The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
37-6, 16-4
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Kansas
27-16-1, 11-9
No. 1/1 Softball claims third consecutive Big 12 series
04.20.2024 | Softball
Texas wins eighth straight game and will look for program-tying 17th conference victory on Sunday.
AUSTIN, Texas – Saturday's 11-3 Texas win over Kansas started with a run-scoring triple in the first inning and ended with a two-run, pinch-hit home run in the seventh. And in between was four more pitches hit out of Arrocha Ballpark as both teams combined for 12 hits throughout the 2-hour, 16-minute contest.
Saturday became the 11th different occurrence that an opponent scored first against the top-ranked Texas Longhorns after Hailey Cripe tripled home Presley Limbaugh with one out in the bottom of the first. But of those 11 times, UT has now won six of those games after responding with four unanswered runs in the top of the second and third innings. Both of those innings, coincidentally, featured two-run home runs as Kayden Henry gave the visitors a 2-1 lead in the second, before Reese Atwood made it 4-1 with her third-inning home run.
Cripe got a run back for the Jayhawks with a fourth-inning solo home run, but Texas responded with a four-run top of the fifth that was highlighted by Atwood's second two-run home run of the contest.
After Kansas plated a third run on a ground out to Mia Scott at third base, Texas answered right back as Henry scored from third on a fielder's choice in the sixth and then Katie Cimusz capped the afternoon's events with a pinch-hit, two-run home run in the top of the seventh.
FROM HEAD COACH MIKE WHITE
"Well, we got down early and got out of a jam, too. I thought Mac (Morgan) settled down and did a great job of being efficient there through the middle innings. She in trouble there in the fifth, so we brought Estelle (Czech) in. Estelle had a couple walks that could have turned out a little different, but we made some good plays there and after that she was in control. Reese (Atwood) had two home runs on the day, which were big for us and then the first home run by Kayden (Henry) really broke it open for us."
FROM SOPHOMORE CATCHER REESE ATWOOD
"We just wanted to go out there today and have more fun. Coming here to Kansas, it's pretty cold so we were trying to adjust to the weather and basically just tried to have fun and enjoy the game. I think yesterday was a little weird like we were just out there and today, it felt like the energy was real and actually there."
GAME NOTES
- With her two hits in four trips to the plate during Saturday afternoon's game, Mia Scott will enter Sunday's series finale with 199 career hits, which is the most by an active Texas softball student-athlete.
- Saturday's game marked the third career multi-home run for Texas sophomore catcher Reese Atwood and her first since Feb. 23, 2024 against Colorado State.
- With her stolen base in the top of the sixth, Texas freshman outfielder Kayden Henry now has a team-high and Big 12-leading 20 stolen bases on 23 attempts throughout the 2024 season.
- By earning the win in the circle on Saturday, Mac Morgan (10) joins Teagan Kavan (13) as the only Texas pitchers to have earned 10-or-more victories this season.
- Estelle Czech and Citlaly Gutierrez both have seven apiece in 17 and 15 pitching appearances, respectively.
- Texas is now 30-0 on the season when holding its opponents to two-or-fewer runs in a game.
- Reese Atwood will enter Sunday's series finale just one run batted in (RBI) back of tying the program's single-season RBI record (66) set by Taylor Thom in 2013 and then matched by Lindsey Stephens the following season.
- Atwood is now also just three home runs shy of tying Taylor Hoagland's single-season home run record (18) that was set during the 2012 campaign.
UP NEXT
- Texas (37-6, 16-4) will look for its single-season, program-tying 17th conference win on the season when the Longhorns conclude their three-game Big 12 series against Kansas (27-16-1, 11-9) at 12 p.m. on Sunday, April 21.
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.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Morgan, Mac (10-1)
L: Hamilton, Kasey (10-11)
Batting:
HR: Atwood, Reese 2 ; Cimusz, Katie 1 ; Henry, Kayden 1
RBI: Maloney, Ashton 1 ; Scott, Mia 1 ; Atwood, Reese 4 ; Cimusz, Katie 2 ; Henry, Kayden 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Maloney, Ashton 1 ; Martinez, Viviana 2 ; Atwood, Reese 2 ; Stewart, Katie 1 ; Mitchell, Joley 1 ; Cimusz, Katie 1 ; Henry, Kayden 2 ; Dayton, Bella 1
SB: Martinez, Viviana 1 ; Henry, Kayden 1 ; Dayton, Bella 2
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Batting:
3B: Cripe, Hailey 1
HR: Cripe, Hailey 1
RBI: Moore, Lyric 1 ; Cripe, Hailey 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Limbaugh, Presley 1 ; Cripe, Hailey 1 ; Price, Angela 1
HBP: Tatum, Emma 1
