Texas softball closes out the regular season with one last test in the loaded SEC, and the Longhorn bats weren’t up to the challenge in Game 1 of a three-game series against No. 10 Arkansas Thursday at McCombs Field.
The No. 7 Longhorns (38-9, 15-7 SEC) had just four hits against the Hogs (40-9, 14-8) in a 2-0 loss, their third shutout loss in the past month. And their approach at the plate, especially against Arkansas starter Robyn Herron, was downright puzzling to Texas coach Mike White.
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“We’re swinging at crap, quite frankly,” White said. “We’re taking good pitches and swinging at junk. I mean, that’s not a recipe for success, and they (the Texas players) know that. I’m disappointed in the way we played.”
The Longhorns were particularly ineffective against Herron, who have up three hits with eight strikeouts and no walks before giving way to Payton Burnham in the seventh. Texas tried to rally in the bottom of the seventh with a leadoff single from Vivi Martinez and a one-out double from Leighanne Goode, but pinch runner Adayah Wallace got caught between third and home on a fielder’s choice by Hannah Wells for the second out before Kaiah Altmeyer flew out for the third out.
The quiet Texas bats spoiled a strong effort by starting pitcher Teagan Kavan, who gave up three hits and two runs in 6⅓ innings innings. She did pluck two early batters before settling down.
Still, Kavan shouldered some of the blame for the loss, saying “I think there’s parts in the game where I could be bigger for my team.”
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“Just stepping up to get that big out in the moment,” she said. “And so I think just letting them know that I’m always going to have their back, and I know they’re always going to have mine.”
Texas entered the series currently tied with Texas A&M for fourth place in the SEC and holds a tiebreaking edge over the Aggies. That means if Texas wins the series against Arkansas, it will enter next week’s SEC Tournament as a top-four seed and get a coveted double bye unless Texas A&M sweeps its series against first-place Oklahoma.
Game 2 is scheduled for tomorrow at 2 p.m., pending any weather delays.
Read below for a replay and highlights from Thursday as the Texas Longhorns lost Game 1 against the Arkansas Razorbacks.
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MORE: How ‘Smash Sisters’ Reese Atwood, Katie Stewart super-charge Texas softball
Texas Longhorns infielder Viviana Martinez (23) warms up to bat as utility Leighann Goode (43) bats in the second inning of the Longhorns’ 9-1 win over the Houston Cougars in their first game of the Longhorn Invitational at Red and Charline McCombs Field in Austin, Feb. 27, 2026.
Sara Diggins/Austin American-Statesman
A leadoff single from Vivi Martinez and a one-out double from Leighanne Goode give the Texas faithful hope, but pinch runner Adayah Wallace gets caught between third and home on a fielder’s choice by Hannah Wells for the second out. Kaiah Altmeyer flies out for the third out.
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Vivi Martinez leads off the bottom of the seventh with a single into right, and Payton Burnham comes in for Arkansas starter Robyn Herron. The book on Herron: 6 innings, 3 hits, 0 runs, 8 Ks, 0 BBs.
A brilliant double play by Texas 3B Jaycie Nichols ends a Hog threat. Arkansas had two on with one out, but Nichols snags a sharply hit ball by Rea Johnson at third and doubles up Atalyia Rijo at second. Now, about those Texas bats. …
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Teagan Kavan gets one more out, and freshman Hannah Wells comes into the game. The book on Kavan: 6⅓ innings, 3 hits, 2 runs, 4 Ks, 2 BBs, 2 HBs. That’s usually enough to get a win, but the Longhorn bats can’t get going. Check that: Wells issues one walk, and Kavan reenters the game. The quirks of softball, y’all.
Three more batters, three more outs for Arkansas starter Robyn Herron, who strikes out Texas slugger Katie Stewart looking. Stewart didn’t like the call, but the smattering of Hog fans love getting through the top of the Texas order without any damage.
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Teagan Kavan mows through the Hogs in order, and Texas is back at the plate in a fast-moving game. Hey, anyone wanna play two tonight based on tomorrow’s rainy forecast? Texas is down to six outs.
No problem for Arkansas starter Robyn Herron against the bottom half of the Longhorns order. Three up, three down, and Herron has still only allowed two hits. Texas has suffered two shutouts in the past month, and it needs to string something together in order to avoid a third.
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Texas starter Teagan Kavan is doing enough to win even with two hit batters and her first walk of the game in the fifth; she’s allowed three hits and two runs, but the Longhorns just can’t get anything going at the plate.
Reece Atwood smacks the second hit of the game for Texas with two outs, but Arkansas 2B Karlie Davison robs Leighann Goode of a single with a leaping grab for the third out. Arkansas starter Robyn Herron is mowing through the Texas lineup on only 50 pitches.
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Texas starter Teagan Kavan gets some nice glove work from 2B Leighann Goode to get out of the inning without a base-runner, but it’s all on the Longhorn bats at this point. They have just one so far against Arkansas starter Robyn Herron.
Kaiah Altmeyer leads off the frame with the first hit of the game for Texas and gets bunted over to second by Jaycie Nichols, but Ashton Maloney and Kayden Henry can’t get her home.
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Rea Johnson legs out the second hit of the game for Arkansas, barely beating a nice throw by Texas SS Vivi Martinez. After advancing to second, she scores on a single into right field by Brinli Bain. Texas will need to get the bats going against Arkansas starter Robyn Herron.
Arkansas starter Robyn Herron still hasn’t allowed a base-runner, although Texas freshman Hannah Wells gave the third out a nice run to deep center for a long flyout.
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The last time Texas starter Teagan Kavan hit a batter was March 25 against Texas State. She plunks two batters to lead off the inning, and it costs the Longhorns a run when Ava Carter — pinch running for Dakota Kennedy, who’s back in the lineup after missing three weeks with a knee injury — scores on a groundout by Kailey Wyckoff.
Three up, three down for Texas against Hog southpaw Robyn Herron. She’s a crafty pitcher; the Horns may need to work hard for their runs tonight.
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Brinli Bain laces a one-out double into left center but that’s all for the Hogs against Texas starter Teagan Kavan. Arkansas lefty Robyn Herron will step into the circle for Arkansas with an impressive 14-4 record and a 1.99 ERA.
We’re off at McCombs Field. Texas ace Teagan Kavan gets the start. She’s 19-3 with a 2.92 ERA and 165 strikeouts in 134⅓ innings. She gave up a total of eight hits and three runs in 9⅔ innings in last week’s series sweep at Kentucky.
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SpotPos# PlayerBatsAvg1cf21 Kayden HenryL.42021b20 Katie StewartR.4683ss23 Viviana MartinezL.3874c14 Reese AtwoodR.36652b43 Leighann GoodeR.3836dp13 Hannah WellsR.2907lf44 Kaiah AltmeyerL.31883b24 Jaycie NicholsR.3449rf7 Ashton MaloneyL.30910p17 Teagan Kavan
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SpotPos# PlayerBatsAvg1cf23 Rea JohnsonL.3312rf1 Brinli BainL.38433b6 Ella McDowellR.37741b20 Tianna BellR.3765dp22 Dakota KennedyL.36562b14 Karlie DavisonR.3827ss26 Atalyia RijoL.3368lf46 Kailey WyckoffL.3629c17 Kennedy MillerR.32110p11 Robyn HerronR
The first game will start at 6:02 p.m. The start time was bumped up from its scheduled start time of 7 p.m.
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Where: McCombs Field in Austin
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TV/radio: SEC Network; texaslonghorns.com
Reach Texas beat reporter Thomas Jones via email at tjones@statesman.com.