Earlier in the day, Texas jumped to No. 1 in all four of the nationally recognized ranking polls, and later that evening, the new consensus top team in the country proved why it climbed back atop the softball rankings.
After scoring 32 runs in their weekend series against Auburn, Longhorn batters remained hot in a non-conference matchup against Stephen F. Austin. The night’s action ended in another mercy-rule victory for the Longhorns, an 11-3 game that improved the Longhorn’s home record to an undefeated 15-0 and its 16th mercy-rule victory of the season.
“I liked our energy tonight,” head coach Mike White said. “I like the way they had quality at-bats, and that’s the things we continue to do, is the small things.”
Texas came out firing early in this matchup, as within the first two innings, the Lumberjacks were forced to make a pitching change, bringing in senior Brooke Gainous for their starter, senior Alexis Telford. In those two innings, Texas put together seven runs and six hits.
In the first inning of the game, a double hit to left center field for sophomore catcher Katie Stewart sparked the scoring early for Texas, bringing home sophomore outfielder Kayden Henry and senior infielder Mia Scott. After a two-RBI base knock from Stewart, she became the only player in Texas program history with multiple 55-plus RBI seasons.
The second inning continued the scoring frenzy for Texas with a big five-run inning increasing the lead to seven. A sharp hit toward left field from junior infielder Kaydee Bennett brought in junior utility Leighann Goode and senior utility Vanessa Quiroga home to score. A sacrifice fly from junior outfielder Ashton Maloney allowed Bennett to tag from third and score.
Stewart continued to add runs to the scoreboard once again, coming up with a sacrifice fly as Henry tagged up and scored from third. Capping off the five-run inning was a no-doubter off of the bat from junior designated player Reese Atwood, a 256-foot home run that put the Longhorns up seven runs to nothing.
Texas continued to score, adding another three runs to the scoreboard after another sacrifice fly, once more off the bat of Maloney, brought home pinch runner sophomore outfielder Adayah Wallace. Two more added runs in the inning brought the score to 10-3, one shy of the run-rule coming into effect.
A couple of runs in the third from SFA kept the run rule at bay for the next few innings, but in the fifth inning, after a throwing error from the Lumberjack center fielder, Henry scored and ended the game through the run rule.
“It (run-rule victories) helps out, it helps out our pitching staff,” White said. “It doesn’t fatigue us out too much, especially when we’re going into a big series this weekend.”
The Texas Longhorns head into another SEC conference series, this time on the road traveling to Starkville, Mississippi, taking on No. 18/19 Mississippi State Bulldogs. The series kicks off Friday at 6 p.m.
