Softball tops Incarnate Word 13-2 in fall opener
Sept. 28, 2012 AUSTIN, Texas - Texas Softball coasted to a 13-2 win against the Incarnate Word Cardinals in an exhibition game Friday night. The Longhorns' four pitchers dominated, allowing only two hits and two runs. Senior Kim Bruins threw the first two frames for UT, striking out two without a hit allowed. After the initial two innings, the teams began situational play, starting frames with runners on base. Sophomore Gabby Smith relieved Bruins, striking out two of three batters in her lone inning. Freshman Holly Kern recorded two strikeouts in her two-inning Texas debut before giving way to senior All-American Blaire Luna, who closed out the final two frames, allowing no hits, one run and fanning two. The Texas offense was highlighted by Kern, who notched two hits with a run batted in to get the Longhorns on the scoreboard in the third inning. Two frames later, junior Brejae Washington delivered an RBI single and stole two bases before she was brought in by Smith. Later that inning, junior Mandy Ogle tacked on two more runs with a double to cap off a five-run fifth, giving Texas an 8-1 edge. UT ended the scoring in the bottom of the seventh inning with a Cardinal error and RBI fielder's choice from Washington. Junior Taylor Thom got her second hit of the night with a two-run double off the top of the wall in left center to close out the Longhorns' offense. The Longhorns return to action on Friday, Oct. 5, when they play host to St. Mary's. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. Central. POST-GAME QUOTES On the team's mentality for the fall season: We had to remind them in team practice Monday, since we just started team practice this week, the one thing is we'll be as good as we're going to be on Sept. 28. We're going to tack on a measurable goal each week and each time we play. So tonight was about process. We'll tack things on as we expand through the fall, so we'll try to get better each week and focus on becoming a well-rounded ballclub by the time we get done with the fall. On the freshmen: The new ones were nervous tonight. I'm always amazed, but it is the first time in a uniform and it was a little bit quiet in warm-ups. So we brought them together and said, 'Don't forget, this is our place. The game is still the game.' It's exciting for them to put the uniform on the first time. We know that's special. I don't know if some of them were breathing the first inning or two, but as they settled in, they loosened up and it was solid.
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