No. 1 Texas softball stays hot, beats Kansas in series opener
Thomas Jones
Texas softball stayed hot in the first game of a three-game series Friday at Kansas, knocking off the Jayhawks 4-2 while claiming its seventh straight victory.
The No. 1 Longhorns (36-6, 15-4 Big 12) resume the series Saturday at 2 p.m.
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Freshman Teagan Kavan earned her team-high 13th win in the circle after giving up five hits and two runs in five innings, and Mac Morgan came on to earn the save with two scoreless innings.
Third baseman Mia Scott hammered a 2-run homer in the top of the fifth inning to give Texas a 4-0 lead, which proved more than enough cushion for the Longhorns’ pitchers.
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Despite the win, freshman Katie Stewart thinks her team may need a bit more juice if it wants to sweep salty Kansas (27-15-1, 11-8), which is trying to strengthen its case to the NCAA selection committee.
“I think we expected to come out with a little more energy and to pick up some more runs towards the end of the game, but we were told from the beginning that (Kansas) was going to be scrappy,” said Stewart, who had two of Texas’ six hits. “So, I’m proud of this team for sticking with it and not letting up after they scored two (runs) in the (bottom of the) fifth.”
First-place Oklahoma remains one game ahead of Texas in the conference standings after beating Houston Friday.