Longhorns shutout UIW to close out the Texas Classic
February 20, 2023
No. 9/13 Texas softball put a close on its Texas Classic weekend at home with an 8–0 win over University of the Incarnate Word.
The Longhorns started out with a promising lead when sophomore Mia Scott, scored a solo home run in the bottom of the first. This was her first of the season, with her last one taking place in the 2022 Women’s College World Series Championship against Oklahoma.
Other runs in the game came again for Texas in the third and fourth inning. Scott hit a single to allow her teammate freshman Leightann Goode to score. Scott scored off a wild pitch. Freshman Viviana Martinez hit a double and sophomore Katie Cimsusz and junior Alyssa Washington plated.
Then in the fourth inning, Scott hit a double, allowing junior Alyssa Popelka and sophomore Baylea Brandon to score and Washington hit a flyout allowing Goode to score the final run for Texas.
The matchup emphasized the run rule, which is when a game can be declared over if one team is up by eight or more runs after five innings. This is already the second time this tournament the Longhorns have seen this rule in action with their previous win against Omaha, 9–1, in five Saturday, Feb. 18.
A prominent player in the shutout of the Cardinals lies with sophomore pitcher Mac Morgan. Morgan was able to throw only 51 pitches in the five innings. The complete game shutout was the first no scoring game since Estelle Czech threw a seven-inning complete game shutout against Oklahoma State last year in the 2022 Women’s College World Series. Morgan faced 17 at bats with four strikeouts and only allowed one hit that didn’t result in a run.
“Well, I think Mac (Morgan) was able to keep her pitch count down — I think it was like 51 pitches — so she just did a great job of working ahead,” head coach Mike White said. “For us to be successful with Mac in the circle, we have to be able to play good defense.”
Goode was also a notable player in the matchup by adding another hit to her win streak. Goode has now made a program-record hitting streak of 10 games in her first year on the Forty Acres.
Texas currently has a 6–0 record on its home field. Texas will take on No. 8/9 Virginia Tech next Friday, as a part of the Lone Star State Invitational.
