Softball tops Houston, improves to 10-0

By Steve Lansdale

HOUSTON, Texas — Junior Tiarra Davis fired a complete-game five-hitter to lead the No. 24 University of Texas softball team to a 4-1 over Houston in the five-game event that also included two games each against Toledo and Ball State.

With the victory, the Longhorns [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level1)]improved to 10-0 for the sixth time in school history. UH fell to 6-4.

Davis walked one and struck out seven over the full seven innings, improving her season record to 6-0. She also went 2-for-4 at the plate, smacking a double and scoring a run to back up her pitching performance. Shortstop Devon Tunning, left fielder Stephanie Wong and third baseman Christina Bardwell also each drove in a run to help account for the Longhorns’ four runs.

“It was a great weekend,” Texas head coach Connie Clark said. “We love that we’re getting some practice for what will happen in conference, seeing the same opponent twice like we did with Toledo and Ball State and having to make adjustments the second time we face them. Houston was a great exclamation point today, having that as the final game after a long weekend and playing on their home turf with a lot of red in the stands. I thought we battled well.

“Even though we had some trials today, it took us a little time to solve the pitching, we made the adjustments. There were some good conversations going. All weekend we were able to use our entire (available) bench. It’s been nice to be able to try to match up our pinch hitting with the pitching we’re seeing at the moment. Overall, it was a good team effort this weekend.”

Texas got the only runs it would need in the second inning, when Tunning’s single down the left field line drove in Bardwell and Wong’s sacrifice fly to left scored first baseman Kelli Hanzel.

The Longhorns got a couple of insurance runs in the seventh. Bardwell fouled out to right, but the ball was deep enough to score Felix, and Davis scored UT’s final run when second baseman Stephanie Ceo reached safely on a Houston fielding error.

UH got its only run in the bottom of the seventh when first baseman Courtney Klingler homered to center, but that was the Cougars’ only mark on the scoreboard.

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