Mia Scott belts 3-run home run to plate 5-0 lead over Northwestern in Austin Regional final
Texas Longhorns third baseman Mia Scott blew Austin Regional final against Northwestern open with a three-run home run in the second inning. With that, the Longhorns took a 5-0 lead in the game.
The Longhorns had been putting pressure on the Wildcats and starting pitcher Ashley Miller, plating two runs in the first. Then, with two on and two out in the second inning, Scott punished Miller for a mistake pitch on a 1-0 count.
You can watch Mia Scott crush her three-run home run against Northwestern, here:
With the home run off the bat of Mia Scott, Northwestern made a change at pitcher, pulling Ashley Miller from the game. She was replaced by Riley Grudzielanek in the circle, who got out of the inning without letting up any additional damage in the second.
It’s been a frustrating Austin Regional for Miller, who was the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year of the 2024 season. However, coming into the final on Sunday, she only pitched one inning in the Regional, giving up a run. Things didn’t get better against Texas, as she gave up five runs in just 1.2 innings worth of work. This comes after she threw 42.1 innings in 2024 with a 0.66 ERA for the Wildcats.
As for Mia Scott, she has been one of the best players not just on Texas but in the country this season. She is hitting .417 in 55 games going into Sunday’s Austin Regional Final. That includes eight home runs and 46 RBIs coming into play.
This game is the second time that Texas and Northwestern have met during the Austin Regional, with the Longhorns beating the Wildcats 14-2 in five innings on Saturday. That came after Texas shutout Siena on Friday night in an incredible performance from starting pitcher Mac Morgan, who threw a no-hitter in the win.
The winner of this game is headed to the Super Regional. With an early lead in the game, it’s looking more and more likely that Texas is going to be that representative. However, with plenty of time left, nothing is certain.
Texas came into the NCAA Tournament as the first overall seed this year. If the Longhorns can hold on and win they will play the winner of the College Station Regional in the Super Regional. That’s going to come down to another school from the state of Texas, with Texas A&M and Texas State battling to win that Region on Sunday afternoon.