Courtesy of Texas Athletics
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – On a gorgeous Thursday afternoon in Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic action at Big League Dreams Park, No. 25 Texas (8-3) got a clutch three-run double from senior right fielder Marlee Gabaldon, a two-run inside-the-park HR from junior third baseman Stephanie Ceo and a three-hit shutout by freshman pitcher Erica Wright to hand No. 8 Georgia (11-1) its first loss of 2015, 5-0.
With the game scoreless until the top of the seventh inning, Gabaldon unloaded the bases with a clutch two-bagger into the gap before Ceo soon added some insurance on an inside-the-park HR to right center. Sophomore left fielder Stephanie Wong (1-for-2) and junior first baseman Holly Kern (1-for-3, run) added UT’s other base hits.
Wright (3-2) was tremendous in the circle, allowing just three hits, walking one and striking out one in her second career complete-game shutout. The victory was her second over a ranked team this season after knocking off No. 16 Arizona State back on Feb. 8 at the Kajikawa Classic, 9-4.
It was a pitcher’s duel right from the start between Wright and Georgia’s Chelsea Wilkinson as each team managed a single base runner during the opening three innings. Texas’ Wong reached a one-out, first-inning walk while a Georgia got an opening frame single to deep short from right fielder Sydni Emanuel.
Texas’ offense mounted the first serious scoring chance for either team in the top of the fourth. Wong got things started with one down on a single just over short and on to the grass in left center. A Lindsey Stephens sacrifice bunt and a wild pitch advanced the runner to third. Unfortunately for the Horns, she was left stranded 60 feet from pay dirt on a routine “can of corn” to center.
As has become a habit in the early season, sophomore shortstop Devon Tunning made another terrific catch at short. With two down in the bottom of the fourth, dangerous Georgia shortstop Alex Hugo stepped to the plate and ripped a liner to Tunning’s left. The Montgomery, Texas, product reacted quickly, diving fully extended to prevent a base hit.
A Texas miscue got the Bulldogs in business starting the bottom of the fifth. With pinch runner Adele Harrison at second following the lead-off error, designated player Tina Iosefa blooped a ball to shallow center. Stephens charged in hard from her defensive position, corralled the ball and came up throwing, nailing Harrison at the plate for a big first out. UGA catcher Katie Collins stepped to the dish and hit a promising blooper towards second base. With the ball threatening to drop in, UT second baseman Kelli Hanzel dove to her right to make a great diving catch and promptly tagged second while lying on the ground to end the threat on a double play.
A two-out Cortni Emanuel single to short and a walk put two on for Georgia in the bottom of the sixth against Wright. Third baseman Paige Wilson hit a threatening drive into the right center field gap that lwould have granted the Bulldogs the lead. Stephens again came through, however, racing over to make a running catch and send the teams to the seventh at 0-0.
The decisive rally finally came for the Longhorns in the top of the seventh. With Stephens on via a lead-off hit-by-pitch, Kern again delivered a big hit on a single up the middle. Senior designated player Gabby Smith walked to load the bases and set the stage for Gabaldon’s heroics. The Odessa, Texas, native promptly drove a shot into the right center field gap, clearing the bases on a two-bagger as UT nabbed a 3-0 advantage. Following a K, Ceo hit a sharp fly that dropped in between in Georgia’s center and right fielders. As the ball rolled past the duo in the outfield, Texas’ speedster quickly circled the base paths, sliding just under a tag attempt at the plate to make it 5-0.
Faced with one final chance to extend the game, Georgia managed a two-out base runner on a throwing error. Wright induced Collins into a routine pop-up to first, however, as Kern made the catch to end a big UT early-season win.
UCLA WIN
What a Thursday into early Friday for the No. 25 Texas softball program at the Mary Nutter Classic as the Longhorns (9-3) finished off an impressive opening day at the prestigious event with a 5-3 victory over No. 12 UCLA (10-3).
Earlier on Thursday afternoon, UT handed the No. 8/7 Georgia Bulldogs their first loss of 2015 in a 5-0 shutout.
Junior catcher Erin Shireman powered the seven-hit Longhorns offensive output by going 2-for-3 with a HR and two RBIs. Sophomore second baseman Kelli Hanzel was 1-for-2 with a RBI, junior first baseman Holly Kern was 1-for-4 with a RBI and junior center fielder Lindsey Stephens tripled in going 1-for-2 with a pair of runs scored.
In the circle for the Horns, sophomore Tiarra Davis improved to 4-1 on the season, allowing one earned run on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts over 4.0 innings. Senior reliever Gabby Smith earned her first save of 2015 after permitting two earned runs on five hits with a walk and two K’s over 3.0 frames. For UCLA, starter Paige McDuffie, a Texas native, took the loss after allowing one run on two hits with two K’s in a pair of innings.
Texas wasted no time breaking out in front on the scoreboard, taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. The rally commenced with two down as Stephens ripped a triple to right center. As she has done so often lately, Kern stepped to the plate in the clean-up slot in the line-up and delivered, chopping a single through the right side to plate her teammate from 60 feet away for a 1-0 lead.
The Bruins tried to get something going in the bottom half as shortstop Danielle Spaulding drew a one-out walk. The battery of Davis and Shireman wouldn’t let UCLA get anything going, however, combining on a strikeout/caught stealing double play to conclude the opening frame.
UCLA managed to get a runner in scoring position with two down in the bottom of the third as second baseman Gracie Goulder singled and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Davis responded to the threat by catching her Bruin counterpart Ally Carda looking for a big strike three.
A lead-off Shireman walk and a Davis single through the left side of the infield set the Longhorns up with a golden scoring opportunity in the top of the fourth. With runners stationed at the corners and one retired, Hanzel was struck by her second pitch of the night, loading the bases. Carda soon uncorked a two-out wild offering that escaped to the backstop, plating Davis from 60 feet away to make it 2-0 Texas.
The Bruins managed to cut their deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth as third baseman Kylee Perez ripped a RBI double to left center with two on.
Faced with some adversity, Texas again demonstrated its resolve through rallying for a pair of scores in taking a 4-1 lead. Stephens got things started with a lead-off walk against Carda, swiped second and moved to third on a groundout. Shireman stepped to the plate and ripped a base hit up the middle, scoring her teammate from third. With two down and senior right fielder Marlee Gabaldon on first via a walk, Hanzel blooped a RBI single over third to grant the Horns an important three-run advantage.
Back-to-back singles from Goulder and center fielder Allexis Bennett against UT reliever Smith gave the Bruins major life opening the bottom of the fifth. That’s when the Texas defense again flashed the leather. Carda drove a pitch down the left field line that threatened to leave the park. Wong raced over near the line and made a remarkable back-handed running grab to save at least one run from scoring. That play loomed even larger just a few minutes later as Spaulding blooped a RBI single to left, cutting the UCLA deficit to 4-2. With left fielder Gabrielle Maurice at the plate, a pitch in the dirt was blocked by Shireman. The Texas backstop corralled the ball and gunned down the lead Bruin runner from her knees to end a major threat.
The long ball finally played a role in the top of the seventh as Shireman jumped all over the first pitch she received from Carda, driving it over the wall in right center for insurance to make it 5-2.
Down to one last chance to get back in the game, UCLA put the first two runners on base via a lead-off double and a walk. Following a strikeout of Bennett, Carda hit a drive to center that was tracked down by Stephens for the second out. Spaulding singled again but that was all the Bruins would get as Maurice flew out to Gabaldon in right to end the game.
