AUSTIN, Texas – On Saturday morning at the Lone Star State Invitational, senior center fielder Shannon Rhodes registered a career-high two HR's and five RBIs and junior third baseman Mary Iakopo homered for the third-straight game as No. 7 Texas softball (6-0) held off a strong challenge from No. RV/25 Mississippi State (7-3) to prevail, 8-7.
Important Notes
- Texas has now won its last five match-ups against teams ranked in either the NFCA or USA Softball poll at game time and six of its last seven.
- Junior second baseman Janae Jefferson has now reached base safely in 23 straight games dating back to the 2020 season.
- Rhodes' two-HR game was the first for the Longhorns since Lauren Burke blasted a pair of big flies against Texas Southern back on March 7, 2020.
- Rhodes' two HR's and five RBIs were both career-highs at Texas. She previously registered a five-RBI effort as a freshman at Oregon against Oregon State back on April 30, 2017.
- Iakopo has now hit a HR in three consecutive games for the second time in her career (first time at Texas). While at Oregon, the Carson, Calif., native blasted HR's in three straight contests from April 8-14, 2018, versus Arizona and Arizona State (two games).
- Freshman right fielder Jordyn Whitaker is currently riding a five-game hitting streak and leading the squad with a .538 (7-for-13) overall batting average.
- Texas has started each of its three seasons under the guidance of head coach Mike White at a perfect 6-0.
- Texas improved to 6-0 all-time against Mississippi State, including 3-0 in Austin.
Major Players
Rhodes (2-for-3, two runs, two HR's, five RBIs); Iakopo (1-for-3, run, HR, RBI); junior first baseman Lauren Burke (2-for-3, run, double, RBI); freshman shortstop Alyssa Washington (1-for-3, run, RBI); senior left fielder Kaitlyn Washington (2-for-4, run)
In the Circle
Sophomore Shea O'Leary (2-0) started and picked up the victory after permitting three earned runs on eight hits with five strikeouts over five innings. In two frames of relief work, graduate transfer Molly Jacobsen allowed one earned run on two hits with a walk and four strikeouts to earn her first Texas save.
The Details
Mississippi State jumped to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first as catcher Mia Davidson launched a one-out solo HR down the left field line.
The Longhorns utilized the long ball to answer right back off Mississippi State starter Alyssa Loza in the bottom of the first. With Jefferson already aboard on a leadoff fielding error, Rhodes launched a two-run HR over the wall in left center. Iakopo quickly made it back-to-back HR's for the Longhorns by going down and golfing a drive out to center to make it 3-1.
After leaving the bases loaded in the second, Texas' offense exploded in the third for five runs on four hits. It all started with one out on a Kaitlyn Washington single to center. Burke stepped into the box and drove a RBI double to left center to make it 4-1. Following an Alyssa Washington RBI single, Jefferson walked to put two on with two outs. That set the stage for more Rhodes fireworks as the Fort Worth, Texas, product crushed a three-run HR well over the scoreboard in center to boost the Texas lead to 8-1.
O'Leary ran into trouble in the fourth as the Bulldogs scored five runs, three of those unearned, on a combination of five hits and a costly UT fielding error. The big hits came on a two-RBI Carter Spexarth single and RBI base knocks from second baseman Paige Cook, right fielder Christian Quinn and left fielder Chloe Malau'ulu.
Still trailing by a pair, MSU got the first two on base against Jacobsen to open the sixth. UT's graduate transfer battled back from the circle to retire the next two before allowing a Mia Davidson RBI single through the left side as the Bulldogs cut their deficit to 8-7. With Mississippi State threatening to grab the lead with two runners aboard, Jacobsen managed to get first baseman Fa Leilua swinging on a 3-2 pitch to keep the Longhorns in front.
With one final chance in the top of the seventh, the Bulldogs 4, 5 & 6 hitters went down in order against Jacobsen with two strikeouts.
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February 28, 2021 at 03:01AM
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No. 7 Softball knocks off No. RV/25 Mississippi State, 8-7 - TexasSports.com
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