No. 1/1 Softball victorious with run-rule effort - University of Texas Athletics (2024)

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Game Recap: Softball | 05.18.2024 | Chris Allen Brown

A nine-run bottom of the fourth sends Longhorns to Austin Regional finals

AUSTIN, Texas –Less than 24 hours after opening the 2024 NCAA Austin Regional with a seven-inning no-hitter, The University of Texas softball program returned to Red & Charline McCombs and pounded out double-digit runs for the 21st time this season as the top-ranked Longhorns knocked off Northwestern, 14-2, in five innings.

After both teams traded scoreless first innings, Alyssa Washington broke the 0-0 tie with a one-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the second. Two batters later, Kayden Henry doubled the lead to 4-0 with the Longhorns' second two-run home run of the frame.

Despite Northwestern cutting the Texas lead in half with a one-out, two-run home run in the top of the third, the Longhorns immediately answered back with a sacrifice fly off the bat of Reese Atwood, marking the 88th RBI on the season for the Big 12 Conference's Player of the Year.

The Longhorn offense used the momentum from a one-out double play in the top of the fourth and transferred that energy to its bat in the bottom half of the inning with a nine-run, seven-hit fourth that was highlighted by home runs off the bat of Mia Scott and Joley Mitchell.

FROM HEAD COACH MIKE WHITE

"Northwestern is a tough team. They play in a good conference, they're gritty, they play hard, and they never give up until the last out. There were a couple of turning points in the game, but Citlaly (Gutierrez) was able to get out of that first inning unscathed and then that inning when they did score, we held them to only two. Then we came back out and was able to take control of the momentum, but kudos to our players; they came out and played with a lot of energy today. They really wanted it. I couldn't be prouder of how they came out and performed today."

FROM SENIOR INFIELDER ALYSSA WASHINGTON

"After the game yesterday, we had a pretty tough talk about our performance and what our standard is for this program. And yesterday, we just didn't play to that standard. It was just an individual self-reflection and a promise to each other to make a change today."

GAME NOTES

• After recording an RBI for the second consecutive day, Reese Atwood (88) will enter Sunday's action just one RBI back of tying Jocelyn Alo's 2021 season total (89) for second place on the Big 12 Conference's single-season RBI list.
  • Tiare Jennings holds the conference's single-season RBI record with 92 set throughout the 2021 season.
• With the win, Texas now has 49 victories on the season, which is tied with the 1998, 2003 and 2005 squads for the fourth-most wins in a single season.
  • The 2006 team holds the program record with 55.
• Courtesy of Saturday's four-home run outing, the Texas offense has now hit 83 home runs and successfully stolen 84 bases, becoming the first team in program history to hit 80-or-more home runs and steal 80-or-more bases in a single season.
• As a result of her sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth, Katie Stewart is now one RBI shy of tying Viviana Martinez' Texas freshman RBI record (52) set during the 2023 campaign.
• Eight of the nine Texas Longhorns in the starting lineup for Saturday's game was credited with at least one RBI.
• The offensive performance by the Longhorns on Saturday resulted in the most runs scored (14) by a Texas team in a NCAA Regional game.
  • The previous high was 12 runs set in a 12-0, five-inning win over Saint Francis on May 21, 2021.
  • Saturday marked just the fifth time in program history that Texas has scored 10-or-more runs in a single NCAA Regional game.

UP NEXT

• With the victory during Saturday's game, Texas (49-7) advances into the regional final of the 2024 NCAA Austin Regional with first pitch slated for 12 p.m. CT on Sunday, May 18.
  • The Longhorns will play the winner of Northwestern and Saint Francis/Siena, which is slated for 5:30 p.m. CT on Saturday, May 18.

FOLLOW US

• For the latest information on the team, follow @TexasSoftball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at @TexasLonghorns on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.