Senior infielder Leighann Goode said earlier this week that she knows her offensive role.
As the second batter in the order for No. 2 Texas softball, a successful at-bat for Goode typically means reaching first and keeping the well-oiled machine that is Texas’ offense running smoothly.
“I feel like my role is just to keep getting on base for our big hitters behind me, like (junior infielder) Katie Stewart and (senior catcher) Reese Atwood,” Goode said. “(I’m) just making sure I’m doing my job and getting it on base. Sometimes, it’s even putting down the sac bunt to get (junior outfielder) Kayden (Henry) over for them to do that job.”
However, on Thursday night in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Goode’s role looked a little bit different. The junior infielder drilled two balls out of the park against the Crimson Tide for four RBIs, helping her team build a 5-1 lead by the time the fourth inning had come to a close.
This marked Goode’s first multi-home run game in her collegiate career, and the defensively prominent player further proved herself capable of making big plays when she steps up to the batter’s box.
The Longhorns used the momentum Goode built to secure a 9-1 victory to open this top-five road series, and she wouldn’t be the only one to knock it over the “Roll Tide” letters on the back fence at Rhoads Stadium.
Junior infielder Viviana Martinez tallied her third home run of the season, and Stewart earned her 18th in the seventh inning to help further remove the Crimson Tide from striking distance.
Senior outfielder Ashton Maloney also recorded three hits and two RBIs, continuing to show signs of overcoming her struggles to make contact and get on base at points throughout the season so far.
A few days ago, Texas head coach Mike White spoke about Alabama’s defensive prowess, emphasizing that his team would have to be sharp offensively to break the Crimson Tide down.
“I think they’re pitching definitely stands out as being deeper, and I think they have a .984 fielding percentage,” White said. “So they’re really fielding the ball pretty well.”
Alabama’s pressure defensively didn’t stack up against Texas’ offensive dominance, though, and the Crimson Tide demonstrated a general struggle to keep up as the game went on.
On the other side of the ball, Texas junior pitcher Teagan Kavan and the rest of the Longhorns’ defensive unit stumped Alabama almost entirely. Kavan totaled nine strikeouts throughout her seven innings, averaging just 15.3 pitches per inning.
Considering the fact that White said earlier this week that he plans to use her in at least half of Texas’ innings this weekend, her ability to escape the opening game with a relatively low pitch count could make a crucial difference for her as the weekend stretches on.
The Crimson Tide had just one runner cross home plate on Thursday, with senior catcher Marlie Giles hitting a single to bring senior utility Alexis Pupillo home in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Texas will face Alabama on the diamond once again on Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
