In the bottom of the fourth, following a quiet third inning from the Texas Longhorns softball team against the Temple Leopards, freshman utility player Hannah Wells stepped up to the plate. 

A quick single from junior catcher Katie Stewart and a hit by pitch put runners on first and second as the rookie stepped into the box. Stepping into her swing, Wells delivered a three-run home run straight over the outfield wall, extending the Longhorns’ lead to 8-3 and reigniting the offensive spark for Texas. 

The former Gatorade Player of the Year showed up all over the field for Texas, starting out at first base and ending the night pitching. 

 “Obviously, Hannah Wells came in and struggled,” head coach Mike White said. “Her first two at-bats had two strikeouts. Then she comes up and hits a home run. And then we put her in the fire, as with people on base, and she turned up and turned it up a notch and really did a good job and kept her composure.” 

The reigning national champions put on an offensive showcase early. A quick triple from senior right fielder Ashton Maloney and a sacrifice fly from senior left fielder Kaiah Altmeyer put the Longhorns on the board, ending the first inning 1-0. 

“Nobody works harder than Ashton Maloney, and she really puts a lot in,” White said. “She’s gonna swing away a little bit more this year and try to impress some people. She’s been hard done by not being All-American.” 

This continued into the second inning with a deep two-run home run from freshman third baseman MaTaia Lawson and an RBI from senior Reese Atwood, widening the gap to 5-0 after two quick innings. 

Momentum shifted for the Leopards as an error, a quick bunt by freshman outfielder Brooklyn Walton and a walk loaded the bases in the top of the third. A sacrifice fly, followed by a single and a string of walks, put Temple on the board with three runs in just one inning. 

Even with a misstep by the Longhorn defense, the Texas offense continued putting runs on the board with RBI contributions coming from everywhere in the roster in this early fall ball matchup. 

Junior pitcher Teagan Kavan understands why this depth of roster is important, especially setting the tone following their championship season. 

“Obviously we accomplished the one thing we’ve been all dreaming about, and so it means a lot, just a little confidence behind it too, because we did the thing, but I think at the same time, you also have to kind of put it in the past and know that it’s a new season and we still need to get better to hopefully try and do it again next year,” Kavan said.

The productive Longhorn offense continued late into the 10-inning matchup, totaling 23 hits on the day, with the Longhorns finishing their first matchup of the year victorious with a final score of 17-4. 

The Longhorns will take on Texas State at home on Friday, hoping to replicate their smooth performance as they continue their fall season.