No. 3 Softball’s Hunter launches go-ahead home run to force Game 3 of NCAA Austin Super Regional

AUSTIN, Texas – Junior pinch hitter Victoria Hunter’s two-out, two-run go-ahead home run in the sixth lifted No. 3 Texas Softball over No. 19 Arizona State, 4-3, Saturday night at McCombs Field to force a game three of the NCAA Austin Super Regional.

Texas improves to 46-11 overall and 7-1 in the postseason with three victories vs. top-20 opponents. Texas has won eight of its last nine games. The Longhorns snapped Arizona State’s season-long 10-game win streak.

Senior RHP Citlaly Gutierrez (9-3) shut the door on Arizona State after twirling 5.0 innings of relief and holding Arizona State to just one run on three hits with six strikeouts – her second-most strikeouts in an outing this season. Gutierrez, who earned the win, replaced junior RHP Teagan Kavan in the circle in the bottom of the third with runners at the corners and nobody out. After allowing an RBI infield single for ASU to take a 2-0 lead, Gutierrez retired the next three batters to get Texas out of the jam. The Stamford, Texas, native retired the final eight batters of the night to hold off the Sun Devils.  

Arizona State scored a run in both the second and third for a 2-0 lead.

Texas rallied and scored two runs with two away in the top of the fifth inning. Junior first baseman Katie Stewart smashed a double down the left field line to score senior left fielder Kaiah Altmeyer to trim the ASU lead to 2-1. Then, senior catcher Reese Atwood’s six-pitch at bat resulted in an RBI single up the middle to score Stewart from second and even the score at 2-2.

The Sun Devils launched a solo home run in the bottom of the fifth to regain a 3-2 lead.

With two outs and senior right fielder Ashton Maloney, who reached on a single to left, on second base, Hunter blasted her two-run, go-ahead home run to left field to put the Horns in front permanently, 4-3.

Up Next

• The Longhorns improved to 9-2 all-time in Game 2’s of NCAA Super Regional play and 5-1 under head coach Mike White.
• The Longhorns have won seven of their last eight Game 2’s, dating back to 2013.
• Texas is now 16-12 (.571) all-time in NCAA Super Regional games.
• The Longhorns have homered in 10-consecutive games.
• Kayden Henry extended her reached base streak to 10-consecutive games.
• Victoria Hunter hit Texas’ lone home run, her second of the season.
• Ashton Maloney has reached base in seven-straight games and has recorded a hit in four-consecutive contests.
• Texas earned its first win of the season when trailing after the second inning.
• The Longhorns improved to 4-10 this season when trailing after five innings.
• The Longhorns improved to 23-0 when leading after six innings.
• Texas outhit Arizona State, 7-6.
• Texas is now 23-7 at home this season.

Up Next

Texas and Arizona State meet at 3:30 p.m. CT Sunday, May 24, for a winner-takes-all matchup for a trip to the Women’s College World Series. The game will broadcast on ESPN with Kevin Brown, Amanda Scarborough and Alyssa Lang on the call.