Texas softball is heading back to Austin with its 15th win of the season, beating Colorado State in a 10–2 win in five innings on the final day of the Hillenbrand Invitational.
Now sitting at 15–1, Texas hit its first real moment of adversity at the top of the tournament, dropping its first game of the season against No. 18/20 Stanford. Despite the loss, it was a productive weekend for the Longhorns, who dominated UC Davis and Colorado State, while picking up a top-25 win against No. 13/11 Arizona in eight innings Saturday.
Sunday marked the second time that Texas met Colorado State in the tournament, and the Longhorns dominated both times.
After a quiet first inning from both teams, Texas’ batting exploded out of a cannon at the top of the second. Texas’ hitting prowess was on full display, so much so that the Rams saw three pitchers in the circle throughout the game.
The Longhorns scored eight runs in the second, highlighted by a grand slam hit from sophomore infielder Katie Stewart. The four runs followed a double hit by sophomore outfielder Kayden Henry, which saw two Longhorns score. Freshman infielder Shylien Brister then hit a pop fly, allowing junior utility Leighann Goode to run home.
The Rams made a pitching switch after Stewart’s grand slam, pulling out freshman Karlie Cooledge for freshman Mac Ferguson. Texas’ hitting was too much for the young Rams’ pitching depth, as senior first baseman Katie Cimusz capitalized off a mistake by Ferguson, hitting a single to the right side of the field as Goode ran to home plate from third base and completed the eight-run inning.
“I think we really just kept things rolling and just passed the bat during that big, eight-run inning,” head coach Mike White said. “I think we were able to do a lot of damage with two outs in the innings as well, which was really good and showed a lot of concentration to make sure we kept the inning rolling.”
The Longhorns relied on junior pitcher Citlaly Gutierrez in the circle for the entire game. She was rock solid for Texas, throwing a total of five strikeouts and allowing just four hits, winning the pitching battle 4–0.
“(Gutierrez) pitched really well,” White said. “She had a little bit of trouble here and there, but for the most part, she did well.”
Attempting to crawl back from being eight runs down in the bottom of the second, the Rams only managed to score two runs. As Colorado State freshman utility Autumn Rutherford singled to first base, sophomore infielder Kaylynn English scored. The offensive momentum was short-lived, as the very next batter grounded out to second base, sending the Longhorns’ defense back into the dugout. Utility senior Brooke Bohlender scored the Rams’ second and final run in the third inning off of a grounded out ball.
Colorado State’s offensive was silent across the last two innings, with Gutierrez allowing zero hits.
Texas extended its lead by two runs in the top of the fifth following a scoreless two innings. Thanks to a mistake by the Rams’ third and final pitcher, sophomore Reagan Wick, redshirt junior outfielder Ashton Maloney scored. Then, Stewart’s hitting continued to shine, singling out to right field, and senior utility Mia Scott scored from second base.
Texas will return to Red & Charline McCombs Field next weekend as it will take on South Florida, Abilene Christian, New Mexico State and Alabama A&M in the Longhorn Invitational.
