Texas storms back, survives upset scare from Texas A&M
Game two of the Austin Super Regional had it all as two teams threw haymakers at one another. In the end, top-seeded Texas survived to live another day with a 9-8 win after nine innings.
A chopper Ashton Maloney brought home the go-ahead run in the ninth for the Longhorns, and yet the game-winning run felt like the most anti-climatic part of this thriller.
The Longhorns were five outs away from being only the third number-one seed since the Super Regional format was established in 2005 to be eliminated before the Women’s College World Series. Texas couldn’t catch a break until the sixth inning.
Texas A&M third baseman decided to cut the run at home despite the Aggies holding a four-run lead. Despite the initial call being out, a review overturned the call and brought Texas within three. From there the floodgates opened for the Longhorns. They adjusted to Emiley Kennedy, who re-entered in the game in the sixth as well. Mia Scott and Vivi Martinez singled back up the middle to tie the game.
After a delay to fix a wall panel filled with trash – like we said the game had everything – Reese Atwood collected her 90th RBI of the season, fighting off a Kennedy pitch into the outfield to give Texas its first lead of the game.
Player of the Year doing Player of the Year things. #HookEm | 📺: @ESPNU pic.twitter.com/ccJ9NE90Rh
— Texas Softball (@TexasSoftball) May 25, 2024
Bella Dayton launched a two-run homer in the seventh after the five-run sixth inning, which proved to be pivotal insurance runs.
Why were they important? Texas was one strike away from sending the matchup to a third game. As Estelle Czech delivered the 2-2 to freshman Mya Perez, none of us were prepared for what happened next. Perez, who did not have an extra-base hit in her collegiate career, sent a three-run game-tying home run over the wall in Austin.
OH MYA 🤯
📺 ESPN#GigEm pic.twitter.com/Fu0x1ydt1y
— Texas A&M Softball (@AggieSoftball) May 25, 2024
The Aggies run out of magic in the ninth. Mac Morgan stranded two Texas A&M runners to close the book the contest.
Texas, which was very frustrated when trailing 5-1, found a way to keep its season alive. Despite the home runs from Perez, Trinity Cannon and Jazmine Hill, seem to have the advantage leading into Sunday. Texas has far more depth in the circle and the Longhorns have had plenty of success against Kennedy, who has almost thrown every pitch thus far.
Although, the Aggies have had success against all four pitchers for Texas. Does Kennedy have enough gas left in the tank to pull off the upset on Sunday? Or will the Longhorns make it back to Oklahoma City?
