No. 3/2 Softball’s Kavan tosses third career complete game shutout

Friday, March 22

Orlando, FL

5 PM CT

University of Texas

26-3, 0

UCF

14-12, 0

Texas

UCF

No. 3/2 Softball’s Kavan tosses third career complete game shutout

03.22.2024 | Softball

Box Score

Behind stellar defense, Teagan Kavan completes her third seven-inning shutout, first in Big 12 play

By: Chris Allen Brown

ORLANDO, Fla. – Despite a softball program from the Central Time Zone playing a game in the Eastern Time Zone, it was the UCF Knights who were affected by the time change when 'T Time' blanked the diamond at the UCF Softball Complex as Teagan Kavan held the homestanding Knights without a run in Texas' 5-0 win.

Back by two first inning runs before evening throwing a pitch on Friday night, Kavan (11-1) entered the circle for her third career start against a Big 12 Conference opponent and was nothing short of perfect through the game's opening stages as the freshman right-hander retired the first 10 consecutive Knight batters. A one-out, bloop single into no-man's land in shallow right field in the bottom of the fourth gave UCF its first baserunner of the game.

But Kavan responded by inducing a pop-up to Alyssa Washington and a groundball back to herself for her fourth consecutive scoreless frame. Following another 1-2-3 inning in the fifth, the Iowa native surrendered back-to-back one-out singles in the sixth, but a flyball to Bella Dayton in left field and a flyball to Kayden Henry in center capped the inning.

UCF, again, attempted a rally with back-to-back two-out singles followed by a walk to load the bases in the bottom of the seventh, but Kavan's 93rd pitch of the evening resulted in her ninth flyout and the game's 21st out without the Knights scoring.

FROM HEAD COACH MIKE WHITE

"I thought (Teagan's dominance) started straight away as she started the game by retiring the first 10 consecutive batters, so that was pretty cool. Then it was really nice to see our bats going out and scoring two runs in the first was really nice as well. I thought (Kayden Henry and Mia Scott) did a good job at the plate tonight. We had a few opportunities to create a bigger gap there, too, but weren't able to do it so that was a little disappointing. But our defense was solid tonight; made some nice catches in the outfield and there were some good plays by the infield, too."

FROM FRESHMAN PITCHER TEAGAN KAVAN

"I really just went out there and was hitting my spots tonight. I was pitching to contact tonight and my defense continued to make play after play tonight. The early lead really helped so much, too. I always have confidence in our offense, so trusting them and trusting they're going to give me run support makes my job easier."

GAME NOTES

Friday night's win for Texas marked the first-ever win by either softball program in Austin or Orlando during the series history.
Courtesy of Teagan Kavan's seven-inning complete game shutout against UCF on Friday evening, the Texas pitching staff and defense have combined to not allow a run over the last 20.2 consecutive innings played on a softball diamond, tying the longest such streak by the Longhorns this season.
- Earlier this season, Texas did not allow a run from Friday, March 1 against Northwestern State to Monday, March 4 against Penn State for a span of 20.2 consecutive scoreless innings.
With her one-out single down the left-field line in the top of the second, Kayden Henry extended her active hitting streak to 10 consecutive games, creating the second double-digit hitting streak by a Longhorn softball student-athlete this season after Katie Stewart recorded a 15-game streak.
By scoring two runs in the top of the first and then going on to earn the win on Friday night, Texas moved to 23-0 on the season when scoring first.
With her two-run triple during a three-run top of the fourth, Mia Scott has now been credited with five triples on the season, which is now tied for the sixth most by a single Longhorn softball student-athlete during a single season.
- The triple was also the 12th of her career, which is the fourth most in the program's history and one shy of tying Lindsey Stephens (2013-16) and Shannon Thomas (2006-07) for second place.
  - Brejae Washington (2011-14) holds the program record with 20 career triples.
As a result of tossing seven scoreless frames on Friday, Teagan Kavan lowered her season earned run average (ERA) to 1.65, which is good enough for the sixth lowest career ERA in program history with a minimum of 50.0 innings pitched.
- Kavan's 1.65 career ERA is now the lowest career ERA by an active Longhorn pitcher as her Friday night performance dropped her ERA lower than Citlaly Gutierrez' 1.79.

UP NEXT

Texas (26-3, 6-1) will look for its third consecutive Big 12 Conference series win this season when the Longhorns and UCF Knights (14-12, 2-5) tangle, again, at UCF Softball Complex at 1 p.m. CT / 2 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 23.

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