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Texas Tops Florida 7-2: Atwood’s Blast, Strong Pitching Secure Game One Win

by:Tara Henry•about 15 hours
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Photo courtesy of Texas Softball

In one of the most anticipated matchups of the season, No. 1 Texas traveled to Gainesville to take on the No. 3 Florida Gators. Game one of Saturday’s doubleheader was all Texas.

Kayden Henry got things started in the first inning with a single to left field, just past an outstretched Rylee Holtorf. Mia Scott followed with a single to right field, putting two on for Reese Atwood. A hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, bringing Joley Mitchell to the plate. However, Mitchell fouled out to the catcher, and Katelynn Oxley struck out Katie Stewart to escape the jam.

Texas pitcher Teagan Kavan worked a quick two outs in the bottom of the first before surrendering a two-out single to Korbe Otis. Jocelyn Erickson mishit a soft grounder back to the pitcher, ending the inning.

In the second inning, a one-out hit-by-pitch to Katie Cimusz led to a fielder’s choice, erasing her at second. Ashton Maloney then delivered a clutch two-out double to left-center, scoring Kaydee Bennett and putting the Longhorns on the board first, 1-0. The hit-by-pitch proved costly for the Gators.

Kenleigh Cahalan tried to spark Florida’s offense with a one-out single down the left field line in the bottom of the second, but Kavan once again escaped the jam with the strikeout on the offspeed to Ava brown.

Florida found some momentum in the third inning. Kendra Falby’s one-out slap to shortstop was followed by a single up the middle from Taylor Shumaker, just out of Bennett’s reach, advancing Falby to third. With speed on the bases, Korbe Otis came through with an RBI single to left, tying the game 1-1. Katie Stewart then gunned down Shumaker at third after Texas successfully challenged the initial safe call.

Texas responded in the fourth. Bennett drew a one-out walk, and Maloney followed with a single to second. A well-played ball by Mia Williams kept it in the infield, but an in-between hop to shortstop on the next play loaded the bases. Scott capitalized with a two-run single to right field on a changeup. Reese Atwood then launched a three-run home run to left on an 0-2 pitch, extending Texas’ lead to 6-1. The homer put Atwood just two shy of Taylor Thom’s program record of 178 RBIs.

Florida attempted to respond in the bottom half. Cahalan reached on a bouncer between first and second, and Williams walked to put two on. Ava Brown followed with a single that deflected off Joley Mitchell’s glove, loading the bases. Holtorf reached on a fielder’s choice to shortstop, scoring another run, but Falby lined out to third to end the threat.

Olivia Miller replaced Oxley in the fifth and dominated, retiring Texas in order on just 10 pitches.

Florida put runners on in the bottom of the fifth when Erickson was hit by a pitch and Otis walked, prompting Texas to bring in Mac Morgan. Morgan needed just one pitch to retire Cahalan on a groundout, ending the inning.

Defensive miscues plagued Florida in the sixth, as back-to-back errors in the middle infield loaded the bases for Mitchell, who delivered a sacrifice fly to right, adding an insurance run and pushing Texas’ lead to 7-2.

Morgan worked efficiently through the bottom of the sixth, retiring the first two batters before allowing consecutive singles. She then got Shumaker to ground out to shortstop, escaping without damage. In the seventh, she closed out the game with two groundouts and a strikeout, sealing the Texas victory.

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