The one word to describe Texas softball’s Sunday games against Ohio State and Northern Illinois University is ‘fight’. The Longhorns’ defense gave its all, Ohio State’s batters were out for blood and the underdog, NIU, had something to prove in the last game of the Bevo Classic.
Texas played 13 innings today, a change from the Friday doubleheader when both games against OSU and Syracuse University ended in a fifth-inning run rule. Texas beat OSU 7-4 and NIU 9-1 after having two strong demonstrations in the first innings offensively. Each game had its challenges, but between the two games, Texas left 13 runners on base, unable to capitalize on its players when put into scoring position.
The majority of Texas’ runs came in the first inning against the Buckeyes, in which Texas had four runs and three hits. Ohio State’s defense looked shaky coming out of the dugout. Centerfield and right field had some miscommunication and let an easy-out fly ball drop. Additionally, the infield looked lethargic, allowing all runs to come from in-the-park hits.
However, Ohio State had a late push at the top of the seventh, bases loaded with Texas leading 7-2. A grand slam would have forced the Longhorns’ offense to play a seventh inning. The dream couldn’t become a reality, though. Buckeyes freshman infielder Sara Tarr hit an easy out to second, ending the game.
“Sometimes you get ahead, and you get lucky, and you’re able to drive in a short game, but it’s actually good work for our pitchers to get a little extra work in there as well,” head coach Mike White said.
Again, it was the first inning where the opposing team saw Texas at its best. Texas infielder and catcher Katie Stewart hit a two-run home run against pitcher Danielle Stewart, Katie’s own sister.
“At first I was happy, and then I was like, ‘oh my god, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,’” Stewart said. “It was so cool to have this experience and for the memories.”
NIU, the clear underdogs of the game, put up a good fight against No. 2-ranked Texas. Entering the bottom of the third, the Longhorns were only up three runs against the scoreless Huskies. However, the Longhorns were able to capitalize when Northern Illinois let them load the bases.
The crowd didn’t seem to care when the stadium DJ played the normal crowd-pleaser songs. Despite the break fans got due to the rain on Saturday, when the Huskies took to the field, the spectators seemed uninterested.
It didn’t help morale when Texas stranded three runners in the third inning and three in the fourth.
However, a first career home run by freshman infielder Jaycie Nichols that just barely cleared the center field wall gave the crowd and the Longhorns some life in the bottom of the fifth. Texas was just on the cusp of a walk-off run rule ending — but they couldn’t seal the deal.
NIU wasn’t giving up either, even being seven runs down, and scoring one in the sixth. Regardless, Texas delivered the fatal blow with a home run by freshman infielder MaTaia Lawson and a game-ending single that drove in pinch runner Adayah Wallace to put Texas eight runs ahead.
“Momentum can change in a hurry, and we saw that against Ohio State both days,” White said. “Both times we were out to a pretty good lead, and then the momentum kind of flipped a little bit and made it a little more difficult on us.”
