No. 2/2 Softball concludes series in Stillwater

Saturday, March 30

Stillwater, OK

1 PM CT

University of Texas

29-5, 9-3

Oklahoma State

29-6, 9-3

Texas

Oklahoma State

03.30.2024 | Softball

Box Score

Texas’ pitching staff retires last 17 Cowgirl batters, but first-inning home run haunts Longhorns

By: Chris Allen Brown

STILLWATER, Okla. – Just a simple eight-pitch sequence to a three-batter stretch during the bottom of the first was Texas' undoing in Saturday's three-game series finale as the Longhorns fell to Oklahoma State, 3-0, to drop its first conference series on the 2024 season.

After retiring Oklahoma State's leadoff batter Tallen Edwards with a ground out to Viviana Martinez at shortstop on the third pitch of the at bat to begin the bottom of the first, Rosie Davis reached first on a fielding error by Longhorn third baseman Mia Scott to cap a five-pitch plate appearance. Karli Godwin was hit on very next pitch, before Caroline Wang connected for a one-out, three-run home run on the second pitch of her at bat to give the Cowgirls a 3-0 lead.

Following Wang's one-out home run in the bottom of the first, the Oklahoma State offense did not reach base throughout the remainder of Saturday's 1-hour-and-38-minute game. Czech (4-3) retired the next two batters after Wang's hit and then set down the Cowgirls 1-2-3 in the second, before inducing a fly out to Martinez to begin the third.

Mac Morgan entered the pitching circle for Texas following the out and went on to strikeout Davis and Godwin to end the inning. The Missouri native tossed 28 more pitches throughout the fourth, fifth and sixth innings and did not allow a base runner.

Unfortunately, though, Oklahoma State's Lexi Kilfoyl (13-2) was doing the same thing to the Texas offense as Longhorn batters were retired in order in four different innings, while no more than one UT batter reached base during the same inning on the afternoon. Martinez was the only batter to reach second base during the game as the Arizona native advanced to second on a ground ball off the bat of Alyssa Washington for the second out in the second inning.

FROM HEAD COACH MIKE WHITE

"I think we showed we have the ability, but, unfortunately, we just had that one mistake today. The depth of our staff is the strength of our staff. Mac Morgan is throwing pretty well right now. Estelle Czech did a great job with the exception of the one mistake. And, of course, Citlaly (Gutierrez) pitched real well last night and Teagan (Kavan) will bounce back. And we always have Sophia (Simpson) as well, so what we have to take is that we can pitch well in these situations."

GAME NOTES

With her single to left field to lead off the top of the third inning, Ashton Maloney extended her active hitting and on-base streak to seven consecutive games.
- Maloney's now eight-game hitting streak is tied for the third-longest hitting streak by a Longhorn softball student-athlete this season.
By finishing Saturday's contest 0-for-3 with no walks or hit by pitches, Mia Scott's career-long 21-game on-base streak came to an end.
- Scott's 21-game on-base streak was the longest since Janae Jefferson successfully reached base in 24 straight contests from March 26 to May 21 in the 2022 campaign.
As a result of drawing a full-count walk to cap a 10-pitch plate appearance in the top of the second, sophomore Viviana Martinez has now drawn at least one walk in each of Texas' Big 12 Conference series this season.
- Dating back to the final Big 12 regular season series of the 2023 season against Baylor, Martinez has now drawn at least one walk in her last five consecutive regular season conference series.
Mac Morgan's four strikeouts on the day were the most by the right-hander since fanning five San Diego batters in five no-hit innings on Feb. 9, 2024.
- It was also the most strikeouts for Morgan against a Big 12 opponent during the regular season since striking out four Kansas Jayhawks on April 15, 2023.

UP NEXT

Texas (29-5, 9-3) will now return to Red & Charline McCombs Field, where the Longhorns will play their first softball games in Austin since Friday, March 15 when they open a three-game series against No. 1 Oklahoma on Friday, April 5.
- When the Longhorns and Sooners' series begins next week, it'll mark the first home game for Texas in 22 calendar days.

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