Future bright for freshman Tiarra Davis

Connie Clark asked a lot of Tiarra Davis this weekend.

Davis got the start in the circle for the Longhorns’ second game Friday against IPFW, giving up three runs, just one of them earned, over eight innings, striking out 10 and walking two in the 3-2 defeat. She allowed only three hits and picked up two at the plate, going 2-for-4 while the rest of her teammates went 5-for-28 (.179).
( See Also Texas softball shows promise through Texas Classic growing pains)

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The following afternoon, Davis was called on to pitch again, this time in relief. Fellow freshman Lauren Slatten was cruising until the fifth inning, when she loaded the bases with two out. Davis was charged with the task of protecting a 5-2 lead and faced Louisiana Tech’s Alayana Kipp, who represented the go-ahead run.

Kipp struck out swinging to end the threat and Davis went on to record a seven-out save, the first of her young and promising career. Five of those seven outs were registered via strikeout but she wasn’t done.

Davis was on the mound again for the Longhorns’ championship game against No. 7 Kentucky on Sunday morning. Things didn’t go as smoothly for Davis in that contest early on, as she allowed a leadoff home run to Ginny Carroll in the second inning and a three-run bomb to Lauren Cumbess in the third.

Just like that and the Wildcats were on top, 5-1. But Davis showed impressive composure, especially for a freshman, and settled down from there. She held Kentucky scoreless for the next three innings and allowed Texas’ offense to find its rhythm and tie the game at 5 in the fourth.

“Mandy [Ogle] actually kept me really composed,” Davis said. “She was like, ‘You really have to tip your hat to the batters sometimes on a good pitch.’ So I was like, ‘Ok, just reset.’ And I took a deep breath and went to the next batter.”

What exactly did Ogle, whose three-run homer in that fourth-inning rally gave the Longhorns the momentum they needed to get back in the game, communicate to Davis that got her back on track?

“There’s nothing really specific I say,” Ogle said. “It’s just a matter of getting them to loosen up because they all tense up. That’s any pitcher who gets in a bind. I just keep them loose and back to the fundamentals.”

Whatever Ogle said worked. Davis gave up an unearned go-ahead run in the seventh and Texas lost to Kentucky, 6-5, falling to 6-6 on the year. But for a Longhorns pitching staff still getting used to life without Blaire Luna, Davis’ performance this weekend is a promising sign of good things to come.

“I loved what I saw from Tiarra on the mound this weekend,” Clark said. “We’re very talented. It’s just a matter of staying together and working as a team. Knowing that, it’s going to be a process.”

In all, Davis logged 17 1/3 innings in the circle this week, throwing 320 pitches over three days in the Texas Classic tournament. Opposing hitters batted just .148 (9-for-61) off her and she struck out 30 of the 75 batters she faced.

Davis also made her presence at the plate, picking up at least one hit in each of the four games she played in, going 5-for-15 for the tournament, with three runs and three RBIs.

“Tiarra’s doing awesome,” Ogle said. “Each game she comes out, she’s progressing and getting better. She’s improving her confidence. I’m excited to see what the next week brings.”

Clark might not rely on one ace like she had with Luna the last four years. Lauren Slatten (2-1, 4.30) is another freshman vying for time in the circle while Holly Kern (0-1, 3.57) and Gabby Smith (3-1, 2.88) are the experienced pair of pitchers on the squad.

But Davis did a lot this weekend to prove she has the repertoire and mindset necessary to carry a pitching staff. Like her team as a whole, she’s still working out the kinks but there is a lot to work with.

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Question for the fans: What do you think of the freshmen class of Softball players? Who do you think will have the biggest impact on the Longhorns this year? Sound off below.

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