The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
31-2, 0
Auburn
21-11, 0
No. 2/2 Softball earns first-ever SEC series sweep
03.23.2025 | Softball
Texas run-rules Auburn for second time in three-game series, wins fifth conference game in six contests
AUSTIN, Texas – A day after knocking off No. 23 Auburn via a three-run home run in the bottom of the seventh inning, The University of Texas softball program did not wait to rally from a two-run deficit as the Longhorns scored nine runs in the bottom of the second to build a foundation for its 13-2 victory over the Tigers to earn the program's first-ever SEC series sweep.
After Teagan Kavan (14-1) allowed the first two Auburn batters to score in the top of the first, the sophomore responded by retiring the next six consecutive, including four by strikeout, to give her offense an opportunity to answer back.
The Longhorns not only answered back in the bottom of the second but took command of the game with a nine-run, seven-hit frame, marking the most runs scored in a single inning by the Texas offense since scoring nine in the top of the fourth in an 18-2, five-inning win over Colorado State on Friday, Feb. 21, 2025.
The first four Texas batters successfully reached base with Leighann Goode, who drove in the Longhorns' first three runs in Saturday's contest, plating the first UT run on Sunday, too, with a four-pitch, bases-loaded walk. Ashton Maloney tied the game four pitches later with a sacrifice fly to right field to score Katie Stewart. Kayden Henry singled a 0-1 pitch back up the middle to score Katie Cimusz and the wheel didn't stop turning for the next 20 minutes.
Over the next five Texas batters, Mia Scott, Joley Mitchell and Stewart combined to drive in six runs with the big blow being a three-run home run off the bat of Stewart.
But the Longhorn offense didn't stop there as Henry made it 10-2, Texas, with a third-inning, two-out, run-scoring single to score Maloney. Stewart added a fourth inning, run-scoring single that hit one foot below the top of the Longhorns' 10-foot-high outfield wall. Vanessa Quiroga and Rachel Wells both drove in runs during the later stages of frame.
By the end of the bottom of the fourth, the Texas offense had tied its program-high for most runs in a SEC game with 13 and secured its third double-digit scoring affair in six SEC games.
FROM HEAD COACH MIKE WHITE
"The goal for the weekend was to end Sunday with three more wins and stay near the top in the race for the league championship. I thought the team played really well over the weekend; offensively, for sure, without a doubt. And Teagan Kavan earning three wins was stellar for us. I think Katie Stewart's performance was the most impressive thing I saw today. With her walk-off home run yesterday and then continued her home run streak today, it's great to see her get back to form. Of course, Reese (Atwood) was on it all weekend, too, and just the whole lineup being able to get hits all the way through, that's just what we need to do."
GAME NOTES
- By earning the win in all three conference games this weekend, Teagan Kavan became the first Texas pitcher since Blaire Luna in 2013 to be the winning pitcher in a three-game series conference sweep.
- Luna picked up the win in all three Big 12 matchups against Baylor during the 2013 campaign.
- When including her performance on Sunday afternoon, Texas leadoff batter Ashton Maloney failed to reach base just once in three games against Auburn over the weekend.
- Maloney slashed .833/.778/1.000 against Tiger pitching throughout the series sweep.
- Following its nine-run bottom of second, Texas now has a plus-61 run differential in the second inning of games this season.
- The Longhorns will enter their next game having scored 67 second inning runs, while limiting opponents to just six.
- In comparison to its first season in the Big 12 Conference in 1997, Texas' current 5-1 record in the SEC is the best start to a conference slate for the Longhorns' softball program in a new league in program history.
- Texas began its conference schedule in 1997 with a 3-3 record through its first six games.
- By taking all three games against Auburn over the weekend in just its second week of league action, it tied the quickest a Texas team swept a season series against a conference foe after joining a new league after the 1997 squad took back-to-back games against Iowa State, 4-2 and 1-0, on March 30, 1997.
- In 15 offensive innings against Auburn pitching this weekend, the Texas offense scored at least one run in nine different frames or 60 percent of offensive innings.
UP NEXT
- Texas (31-2, 5-1) will look for its 15th victory at Red & Charline McCombs Field this season when the Longhorns take on Stephen F. Austin at 6 p.m. CT on Tuesday, March 25.
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: Kavan, Teagan (14-1)
L: SJ Geurin (14-5)
Batting:
HR: Nelia Peralta 1
RBI: Nelia Peralta 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Icess Tresvik 1 ; Nelia Peralta 1
Batting:
2B: Atwood, Reese 1
HR: Stewart, Katie 1
RBI: Maloney, Ashton 1 ; Wells, Rachel 1 ; Henry, Kayden 2 ; Scott, Mia 2 ; Mitchell, Joley 1 ; Stewart, Katie 4 ; Goode, Leighann 1 ; Quiroga, Vanessa 1
SF: Maloney, Ashton 1 ; Quiroga, Vanessa 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Maloney, Ashton 1 ; Henry, Kayden 1 ; Scott, Mia 1 ; Atwood, Reese 2 ; Mitchell, Joley 2 ; Stewart, Katie 3 ; Cimusz, Katie 1 ; Wallace, Adayah 1 ; Goode, Leighann 1
SB: Maloney, Ashton 1 ; Henry, Kayden 1
HBP: Hunter, Victoria 1
