The Longhorns found their way back to the win column this weekend. After struggling for a few games, Texas swept their three game series against Kansas.

The Texas offense proved too tough for the Jayhawks as they scored 32 runs over the three games. The Longhorns tallied a total of 24 hits in the series and gave up 23. With 12 games left in their 2012 season, the team, led by senior Lexy Bennett, bumped their record to 35-5 and 9-3 in conference play.

The Longhorns were obviously ready to get back on their feet after a disappointing series against Missouri and Texas Tech this past week.

Friday consisted of a doubleheader between the Longhorns and the Jayhawks due to impending bad weather. In the first game, the Longhorns, led by Nadia Taylor, took the lead early and kept it. After two innings, Texas was up 3-1 where it stayed until the later innings when the team scored nine more to bring up the total to 12 runs. Taylor, a senior out of Humble, went 2-3 with two home runs and four RBI’s to help lead the team to their first victory in over a week.

The second game on Friday proved just as promising for the team. While Texas started strong, scoring three in the first two innings, the Jayhawks held their ground, tying the game up after two. At one point Kansas even took the lead where they held it until the Longhorns recovered it in the top of the sixth.

Saturday was a record breaking day for the Longhorns. As they finished the series with a 13-6 win, junior Taylor Hoagland set a new Texas career record for home runs. The Flower Mound native came into the game tied for the record but hit her 10th and eleventh home runs of the season Saturday, passing Amy Hooks, who held it before her.

“It feels great,” Hoagland said. “I was just working through some things today. I just applied those adjustments in the two games yesterday and came out and achieved my goal.”

The third baseman also showed satisfaction with her team over the weekend as they tallied three more wins. While the three game losing streak was a learning experience for the team, she’s happy it’s over.

“I think our team hit the ball in fantastic fashion throughout the series,” Hoagland said. “We really hit well across the board this weekend. [The losing streak] was a humbling experience and a wake-up call for us. It was an eye-opener for us and made us realize there is a lot to be done. It’s a good starting point for us.”

With the true Longhorns back and ready to go, the team looks to continue putting up these wins. The team will travel to Waco for a one-game stand against conference rival Baylor on Wednesday. Texas looks forward to the road ahead as they battle for a top spot, not only in the conference, but in the national rankings.

Printed on Monday, April 16th, 2012 as: Hoagland, Taylor leads barrage at KU