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Feb. 16, 2013

Box Score

Box Score

HOUSTON - The No. 6/6 Texas Softball team scored a program-record 12 runs in the top of the sixth inning to record a 12-2 victory over Illinois on Saturday afternoon at the Hilton Houston Plaza Invitational. Juniors Brejae Washington, Karina Scott and Mandy Ogle all drove in two runs in the game. Scott added her first home run of the season and scored twice while Washington recorded two hits and a run scored.

The contest was a pitchers' duel between Illinois' Shelese Arnold and Texas sophomore Gabby Smith through the first three-and-a-third innings as the Fighting Illini had just one base runner and the Longhorns three.

In the bottom of the fourth, Illinois took a 2-0 lead. Kylie Johnson recorded the Illini's first hit of the game with a soft single to center field. After a Brittany Sanchez strikeout, Jess Perkins hit a two-run home run to center field. It was the first home run of the season allowed by Texas pitchers.

UT responded in a big way in the sixth inning. Senior Kim Bruins led off the inning and reached on an error. Scott followed with a long home run to center field to tie the game at two. It was Scott's first home run since May 5, 2012, at Oklahoma. After junior Taylor Thom reached on an error, freshman Erin Shireman drew a walk. Ogle hit her third double of the year, driving in Thom and giving Texas a 3-2 lead. An illegal pitch pushed in Shireman, and senior Taylor Hoagland extended the lead to 5-2 with an RBI single that delivered Ogle. Washington followed with her first triple of the season, scoring Gabaldon and Hoagland and making it a 7-2 Texas advantage.

In her second at-bat of the inning, Bruins plated Washington with an RBI single. Scott walked and Thom singled to load the bases for freshman pinch hitter Holly Kern, who delivered a run-scoring single to the right side for a 9-2 edge. It was Kern's first run batted in of her Texas career. The Longhorns scored two more runs on bases-laoded walks to Shireman and Ogle and capped the scoring on an RBI groundout by sophomore Marlee Gabaldon. In the inning, Texas scored 12 runs on seven hits. Seven Texas batters hit twice the inning, and Bruins, Scott and Thom scored two runs in the frame.

Texas starter Smith pitched four innings and allowed three hits and two walks while striking out four. Senior Blaire Luna relieved Smith and pitched the final two innings to earn the victory and improve to 4-0 on the season. Luna struck out five of the seven batters she faced and did not surrender a hit or walk. Illinois' Arnold (1-3) tossed five-and-a-third innings and allowed nine runs, one earned, on eight hits and six walks. Pepper Gay and Jackie Guy completed the Fighting Illini pitching effort.

Texas returns to action Saturday evening against tournament host Houston. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. CT.

Post-Game Notes
- The Longhorns improve to 2-0 all-time versus the Illini after winning both meetings this weekend.
- UT is 9-0 and has begun the last three seasons with 10 or more consecutive victories.
- Texas has outscored its opponents 66-7 this season. UT's pitching staff has posted a 0.74 earned-run average through nine contests.
- In three games this weekend, Texas is 13-14 in stolen bases, bringing its season total to 32-38. The UT single-season record is 114 swipes in 2011.
- The four strikeouts for Gabby Smith gave her four games in her career with four or more strikeouts
- Junior Mandy Ogle is hitting .600 this weekend. She has scored a team-high four runs and also driven in four runs, while drawing four walks.
- Freshman Stephanie Ceo's seven-game hitting streak came to an end. She still leads the team with a .556 average (10-of-18).
- Kim Bruins, Taylor Thom and Ogle have combined to score 12 of Texas' 28 runs this weekend (42.9 percent).
- Brejae Washington has driven in five runs in the last two games after entering the weekend with three RBI this season.
- Karina Scott's two-run home run snapped a one-for-12 skid. Scott has also drawn a walk in six of eight games.
- This is the third time this season Texas has scored six or more runs in an inning (DePaul/Feb. 14/6 in top 4; North Texas/Feb. 8/6 in bottom 2). Texas is 48-1 all-time in games with a six-or-more run inning.
- This is the first time Texas scored 10 or more runs in an inning in program history (12 runs in the 6th). The previous high for runs in a frame was nine, done twice (Cal State Fullerton/Feb. 9, 2012/bottom 2; Louisville/Feb. 13, 2011/bottom 2).
- Kim Bruins, Karina Scott and Taylor Thom each scored two runs in the 6th inning.