No. 3 Texas softball found just enough success to fend off No. 24 South Carolina and open Southeastern Conference play with a win on Friday, but the Gamecocks proved that everything must be earned in the conference season.
After averaging 9.65 runs per game in nonconference, the Longhorns’ narrow 4-2 victory on Friday in Columbia, South Carolina, demonstrated the Gamecocks’ ability to maintain composure on defense and stay in the fight through all seven innings. Earlier in the week, Katie Stewart, a junior infielder and catcher, acknowledged the importance of not counting SEC opponents out of any game.
“I think one thing is really just being more on the attack,” Stewart said about what her team has focused on heading into conference play. “I think once we get to a certain point, we get a little complacent. And just knowing that anybody in the SEC can come back at any time, and so just being able to close the door when we need to.”
To say that Texas closed the door in its opening SEC matchup would be a stretch, but the Longhorns certainly seemed to remain alert and keep the pressure on the Gamecocks on their way to a competitive victory.
The Longhorns owe a significant portion of this victory to none other than Stewart, who logged her 12th home run of the season against the Gamecocks to bring home two runners. Stewart has been pulling through for Texas on both sides of the ball this season, and the stability she provided at first base on Friday helped her team hold South Carolina to just two runs total.
Her performance helped make up for a quieter night from senior catcher Reese Atwood, who wasn’t able to record any hits against the Gamecocks. Freshman infielder Jaycie Nichols, who has earned a pretty consistent spot in Texas’ starting lineup, also struck out twice in her SEC debut.
On the other end of play, junior pitcher Teagan Kavan and her defensive unit gave South Carolina an extremely hard time generating momentum throughout the matchup.
Ahead of the matchup, head coach Mike White emphasized the importance of keeping his pitchers’ counts as low as possible to avoid risking fatigue or injury.
“They’re going to see you twice in a weekend, and (if) you’re out there and you’re throwing 150 the first game, (the other team is) having to get a pretty good look at you,” White said. “So I think we’ve got to reduce the number of pitches we’re throwing per inning, and then be able to mix it up.”
Kavan, averaging just 15.1 pitches per inning across all seven innings, did just that. She wasn’t perfect, giving up six hits and two runs with an error, but she accumulated five strikeouts and helped her team leave the diamond with their first victory of the conference season.
By comparison, Gamecocks junior pitcher Nealy Lamb averaged 24.8 pitches per inning over the course of 2.1 innings before being pulled out for senior pitcher Jori Heard.
Texas will face off against South Carolina twice more this weekend on Saturday at 2 p.m. CT and on Sunday at 11 a.m. CT in Columbia.