The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
25-3
Florida State
18-9
No. 3/2 Softball clamps down on No. 17/18 Florida State
03.20.2024 | Softball
Texas earns largest margin of victory in a softball game against Florida State in series history
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – For just the second time since the two teams first met on a softball diamond in March of 1998, The University of Texas softball program earned a victory over Florida State in less than seven innings after the Longhorns left Seminole Softball Complex on Wednesday night with a 10-0 win in six innings.
The offensive production that helped Texas outscore BYU, 30-3, last week, found its way to the Sunshine State for the mid-week contest as the Longhorns plated six runs throughout the game's first three innings with two coming in the first, one in the second and three in the third. The big blow, however, came three frames later when Reese Atwood connected for her 11th home run on the season — tying her personal single-season home run mark after totaling 11 in 172 plate appearances in 2023 — while pushing her runs batted in (RBI) total to 50.
With the home run, Atwood not only tied Loryn Johnson (2009) for seventh on the program's single-season RBI list but has also turned in just the eighth 50-RBI season in the program's history. And she's accomplished all that was 38 hits and six sacrifice flies — which ties the program's single-season record — in 85 official plate appearances.
Wednesday night's result marks the third run-rule victory for Texas over its last four games and has outscored its opponents 40-3 since dropping a three-run contest in Baton Rouge, La., at then-No. 2 LSU on Tuesday, March 12.
FROM HEAD COACH MIKE WHITE
"I think the last few times we've come out in big situations we've given up some runs in the first innings, so it was really important to get off to a good start and the team was able to do that tonight by scoring two runs in the first inning to set the tone. Then, of course, Mac Morgan went out and had four shutdown innings, then Estelle Czech was marvelous coming in out of the bullpen. Every time (Florida State) was able to get something going, our defense was able to snuff 'em out with some good plays. Florida State is a great team and can really hit. They hit some balls right at people and that was the difference tonight: we found some holes and they didn't."
FROM SOPHOMORE CATCHER REESE ATWOOD
"Being able to be a part of this team and being a part of this family and what it means, it's great just being able to have 20-plus girls who all behind you and support each other in all aspects."
GAME NOTES
- Texas pitchers Mac Morgan (60) and Estelle Czech (39) combined for the four-hit, six-inning shutout of Florida State's offense, which entered Wednesday night's game with the 18th-highest team batting average and seventh-highest scoring offense in the country, on just 99 pitches.
- Since allowing four runs in 2.2 innings of relief at Houston on Friday, March 10, 2024, Mac Morgan has gone on to throw 13.2 consecutive scoreless innings and lowered her season earned run average (ERA) from 1.96 to 1.27 over her last four appearances in the pitching circle.
- Of her 12 pitching appearances so far this season, Morgan has kept the opponent scoreless on 10 different occasions.
- With her four-RBI performance on the night, Texas sophomore catcher Reese Atwood became the first Division I softball student-athlete to reach the 50-RBI plateau this season.
- Atwood has reached the mark in just 85 official plate appearances throughout 28 games played this season.
- Courtesy of her bunt single to lead off the top of the first, Texas freshman outfielder Kayden Henry extended her career-long hitting streak to nine consecutive games, which is the longest active hitting streak on the team.
- Following Henry's single, Mia Scott successfully reached first base via an infield single, too, to extend her on-base streak to 17 consecutive games, which is two back to tying Katie Stewart for the longest by a Longhorn softball student-athlete this season.
UP NEXT
- Texas (25-3) will resume Big 12 Conference action on Friday, March 22, when the Longhorns travel down to Orlando, Fla., to begin a three-game series at 5 p.m. CT / 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
- The Longhorns and Golden Knights have only met one throughout Texas' program history when UCF earning a 15-10 result on Feb. 19, 2022 in Clearwater, Fla.
- Friday night's game will mark the first true home game in the series history.
- The Longhorns and Golden Knights have only met one throughout Texas' program history when UCF earning a 15-10 result on Feb. 19, 2022 in Clearwater, Fla.
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 (7-0)
L: Makenna Reid (5-1)
Batting:
2B: Washington, Alyssa 1
3B: Atwood, Reese 1
HR: Atwood, Reese 1
RBI: Scott, Mia 2 ; Atwood, Reese 4 ; Washington, Alyssa 1 ; Stewart, Katie 1 ; Cimusz, Katie 2
SH: Dayton, Bella 2
SF: Scott, Mia 1 ; Atwood, Reese 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Henry, Kayden 1 ; Scott, Mia 2 ; Mitchell, Joley 1 ; Atwood, Reese 1 ; Wallace, Adayah 1 ; Washington, Alyssa 1 ; Stewart, Katie 1 ; Martinez, Viviana 1 ; Maloney, Ashton 1
SB: Washington, Alyssa 1 ; Dayton, Bella 1
Base Running:
SB: Amaya Ross 1
HBP: Jaysoni Beachum 1
