After reaching the championship match of the Ladies’s School World Collection final yr, Texas fell wanting that purpose this season by ending the NCAA Tremendous Regionals in a 2–0 sequence loss to Tennessee.
“It’s all the time powerful to complete the yr out, particularly after we let ourselves down a bit bit … it was only a powerful technique to end it,” head coach Mike White mentioned.
Tennessee solidified the win over Texas with a 9-0 blowout that despatched the Woman Volunteers to the Ladies’s School World Collection in Oklahoma Metropolis.
The matchup began with a run from Tennessee within the high of the primary inning. Nevertheless, there was no scoring from both staff in addition to the one run till the highest of the sixth inning. Tennessee was capable of rack up two extra runs resulting from Texas’ defensive errors and lack of communication.
Tennessee’s quick protection appeared to pose an issue for Texas, who nonetheless had not had successful within the matchup.
The primary hit for Texas got here within the backside of the sixth inning, when sophomore utility participant Vanessa Quiroga, coming off the bench to hit for junior infielder Alyssa Washington, hit a single to left subject. Nevertheless, this momentum was reduce quick when a double play was made by Tennessee and ended the inning with no rating for Texas.
The highest of the seventh was tough for Texas after a pitching change, bringing in sophomore Mac Morgan, and with bases already loaded, the Woman Volunteers acquired 5 runs, 4 of which have been from one hit and Texas’ error. This put the rating at 9-0.
The 2 hits of Texas’ offensive recreation got here from Quiroga, with a single after hitting a 3-1 pitch to left subject, and junior utility participant Camille Corona, with a single to left-center subject within the seventh inning.
Freshman Citlaly Gutierrez, sophomore Sophia Simpson and Mac Morgan all pitched for the Longhorns and had a median ERA of two.50, having six strikeouts and giving up 10 hits and 9 runs.
A significant contribution to Tennessee’s success got here from Texas’ subject errors. The Longhorns had a complete of 5 errors all through the sport compared to Tennessee’s zero. That, paired with the shortcoming to get by means of Tennessee’s protection, ended the 2023 Texas softball season.
“We acquired plenty of work to do, however I really feel assured and I really feel pleased with my staff, a extremely younger group of ladies,” White mentioned. “We’ve acquired rather a lot to construct on, and it’s only a begin for us.”