College Softball News

Texas Mounts an Impressive Rally to Stay Alive

www.texassports.com

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Facing a 4-0, third-inning deficit and having lost its starting pitcher due to injury, No. 9 Texas softball (46-16) strung together its largest comeback of the season to knock-off No. 5/4 Alabama (56-8), 7-5, and force a decisive third game on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT (ESPN) with a berth in the WCWS at stake.

Important Notes

  • Junior Miranda Elish was struck by a throw to second during the second inning and was forced to leave the game. She was taken to the emergency room as a precaution but is doing well.
  • The Longhorns have now won a remarkable five consecutive NCAA elimination games this season after posting four straight wins in such contests during the NCAA Austin Regional and then adding tonight’s victory at Alabama.
  • Tonight marked the first time that Texas hit at least two HR’s in a NCAA Tournament game since blasting five solo HR’s during a 5-0 win over No. 16 Texas A&M back on May 20, 2016.
  • Sophomore catcher Mary Iakopo’s HR was her team-leading 11th of the season, while her four RBIs tied her season-high previously established in wins over Arizona State (March 1) and Texas State (April 3).
  • Prior to tonight, the largest deficit Texas had overcome this season to post a victory was a 2-0, sixth-inning gap during an eventual 3-2 win over Ole Miss back on Feb. 23 in Austin.
  • Texas improved to 39-7 this season when out-hitting an opponent after posting a 9-4 hit advantage over the Crimson Tide.

Major Players

Iakopo was 1-for-4 with a run scored, her team-best 11th HR and four RBI, while sophomore right fielder MK Tedder went 1-for-1 with two walks, a run scored and her second HR of the season. Sophomore second baseman Janae Jefferson was 3-for-3 with a run scored, redshirt junior center fielder Reagan Hathaway was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and junior third baseman Shannon Rhodes was credited with a RBI on a groundout.

In the Circle

Freshman standout Shealyn O’Leary (14-2) earned the win in relief, allowing one earned run on two hits with a walk and four strikeouts over 5.1 frames. Junior starter Miranda Elish permitted three earned runs on two hits with three walks and a K in 1.2 innings before being forced to leave the contest because of injury.

The Details

Alabama wasted no time getting a major scoring opportunity going to start the game as the Crimson Tide loaded the bases with one out on a KB Sides single and consecutive walks. Catcher Reagan Dykes stepped into the box and chopped a 3-2 offering to second for a RBI to hand UA an early 1-0 advantage. Second baseman Skylar Wallace followed immediately with a two-RBI single up the middle as Bama’s lead expanded to 3-0.

Attempting to answer right back in the bottom of the first, the Longhorns got back-to-back one-out singles from Jefferson and Hathaway. Unfortunately for Texas, Alabama starter Krystal Goodman induced consecutive groundouts to get out of the budding jam as the UT duo was left stranded in scoring position.

The game took an ominous turn during the top of the second as Elish was struck by a throw down to second and forced to leave the game. O’Leary entered the contest in relief and promptly gave up an infield single. On the play, the ball was thrown away to first for an error as Alabama tacked on an unearned run to make it 4-0.

https://twitter.com/TexasSoftball/status/1132280411596513281?s=20

The same Texas pair got the Horns back in business with one out in the bottom of the third as Jefferson and Hathaway registered back-to-back one-out singles. That forced Bama to make a call to the bullpen as game one winner Montana Fouts entered in relief. That move didn’t pay off for the Tide as Iakopo immediately blasted a three-run shot down the left field line to cut the UT deficit to 4-3.

With O’Leary keeping the Crimson Tide bats in relative check, Tedder wasted no time tying things up by driving the first pitch of the bottom of the fourth over the wall in left. With the momentum building on the Longhorns side, senior designated player Ki’Audra Hayter and sophomore first baseman Lauren Burke strung together consecutive singles. Following a sac bunt and a Hathaway walk to load the bases with still just one out, a Crimson Tide throwing error and a Rhodes groundout combined to plate three more runs as the Burnt Orange & White roared in front, 7-4.

Bama cut into its deficit with two down in the top of the fifth as first baseman Bailey Hemphill launched a solo shot to center to make it 7-5.

That was all the Crimson Tide could add down the stretch, however, as O’Leary retired the last seven batters she faced to force a decisive game three.

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