-2, and Tarleton State, 17-0, in five innings, respectively.
In 50 official plate appearances on the day, the Texas offense returned to the form that saw the Longhorns score 10-or-more runs in four of their first five games to begin the 2024 season. Led by Katie Cimusz' 1.000 batting average (4-for-4), the Longhorns, as a team, hit .520 (26-50) with 11 different student-athletes earning at least one hit and, of those 11, six were credited with two or more. Cimusz, Alyssa Washington, Leighann Goode and Reese Atwood were all tied for the team lead in hits on the day with four each.
After Katie Stewart and Reese Atwood connected for home runs against the Lady Devils to begin the day, Kayden Henry, Leighann Goode and Alyssa Washington joined the home run festivities against the Texans the trio combing to hit four with Washington connecting for her first career multi-home run game. Atwood's home run was her 10th on the season, one shy of tying her season total (11) from her freshman campaign in 2023.
FROM HEAD COACH MIKE WHITE
"I thought the first game was kind of sloppy, to tell you the truth. Defensively, we just cannot make those kinds of mistakes. We need to stop doing that. Our goal today was to just hit the ball hard both games and we did that both games, so that was half the goal. But on the other side, the defensive side, we need to be better, especially when Mac (Morgan) is pitching. When Mac is pitching, we are getting a lot of groundballs, and we need to make those plays for her."
FROM SOPHOMORE LEIGHANN GOODE
"Tonight felt great. Just being back out there and just seeing the ball well and just putting the ball in play, it all just felt really good. For me, coming back from an injury, it was just see ball, hit ball and not try to over complicate things by trying to go too hard."
GAME NOTES
- The 17-run margin of victory in Texas' 17-0 win over Tarleton State marked the largest by the Longhorns in the series history.
- The previous mark was 16 set on March 13, 2021, when UT won, 21-5, in five innings.
- Friday afternoon's game marked the first time in the now three-game series history that Texas and Northwestern State did not play a full seven innings.
- In the previous two matchups entering this weekend, Texas knocked off Northwestern State, 3-2, on March 8, 2004 and then 7-2 on Feb. 9, 2019.
- After throwing four scoreless innings against Tarleton State on Friday night, Texas sophomore right-handed pitcher Citlaly Gutierrez has not gone to a full count (three balls and two strikes) to any of the 83 batters she's faced in 23.2 innings of work so far this season.
- Against Tarleton State, Katie Cimusz turned in her first career 4-for-4 performance at the dish as the junior finished the five-inning contest with a pair of singles and doubles.
- After failing to reach base during a game last time out at Texas State on Wednesday, Feb. 28, Reese Atwood responded by going a combined 4-for-7 (.571) with nine total bases, six runs batted in, four runs scored, a pair of doubles and a home run.
UP NEXT
- Texas (15-1) will look to extend its current winning streak of five consecutive games when the Longhorns take on Hofstra (2-7) at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, March 2.
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 (4-0)
L: Seely, Kenzie (4-5)
Base Running:
RUNS: Delafield, Aly 1 ; Ragsdale, Bailie 1
HBP: Delafield, Aly 1
Batting:
2B: Mitchell, Joley 1 ; Goode, Leighann 1
3B: Scott, Mia 1
HR: Stewart, Katie 1 ; Atwood, Reese 1
RBI: Stewart, Katie 2 ; Atwood, Reese 3 ; Mitchell, Joley 2 ; Goode, Leighann 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Scott, Mia 2 ; Stewart, Katie 1 ; Wallace, Adayah 1 ; Atwood, Reese 1 ; Washington, Alyssa 2 ; Mitchell, Joley 1 ; Cimusz, Katie 1 ; Dayton, Bella 1
SB: Washington, Alyssa 1 ; Maloney, Ashton 1
