Stewart’s slam sends No. 2/2 Softball into win column for 30th time

Saturday, March 22

Austin, TX

2 PM CT

University of Texas

30-2, 0

Auburn

21-10, 0

Auburn

Texas

Stewart’s slam sends No. 2/2 Softball into win column for 30th time

03.22.2025 | Softball

Box Score

Texas claims second consecutive SEC series victory and wins fourth conference game.

By: Chris Allen Brown

AUSTIN, Texas – Saturday afternoon, again, showed why the middle of the Texas lineup is one of the most dangerous in all of collegiate softball as the combination of Reese Atwood, Joley Mitchell and Katie Stewart sparked a bottom-of-the-seventh rally that spawned a 7-5 Longhorn win over Auburn, the 30th of the season for the UT program.

After falling behind 5-0 following the first three innings, Texas junior shortstop Leighann Goode ignited the spark with a two-out, three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth to cut the Longhorns' deficit to two. It became a one-run game an inning later when Mitchell scored Ashton Maloney from third with a two-out infield single to cap a seven-pitch plate appearance.

Texas appeared to be in prime position to take the lead in the bottom of the sixth after Goode drew a one-out, full-count walk. She advanced to third on the very next pitch as Kaydee Bennett singled to the outfield and then took second on the play. But Maloney and Kayden Henry were unable to score either.

Trailing by a run to start the bottom of the seventh, Atwood earned a one-out, six-pitch walk to put the game-tying run on base. Four pitches later, Mitchell sent a 2-1 pitch to left field for a double and move Atwood to third.

Following a break in the action that saw Texas insert Adayah Wallace into the lineup as a pinch runner for Atwood at third and Auburn talking to pitcher SJ Geurin (14-4) in the circle, Stewart sent the first pitch of her at bat 245 feet for a game-ending, three-run home run to clinch the Longhorns' second consecutive conference series win.

FROM HEAD COACH MIKE WHITE

"Obviously, getting down five runs early was tough and then you have to think about just chipping away at it with one run here, one run there. We weren't able to do that early, but Leighann Goode had a nice at bat and put us on the board with a three-run shot, then we knew we'd have a chance, if our pitching was able to hold them down. We were able to do that with Mac (Morgan) and Teagan (Kavan). And it was huge for us to see (Katie Stewart) be able to come through today. We know what she's capable of and when she gets her mind right and a pitch she can hit, that's what happens."

FROM SOPHOMORE KATIE STEWART

"Right before I got into the box, I closed my eyes and visualized myself coming through in that moment, then actually being able to come through for my team really shows how badly I wanted it; that visualization really helped. This feels really good, especially after the stretch I've been struggling in, so to have this moment, really means a lot to me."

GAME NOTES

With the win, Texas has now won 30-or-more games in a single for the 16th consecutive completed* season.
- The Longhorns were on pace to reach the mark in 2020, but the season was halted after Texas had won 24 of its first 27 games.
With her three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth inning, Texas junior Leighann Goode matched her single-game RBI high (3) that she set in Tucson, Ariz., where the Longhorns knocked off Colorado State, 18-2, in five innings on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.
Saturday afternoon's win marked the first time Texas softball has walked off a conference opponent with a game-ending at bat in the bottom of the seventh since Reese Atwood hit a three-run home run off Kelly Maxwell in the bottom of the seventh of the Longhorns' 3-2 win over then-No. 3/3 Oklahoma State on Saturday, April 22, 2023.
Katie Stewart's game-ending home run on Saturday afternoon marks the second walk-off victory for Texas this season after the Longhorns recorded a walk-off fielder's choice in the bottom of the ninth in a 2-1 result against then-No. 11/8 Texas Tech on Friday, Feb. 14, 2025.
After allowing just a single earned run in her first-ever SEC appearance on Saturday, March 15, second-year Longhorn Teagan Kavan has now not allowed an earned run in her last three conference appearances, a span of 10.0 consecutive innings.
- In total, Kavan has not allowed an earned run in her last 11.0 consecutive innings pitched.

UP NEXT

Texas (30-2, 4-1) will look to sweep its first-ever SEC series sweep on Sunday, March 23, when the Longhorns and Tigers square off for the finale of the weekend's three-game series at 12 p.m. CT.

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