Texas Tech softball season ends with loss to Texas

Provided by Texas Tech Athletics

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – The Texas Tech softball team (22-27) was defeated in the first round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship, 9-1, by the third-seed Texas Longhorns (38-16-1) to end the 2022 softball season.

The Red Raiders collected one run on four hits and left four runners on base. Texas tallied nine hits in the game with nine runs scored.

Texas plated one run in the first inning with an RBI single from Mary Iakopo. Mia Scott singled and stole second to get into scoring position for Iakopo who dropped in a ball to shallow right to score the speedy Scott.

The Longhorns broke things open in the third inning scoring seven runs on five hits and two errors. Back-to-back singles and an error loaded the bases for the Longhorns in the third and a walk brought in one run. Another error allowed two more runs to score and a three-run home run from Katie Cimusz made it 7-0 prompting a pitching change for the Red Raiders as Olivia Rains replaced Kendall Fritz. Courtney Day singled following the change and a pinch runner moved to second on a wild pitch. Janae Jefferson drove in the runner on second with a double to left center for an eight-run lead.

Tech got one run back in the top of the fourth as Ellie Bailey drove home Arriana Villa with her 13th double of the season. Villa singled to lead the inning off and scored as Bailey hit a ball deep to left, inches from going over the fence, but out of the reach of the left fielder to make it 8-1.

Texas ended the game via run rule in the bottom of the fifth as Lauren Burke singled to score Lou Gilbert from second.

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