Less than 20 hours after providing the heroics in game one, Reese Atwood was at it, again, in game two.
After Mia Scott broke up Kelly Maxwell’s no-hit bid with a leadoff single to start the bottom of the seventh, Leighann Goode, two batters later, followed with an infield single to set the stage for Atwood’s game-ending, three-run home run that traveled 263-feet from home plate over the left-centerfield fence. It marked the third consecutive conference game with a game-ending hit from Atwood, becoming the first student-athlete in program accomplish the feat.
REESE WALKS IT OFF AGAIN 😱😱😱@atwood_reese smashed a walk off bomb to defeat No. 3 Oklahoma State, 3-2, and secure the series for No. 7 @TexasSoftball. #NCAASoftball x 🎥LHN
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) April 22, 2023
The Texas offense did not wait long to get rolling in game two as Ashton Maloney singled home Katie Cimusz from second in the bottom of the second inning. An inning later, Mia Scott’s base running forced a throwing error by the Cowgirl shortstop to allow Alyssa Popelka to score from third.
Two frames later, Leighann Goode added insurance runs for the Longhorns with a two-run single through the right side of the diamond before a fielding error allowed Scott to score, too.
FROM HEAD COACH MIKE WHITE
“I’m exhausted, so I don’t know how the players feel because these doubleheaders and high-pressure situations are tough. But I feel really good, really proud of this team for the way they battled this weekend. I thought the pitching staff did an outstanding job against a phenomenal offensive team. Their (offensive) numbers are crazy and Rachel Becker should be an All-American this season the way she swings the bat. She was a tough out the whole weekend, but our kids just stuck to their guns. We got down in the first game and found a way to come back to get the win and that was so phenomenal.”
FROM FRESHMAN REESE ATWOOD
“Today felt great … to just come through with this team on this stage and sweep the number-third ranked team in Oklahoma State. It’s all just a great feeling and I’m so happy for everyone. I thought the pitching staff did great throughout the series. Mac (Morgan) was dominating with her dropball, then Citlaly (Gutierrez) and Estelle (Czech) were controlling throughout their starts before Sophia (Simpson) did great giving us a chance to rally.”
GAME NOTES
- Over the course of both games on Saturday, all four pitchers on the Texas pitching staff pitched at least one inning with Sophia Simpson (4-1) and Estelle Czech (9-4) picking up wins, while Mac Morgan (S, 2) earning the save to cap the three-game sweep.
- With her two-run single through the right side of the diamond during Saturday’s second game, Leighann Goode drove in her first run since Saturday, April 15 against Kansas.
- Goode now has 38 RBI on the season, two shy of tying fellow freshman Viviana Martinez (40) for the team lead.
- By tossing 1.2 innings of scoreless softball to close the door on the series, Mac Morgan extended her consecutive innings pitched without allowing a run to 29.2 straight frames over her last six straight pitching appearances.
- Morgan last allowed a run in the bottom of the second in Texas’ 10-2 loss at Oklahoma on Sunday, April 2, 2023.
- With her two hits during game two of Saturday’s doubleheader, Mia Scott now has 20 multiple hit games on the season, two more than the next closest Longhorn (Viviana Martinez, 18).
- Additionally, by reaching base in both of Saturday’s games, Mia Scott now has a team-leading 11-game on-base streak.
- Scott also has an 11-game hitting streak, which is the longest by any Longhorn softball student-athlete this season.
- With Reese Atwood’s seventh-inning, three-run home run during the first game on Saturday, Texas became the first team other than Oklahoma to take a conference series from Oklahoma State since losing two of three (L, L, W) to Baylor in Waco in 2017.
UP NEXT
- Texas (39-9-1) will look for its 40th win on the season when the Longhorns pause Big 12 play for a mid-week, non-conference game against UTSA at 6 PM CT on Wednesday, April 26 at Red & Charline McCombs Field.
- A win over the Roadrunners would mark the third consecutive completed season with 40-or-more wins for the Longhorns.
- Texas has won at least 40-or-more games in every completed season under fifth-year head coach Mike White.
- The lone exception was the pandemic-halted 2020 season as the Longhorns won only 24 games before its last contest on March 8, 2020.
- Texas has won at least 40-or-more games in every completed season under fifth-year head coach Mike White.
- A win over the Roadrunners would mark the third consecutive completed season with 40-or-more wins for the Longhorns.