No. 5 Softball blanks Ole Miss, advances to SEC Tournament semifinals
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Highlighted by junior RHP (*5*) two-hit shutout, No. 5 Texas Softball downed Ole Miss, 6-0, Thursday night at John Cropp Stadium to advance to the SEC Tournament semifinals for the second-consecutive yr.
Texas improves to 40-10 total whereas claiming its fourth win towards Ole Miss this season. The Longhorns improved to 2-1 all-time on the SEC Tournament. Texas has seven-consecutive 40-win seasons underneath head coach Mike White (not together with COVID-19 shortened 2020 season), which doubles because the longest streak in program historical past. The Longhorns have amassed no less than 40 wins in each season underneath White.
Kavan twirled his third full sport shutout of the season. The West Des Moines, Iowa, native struck out 9 batters throughout 7.0 innings and labored round one stroll. Kavan struck out the aspect twice (first and fifth innings) and started the sport with four-straight punchouts. Kavan retired every of the primary six batters she confronted earlier than giving up back-to-back singles within the third. Kavan then stranded each runners after recording a strikeout and forcing a pop up to freshman third baseman Jaycie Nichols. Kavan has a team-high 14 full video games. Kavan has not given up greater than two runs in every of his final 34.2 innings within the circle.
The Longhorns outhit the Rebels at a 6-2 clip. Senior Leighann Goode hit a solo dwelling run to left middle within the second to put Texas in entrance 1-0. It was his tenth dwelling run of the season, changing into the fourth Longhorn to attain double-digit dwelling runs.
Junior shortstop Viviana Martinez drove in two runs on her one-out, chopping single by way of the correct aspect within the third to improve UT’s lead to 3-0. A couple of pitches later, Martinez stole second base and compelled an Ole Miss error on a muffed throw that allowed junior first baseman Katie Stewart to rating from third base for a 4-0 lead.
Texas added two extra runs within the fifth when senior pinch hitter Kaydee Bennett barreled to bases-loaded, two-out double to the left middle hole to rating senior catcher Reese Atwood and Goode.
Junior middle fielder Kayden Henry collected his team-leading twentieth multi-hit sport of the season after going 2-for-4 with a stolen base. Nichols went 1-for-3 on the plate with a single up the center.
Up Next
No. 5 Texas will play the winner between No. 1 seed Oklahoma and No. 9 seed Georgia at 6:30 pm CT on Friday, May 8, at John Cropp Stadium. The sport will broadcast on ESPN with Beth Mowins, Jessica Mendoza, Michele Smith and Holly Rowe on the decision.
