No. 1/1 Softball’s rally halted in seventh inning – University of Texas Athletics

AUSTIN, Texas – In a matter of minutes, everything changed for both Texas and Texas A&M in the top of the first inning of the Aggies’ eventual 6-5 win. 

One moment, the top-seeded Longhorns were celebrating in front of their third-base dugout believing they had turned an inning-ending triple play. The next, the Aggies were celebrating around home plate as Trinity Cannon sent a 3-2 pitch over the left field fence for a three-run home run. In between was a challenge by Texas A&M head coach Trisha Ford that a ground ball that rolled to Mia Scott at third base to start the action actually hit off Cannon’s foot thus making it a foul ball and erasing the momentous moment. 

Ford’s gamble paid off allowing Cannon a second opportunity that ultimately resulted in Texas A&M taking a 3-0 first-inning lead. It was a lead that was extended four innings later when Cannon connected on a 1-0 pitch for a two-run home run. The following inning, the Aggies made it 6-0 with a run-scoring double. 

And then Texas started its come-from-behind effort. 

After back-to-back outs courtesy of a fielder’s choice and a flyout to center field, Joley Mitchell drew a full-count walk to load the bases as Viviana Martinez (leadoff single) and Reese Atwood (walk) were already standing on second and first, respectively. Then Texas softball head coach Mike White rolled the dice. The sixth-year Longhorn skipper called for Victoria Hunter to come off the bench and bat for Kayden Henry. 

Hunter only saw one pitch during her at bat and it sailed over the right-center field fence for a pinch hit, two-out grand slam to cut the Longhorn deficit to two. Texas A&M attempted to answer in its half of the seventh by loading the bases with two away, but a strikeout by Mac Morgan kept the momentum in the Texas dugout. 

The momentum filled Red & Charline McCombs Field not only when Reese Atwood hit a two-out solo home run to cut the deficit to one, but the energy remained as Katie Stewart, who is second on the team with 12 home runs, stepped to the plate and throughout the entirety of her four-pitch, game-ending at bat. 

FROM HEAD COACH MIKE WHITE

“Obviously, I wish we could’ve been on the winning side of things, but I have to give credit to our team for not giving up and fighting back really hard. Also have to give credit to (Texas) A&M for taking advantage of some of our mistakes early on to get out to a good lead. Obviously, Trinity Cannon had a great day for them, and Emiley Kennedy hung tough in the situations she needed to. We are going to make sure we come out with our best game tomorrow and give it our best shot to see if we can bring it to game three on Sunday.”

FROM SOPHOMORE REESE ATWOOD

“Yeah, the late-game success against (Emiley) Kennedy is definitely momentum going into tomorrow’s game. I think we now know that we can do it now. The first few innings were a struggle against Kennedy — she’s a great pitcher — so seeing the fight at the end shows what we are going to come in and do tomorrow.” 

GAME NOTES

• With her two-out solo home run in the bottom of the seventh in Friday’s game, Texas sophomore Reese Atwood has now driven in 89 runs on the season, which is tied with Jocelyn Alo’s 2021 season total for second on the Big 12 Conference’s single-season RBI list. 

  • Atwood, a USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year top three finalist, will enter Saturday’s win-or-go-home just three RBI back of tying Tiare Jennings’ 2021 season total (92) for the top spot on the league’s single-season RBI list. 
  • The hit was also the 75th for Atwood on the season, which tied her with Mia Scott’s 2023 and Janae Jefferson’s 2021 season hit totals for fifth on the program’s single-season hit list. 

    • Atwood joins Scott, Jefferson and Lindsay Gardner as the only student-athletes in program history to be credited with 75-or-more hits in a single season. 

  • While Atwood’s home run broke a tie for seventh on the program’s career home run list and moves the sophomore into sole possession of the spot with 34, she also tied Nadia Taylor (2009-12) for seventh on the program’s career RBI list with 132. 

• As a result of Victoria Hunter and Reese Atwood’s home runs throughout the late innings of Friday’s game, the Texas offense has now connected for 86 home runs on the season, which is two shy of tying the program’s single-season mark of 88 set throughout the 2010 campaign. 

UP NEXT

• Texas (50-8) will look to keep its magical 2024 season alive on Saturday, May 25, when the Longhorns look to even the best-of-three series against Texas A&M in game two of the 2024 NCAA Austin Super Regional with first pitch slated for 4 p.m. CT. 

  • The Longhorns have only lost back-to-back games once this season: Saturday, March 30 at then-No. 8/10 Oklahoma State (0-3) and Friday, April 5 against then-No. 1 Oklahoma (2-5). 
  • UT has not lost back-to-back games at Red & Charline McCombs Field since Saturday, March 11, 2023 against then-No. 13/9 Alabama (3-4, in 11 innings) and Sunday, March 12, 2023 against Texas State (4-5, in nine innings). 
  • A Texas softball team has not lost back-to-back seven-inning games at home since Saturday, May 1, 2021 against then-No. 11/9 Oklahoma State (1-5) and Sunday, May 2, 2021 against then-No.11/9 Oklahoma State (4-6). 

FOLLOW US

• For the latest information on the team, follow @TexasSoftball on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. General athletic news can also be found at @TexasLonghorns on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

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