Texas just keeps rolling in Big 12 play, and it doesn’t seem that anything can stop them, even a 5-1 deficit against the best hitting team in the country.
The Longhorns found themselves down quickly against the Texas Tech Red Raiders on Saturday, as freshman Rachel Fox was chased from the mound in her shortest outing of the year, after allowing four runs in one inning.
However, the Longhorns had one of the best pitchers in the country in relief, All-American Blaire Luna, and she shut down the Red Raiders the rest of the game, only allowing one run in six innings of work.
From there, the Longhorn offense took over the game, going off for 18 hits and nine runs on the day.
The key inning for the team was the fourth. They came into the inning down 5-3, but they would leave the inning leading for good.
Freshman Brejae Washington started it off for the team with a one-out bunt single and was later driven in by senior Amy Hooks. Hooks was immediately followed by junior Nadia Taylor, who finished the rally in the inning with a two-run home run to put the team up 6-5.
Freshman Taylor Thom led the attack for the Longhorn order, recording a Longhorn single-game record of five hits on the day, along with two runs scored and one RBI to round out her stat line. Washington and Taylor also were spark plugs for the team, adding three hits each to the team’s 18-hit total.
Texas did not have to come back in such tough fashion on Friday against the Raiders, as the team dominated throughout. The team set a new Texas record, with seven home runs on the day, which helped Texas jump all over Tech 15-2.
The Longhorns quickly put the throttle down on the game, coming out in the first with three runs, thanks to a two-run homer from Thom and a solo shot from Hooks.
From there, Texas would never relinquish the lead, thanks to another stellar performance from Luna, who posted her 22nd complete game of the year, holding the potent Red Raider offense to two runs.
Hooks was the headliner for the Longhorns offense, going 3-for-4 on the day with a pair of home runs. The two home runs she blasted in Lubbock made her the all-time leader in homers in Longhorn history, with the 34th dinger of Hooks’ career passing Desiree Williams.
Senior Raygan Feight also had an excellent day at the plate, with a season-best three hits, and sophomore Taylor Hoagland propelled the lineup as well, with a career-high five RBI at the plate. The weekend wins push the Longhorns to 41-4 on the season and 11-0 in Big 12 play. The win on Friday made Texas the second team in the country to reach 40 wins on the season.
