Kim Bruins recorded her third shutout of the season as the No. 6 Longhorns defeated Houston Baptist 5-0 for win number 12 in as many tries. This is the second-longest winning streak to open the season since the 2003 squad, led by recent Texas Sports Hall of Fame inductee Cat Osterman.

Bruins, who went the full seven while allowing seven hits and striking out seven, now has recorded 19 consecutive scoreless innings, the longest in her career, and is looking like the clear number two in the circle behind Blaire Luna.

“I am feeling pretty good,” Bruins said. “I’ve been working really hard this past year. I’m trying to focus on hitting my sports and letting my defense work for me.”

The Longhorns (12-0) opened the scoring in the first as Taylor Hoagland and Brejae Washington each singled, stole a base and scored on defensive miscues. Hoagland scored on an error as the Huskies tried to get Washington out on a bunt single. Washington came around and scored on an illegal pitch. 

Then in the third, after whiffing on a change-up earlier in the at-bat, Hoagland crushed another one off a blue Volvo in the left field parking lot for her third home run on the year.

“It’s just a Volvo, it will be OK,” Hoagland joked about after the game. “I recognized the change-up and missed it the first time and was looking for that pitch again. I got on top of it and drove it.”

Washington finished her day 2-for-2 with two runs scored as the top of the order did its usual damage. As a team the Longhorns recorded seven hits, stole four bases and made the most of opportunities while capitalizing on Houston Baptist’s two errors.

“We look pretty great,” Bruins said. “We’ve surprised ourselves, actually. We are all staying positive, trying to keep things under our control and trying to stay up every inning. I’d say it’s working out for us.”

The Longhorns have now out scored their opponents 41-0 over the last 19 innings.

The Longhorns will look to push the win streak to a program-best 17 this weekend in the Texas Invitational, sponsored by Time Warner Cable. Tulsa, Lamar and Utah State will be at Red & Charline McCombs Field for five games apiece.