New conference, no problem for No. 2 Texas after doubleheader sweep of No. 3 Florida
AUSTIN (KXAN) — No. 2 Texas kicked off Southeastern Conference softball play with a doubleheader sweep of No. 3 Florida on Saturday at Pressly Stadium in Gainesville, Florida.
The Longhorns (28-1, 2-0 SEC) won the first game 7-2 and then picked up the second 13-7.
In the opener, Texas used a 5-run fourth inning to turn a 1-1 tie into a 6-1 lead. Mia Scott drove in a pair with a single to right field, and then Reese Atwood blasted a 3-run home run over the left-center wall to take control of the game.
Ashton Maloney led the Longhorns with three hits, and Scott and Atwood each had two. Teagan Kavan picked up her 10th pitching win of the season with five strikeouts and a walk in 4.2 innings before Mac Morgan finished the game.
In the second game, the Longhorns scored six runs in the sixth to seize momentum in a 7-7 ballgame. Katie Cimusz hit two home runs, a solo shot in the fifth and a 3-run blast in the sixth. Cimusz's sixth-inning homer started the big frame with Maloney smacking an EBI single and Kayden Henry lacing a 2-run double down the left field line.
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Scott hit a 3-run homer in the third to give the Longhorns a 3-2 lead. Texas had 14 hits with Cimusz leading the way, going 3-for-5 with four RBIs. Maloney, Henry, Scott and Katie Stewart all had two hits each for the Longhorns.
Kavan came on in relief to grab her second win of the day, allowing one run on four hits in four innings. Citlaly Gutierrez started in the circle, but lasted only a third of an inning before Morgan came in.
The teams had to play two games Saturday to avoid thunderstorms headed for the Gainesville area Sunday. They'll take Sunday off to let the storms pass and finish the series Monday.