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Texas Softball Avoids Sweep, Takes Finale from Oklahoma

Updated: Sunday, May 6 2012, 09:25 PM CDT
Taylor Hoagland’s record-breaking home run sparked an eight-run sixth inning Sunday as the No. 8/10 Texas Longhorns rebounded with a 12-5 victory over the No. 4/3 Oklahoma Sooners.  Hoagland’s 16th homer of the season set a new Texas single-season record, breaking the mark she set of 15 last year.

Hoagland finished with a 2-for-3 day and three RBI while Lexy Bennett and Mandy Ogle recorded three hits each.  Ogle tied a personal best for most hits in a game.

Texas (41-10, 15-8) avoided a Big 12 series sweep at the hands of Oklahoma (42-8, 16-5) and recorded the most hits (15) allowed by the Sooner pitching staff this season.

Rachel Fox (13-1) got the win in relief for the Longhorns with three innings, allowing one run on three hits.  Blaire Luna started for Texas and struck out seven batters in four innings while walking eight.  After earning a win and save this weekend, Keilani Ricketts (26-7) took the loss after giving up eight runs (five earned) on six hits in three innings with no walks and four strikeouts.

Courtney Craig doubled to start the Texas half of the second inning.  Taylor Thom moved Craig to third on a ground out before Torie Schmidt chopped an infield single in front of home plate to score Craig for the first run of the game.

Hoagland walked in the third, followed by Bennett’s infield single.  Nadia Taylor then made it a 3-0 lead for Texas, drilling a two-run double to the gap in left center.  Taylor moved to third on a wild pitch after Michelle Gascoigne relieved Allen, but was thrown out at the plate when Erica Sampson grabbed Karina Scott’s fly out in foul territory and doubled up Taylor at home.

Jessica Shults hit her 15th homer of the season with a solo shot to center off Luna in the third with Texas maintaining a 3-1 advantage.

Thom doubled at the start of the fourth and later scored on Ogle’s RBI single as Texas led, 4-1.

Destinee Martinez walked in the bottom of the fifth as Luna walked three straight batters to force in a run and cut the Texas lead in half, 4-2.  Fox entered for Luna, but gave up a two-run, game-tying double to Georgia Casey.  Sampson walked and Brianna Turang hit a ground ball back to the circle, but Fox’s throw pulled Scott off the bag at first to load the bases.  Pinch-hitter Katie Norris then put the Sooners ahead for the first time with an RBI single and the 5-4 score, but it would be a short-lived lead.

Ogle singled to center in the Longhorns’ sixth.  Kim Bruins then hit a chopper up the middle, but Ogle beat out the throw from shortstop Jessica Vest after Vest made a diving stop to the left of second base.  Hoagland then launched Ricketts’ 1-0 pitch over the fence in right for the three-run shot as Texas took the 7-5 lead.  Bennett followed, hitting a 1-2 pitch to left center for her 10th homer on the year and the 8-5 score.  Ricketts hit Taylor and Craig on back-to-back at-bats and Scott loaded the bases with a single.  Thom slapped a single to right for the four-run lead.  Schmidt then hit a ball in front of the plate, but third baseman Lauren Chamberlin’s throw went over the head of Shults as two more runs scored.  Ogle then hit a grounder to third, but Thom made a break for home and beat out the throw after Ogle was retired at first to finish off the big inning for the Longhorns.

Fox then held off the Sooners in the sixth and seventh innings to salvage the series for the Longhorns.

Texas concludes the 2012 regular season next Sunday at home against Baylor with a 1 p.m. start.  The game will be broadcast on Longhorn Network.  Gametracker live stats, along with a live Twitter feed (@TexasSoftball), for the game will be available on TexasSports.com.

Next Sunday’s game will be the final regular season home game for three UT seniors: Lexy Bennett, Courtney Craig and Nadia Taylor.

Notes: Texas is now 7-8 on the season when trailing after the fifth inning…with two runs scored, Lexy Bennett needs one run scored to tie the career record of 156, held by Desiree Williams (2005-09).Texas Softball Avoids Sweep, Takes Finale from Oklahoma