Texas softball shows promise through Texas Classic growing pains

The potential exist. That much remains obvious. But it may take some time for the production to catch up with that potential.

The Longhorns, coming off a trip to the Women’s College World Series last season, have a 6-6  record after this weekend’s Texas Classic. They went 2-3 in the tournament, falling to No. 7 Kentucky (10-0) in the championship game, 6-5, Sunday morning, although some encouraging signs materialized for the Longhorns this weekend.

( See Also Future bright for freshman Tiarra Davis)

In Friday’s game against Kentucky, the Longhorns were held scoreless in the first six innings, going into the seventh down, 6-0. But they rallied to score four runs in the last frame – tied for the most the Wildcats had [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]  allowed all season – before ending the game with the tying run in scoring position.

Three straight singles and a bases-loaded walk by Marlee Gabaldon gave Texas its first run of the tournament to make it 6-1 with nobody out in the seventh. After a Taylor Thom RBI groundout a two-run single by Lindsey Stephens, the Longhorns were right back in it, down only 6-4.

But, with Brejae Washington at third base and Stephens representing the tying run at second base, Erin Shireman flied out to left to end the game. The top five hitters in the Longhorns lineup (Thom, Washington, Stephens, Holly Kern, Shireman) went a combined 3-for-19 in the loss.

“We’ve been in every game going into the seventh inning and had a chance to win,” Thom said. “We are a young team. We’re still working through some things. And I think we’re doing a great job. Things will come together down the line.”

Texas lost its fifth straight game later Friday, falling to IPFW, 3-2, in eight innings, its longest losing streak since 2007. The game was scoreless going into the sixth, when each squad pushed one run across. Neither team scored in the seventh to force extras, where they got to start the eighth with a runner on second and nobody out.

IPFW scored twice in that eighth inning but the Longhorns responded with a one-out RBI triple by Kern to trim the deficit to 3-2. Despite having runners on the corners and one out, they didn’t score again as Tiarra Davis and Gabaldon struck out swinging to end the game.

“It’s going to be a process with this squad,” head coach Connie Clark said. “We’ve had some growing pains early but I like some of the things we’re doing. It’s going to be kind of a roller coaster, I think, at times but if they can just stay on the ride and enjoy it, we’re going to get better.”

Those words proved true when Texas snapped its losing streak in a big way Saturday, beating Louisiana Tech and IPFW by a combined score of 17-4. Between the two victories, the Longhorns batted .490 (24-for-49), drawing nine walks and striking out only six times in 61 collective plate appearances.

The first six batters Texas sent to the plate against Louisiana Tech reached base as the Longhorns batted around in the opening frame and tied a season-high by scoring five runs in the inning. They cruised from there, getting solid outings in the circle from freshmen Lauren Slatten, who improved to 2-1 on the year, and Davis, who picked up a seven-out save, her first of the season.

Texas scored in all five innings of its triumph over IPFW, run-ruling the Mastodons when Kern knocked a two-run single to left in the fifth to put the Longhorns up, 10-2, ending the game. Gabby Smith picked up the complete-game win, allowing only two hits and two unearned runs.

That semifinal victory set up another showdown with unbeaten Kentucky, who jumped on Texas with two runs in the second inning and a three-run homer from Lauren Cumbess in the third. That gave the Wildcats a 5-1 advantage, which would normally be plenty of cushion for Cumbess, who had not allowed a single run in 12 innings before Sunday.

But, for the second time this week, Texas put together a four-run rally against Kentucky, this time in the fourth inning. Mandy Ogle launched a three-run shot over the center field wall and Thom was hit in the foot by a pitch with the bases loaded to tie the game at 5.

Cumbess, who had surrendered only four hits, all singles, before facing the Longhorns, gave up five straight hits at one point in that fourth inning. Texas had the bases loaded with one out after tying the game but couldn’t push the go-ahead run across.

The Longhorns left nine runners on base over the last four frames and couldn’t respond after Kentucky went ahead on a fielding error by Thom at shortstop. With the bases loaded and two out, Thom bobbled a ground ball and couldn’t get the ball to second base in time for the inning-ending force out. She was on deck when Stephanie Ceo grounded out to end the game in the bottom half of the inning.

“She needed to come through it a little bit more,” Clark said of Thom’s error. “I know she’s kicking herself. Anytime our pitchers get a ground ball, we’re celebrating that. She’ll make that play a million times probably over the next two months. We’ve got to get back to work on that. That was unfortunate timing.”

Texas’ six losses have come by a combined 10 runs but, for a team that lost only 10 games all last year, these are not the results it’s looking for. But the Longhorns are excited about what’s to come. They take the field next in the Mary Nutter Classic in Palm Springs, Calif. against UNLV.

“It’s early in the season. We’re just trying to work through things,” Thom said. “This team has a very loose, relaxed intensity about it. We’re very calm. We understand that we have a very capable hitting staff and we can come back down from any deficit.”

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