Tag: 2020 Big 12

The Texas Longhorns game into the weekend riding a 6-0 start. They would face California Baptist in their first game of the day. Red hot Miranda Elish would cool down going 0-3 in the first game, leaving two on base. Courtney Day would take the mound in this game and would go the distance. She pitched seven scoreless innings for the Longhorns striking out four and allowing four hits.

Caitlyn Lloyd would hit a triple but wasn’t ever able to get home. Day scored the first run for Texas in the second inning when catcher Colleen Sullivan drove her in. Sullivan wouldn’t be done there as she came in clutch in game two. Leadoff hitter Reagan Hathaway drove in two more runs in the fourth and came around to score on a Janae Jefferson double. The Longhorns win the first of two, 4-0. Day improved to 2-0.

The first time this season the Longhorns found themselves in the hole in a game. The Utah Utes were able to get to starter Shealyn O’Leary in the 4th inning. Due to a throwing error, the Utes got one run across the plate to give the Longhorns their first real deficit of the season. Again in the 5th inning, the Utes scored another unearned run to go up 2-0, the Longhorns were held scoreless heading into the 7th inning.

Kaitlyn Slack got the scoring starting with a home run off starter Halle Morris who had pitched six scoreless inning up to that point. Hathaway followed up with another home run to tie the game off relief pitcher Sydney Sandez. Sullivan came to the plate with Jefferson on second to walk it off in the bottom of the 7th to remain perfect on the season.

And the final walk-off moment of jubilation! BIG HIT COLLEEN!

🎥:@FloSoftball — https://t.co/1kwsvQSt0Y pic.twitter.com/Zyn43xXF4I

— Texas Softball (@TexasSoftball) February 14, 2020

In their third game on the day, Miranda Elish would dominate the 12th ranked Tennessee Volunteers. Elish didn’t much run support in this game but received more than she needed in the first inning. After scoring just seven combined runs in the first two game, the offense exploded for an eight-run bottom of the first. Vols starting pitcher Kiki Milloy lasted just 0.2 of an inning giving up six runs on four hits.

Courtney Day would hit her first home run on the season to put Texas up 10-0, they added another run in the third on a RBI single by Shannon Rhodes to go up 11-0, Elish handled the rest. She pitched five scoreless innings and the game was run ruled to give Elish her third victory. Texas finished the day with a 9-0 record.

Texas softball is off to a hot start with an undefeated record.

According to the 2020 USA Today/NFCA Division I Top 25 Poll, Texas is ranked the No. 6 team in the nation. This particular poll is voted on by 32 NCAA Division I head coaches, one from each conference.

These particular records reflect games played through Feb. 10, 2020.

No. 1 – Washington – 5-0

No. 2 – Oklahoma – 4-0

No. 3 – UCLA – 6-0

No. 4 – Arizona – 5-0

No. 5 – Florida State – 5-0

No. 6 – Texas – 6-0

No. 7 – LSU – 5-0

No. 8 – Florida – 4-1

No. 9 – Alabama – 1-3

No. 10 – Kentucky – 4-0

While Texas remained at the same spot as the preseason poll, they are just one point away from jumping Florida State for the No. 5 spot.

Texas hosted six games last week for the Texas Classic. Led by senior pitcher Miranda Elish, the Longhorns have surrendered just eight runs while outscoring their opponents 60-6 in the process.

Elish was named Big 12 Player of the Week, leads the conference with 17 RBIs. Oklahoma, Texas, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech are the only four Big 12 teams to crack the Top 25 rankings.