By Steve Lansdale
AUSTIN, Texas — The No. 10 University of Texas softball team scored three times in the fifth inning to beat Baylor, 3-1, at Red & Charline McCombs Field, in the final home game in the careers of seniors Bekah Alcozer, Brooke Bolinger and Ki’Audra Hayter.
The victory helped Texas improve to 41-12 overall, and 12-6 in games against Big 12 opponents; Baylor slipped to 18-31 overall and just 2-16 against Big 12 teams. The Longhorns claimed the No. 3 seed in next week’s Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City, Okla. Texas will start the tournament by facing [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]off at 11 a.m. Friday against No. 2 Oklahoma State.
The Longhorns spotted their guests a 1-0 lead when Baylor’s Goose McGlaun singled to right-center field off UT starter Bolinger, driving in third baseman Kassidy Krupit with the game’s first run.
But Texas responded in the bottom of the fifth inning. Left fielder Kaitlyn Washington doubled to center field, scoring pinch runner MK Tedder with the tying run. Washington and second baseman Janae Jefferson then scored the go-ahead and insurance runs on a triple by first baseman Lauren Burke.
Bolinger was replaced in the circle by freshman Shealyn O’Leary, who allowed two hits and struck out two in three innings to pick up the win. O’Leary improved her season record to 13-1, while lowering her NCAA-best earned run average to just 0.48.
Miranda Elish picked up her third save of the season.
The performance reflected the Longhorns’ success against Baylor this season: Texas pitchers allowed just a single run in 21 innings this season against the Bears, for an ERA of just 0.33 against their opponent from Waco.
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