The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
41-10
#13 Georgia (9th seed)
38-18
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 2 |
| Texas | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 9 | 0 |
No. 4 Softball’s Martinez walks off No. 9 Georgia to advance to SEC Championship
05.08.2026 | Softball
The junior shortstop delivered a two-out, walk-off single to send Texas to its first SEC Championship game.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – No. 4 Texas Softball's Viviana Martinez delivered a two-out single in the bottom of the seventh to walk off No. 9 Georgia, 5-4, Friday night at John Cropp Stadium and send the Longhorns to their first SEC Championship game.
It will be Texas' sixth conference championship game appearance and first since 2024. Texas won four Big 12 Tournament titles (1999, 2002, 2003, 2005). The Big 12 did not have a conference tournament from 2011-2016.
Texas improves to 41-10 and 3-1 against the Bulldogs this season. Texas' 19 wins against RPI Quad 1 teams leads the nation.
Junior RHP Teagan Kavan made her 26th start of the season and went 4.2 innings, surrendering four earned runs on six hits and firing three strikeouts. Kavan retired the first eight batters she faced and did not allow a UGA base runner until the top of the third. Kavan twirled four scoreless innings until the Bulldogs broke through with a four-run fifth. Kavan was replaced by senior RHP Citlaly Gutierrez with two outs and a runner on second base in the fifth. Gutierrez gave up back-to-back singles before forcing a ground out to end the inning. Gutierrez earned the win after shutting the door on Georgia in the sixth and seventh. Gutierrez retired six of the last seven batters to earn the win. Gutierrez moves to 8-3 in the circle.
The game remained scoreless until Texas scored three in the bottom of the fourth. Senior second baseman Leighann Goode muscled a one-out, two-run home run to right field to give Texas a 2-0 advantage. It was Goode's 11th home run of the season. The San Antonio, Texas, native has homered in back-to-back games. Following Goode, freshman designated player Hannah Wells tied the program's freshman home run record after smashing a solo shot to left center to extend the lead to 3-0. Wells' 13 home runs tie Katie Stewart's freshman program record, which was set in 2024.
The Bulldogs responded with a four-run fifth inning to capture a 4-3 lead.
With two away in the bottom of the sixth and pinch runner Adayah Wallace on second base, Wells battled in a nine-pitch at bat and cracked an RBI single to left field to score Wallace and even the ballgame at 4-4.
Freshman third baseman Jaycie Nichols peppered a leadoff single to shortstop in the bottom of the seventh to put the go-ahead run on for the Horns. With one down, junior center fielder Kayden Henry cracked a single up the middle to advance Nichols to second base. With two outs, Martinez roped her walk-off single up the middle to plate Nichols for the 5-4 win.
Up Next
No. 4 Texas takes on No. 2 Alabama in the SEC Championship at 4 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Gutierrez, Citlaly (8-3)
L: Presley Harrison (4-1)
Batting:
2B: Kierstin Roose 1 ; Bailey Lindemuth 1 ; Natalie Ray 1
HR: Tyler Ellison 1
RBI: Kierstin Roose 1 ; Jaydyn Goodwin 1 ; Tyler Ellison 1 ; Natalie Ray 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kierstin Roose 1 ; Tyler Ellison 1 ; Bailey Lindemuth 1 ; Natalie Ray 1
Batting:
2B: Atwood, Reese 1 ; Maloney, Ashton 1
HR: Goode, Leighann 1 ; Wells, Hannah 1
RBI: Martinez, Viviana 1 ; Goode, Leighann 2 ; Wells, Hannah 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Martinez, Viviana 1 ; Wallace, Adayah 1 ; Goode, Leighann 1 ; Wells, Hannah 1 ; Nichols, Jaycie 1
HBP: Martinez, Viviana 1
