Over the weekend at Red and Charline McCombs Field, the No. 3 Texas Longhorns (26-1) delivered a spring cleaning of the Ole Miss Rebels (19-11) to open SEC play as head coach Mike White’s team extended the all-time series lead to over the Rebels to 9-1 with the Longhorns now 7-0 record against the Rebels at home in Austin.
In a tight opening game on Friday, the Longhorns scored first with senior left fielder Kaiah Altmeyer hitting a RBI single down the left-field line. In the bottom of the second,
junior center fielder Kayden Henry knocked a two-RBI single down the same line to make it 3-0.
The Rebels battled back in the sixth inning when second baseman Mackenzie Pickens homered to left field, but the Longhorns were able to hold on for the 3-1 victory.
On the mound for the Rebels was righty Kyra Aycock (8-3), who tossed six innings, allowing six hits and three runs. For the Longhorns, junior righty Teagan Kavan (10-0) pitched seven frames in the circle ,collecting 12 strikeouts and only giving up four hits and the single run in the win.
Ole Miss scored first on Saturday in the top of the second with designated player Taylor Roman hitting a RBI double down the left-field line. Texas answered back in the bottom of the frame with junior first baseman Katie Stewart recording an RBI. Altmeyer followed with a run-scoring single to right center and was able to advance to second. Then Texas senior catcher Reese Atwood sent a two -un rocket to left field. In the bottom of the third, the Longhorns continued to connect beginning with Henry smashing a RBI double to left center while teammate senior second baseman Leighann Goode smashed a home run to left field to make it 7-1.
In the bottom of the fifth, Goode hit a RBI single up the middle before Roman hit her second homer run to left field, a solo shot. In the bottom of the sixth, Texas true freshman designated player Hannah Wells homered to left center end the game, 11-2.
On the mound, the Longhorns had sophomore righty Cambria Salmon (5-0) throw three innings while only giving up four hits and a run. Diving into the bullpen, senior righty Citlaly Gutierrez (7-0) pitched 2.1 frames while only giving up two hits, a run, and snagging a strikeout while teammate Wells closed the game tossing o.2 frames with a strikeout in the Texas 11-2 win.
On the Sunday, the Rebels started off hot in the top of the first with catcher Kennedy Bunker hitting a RBI single up the middle, along with Roman grabbing an RBI after being walked to Ole Miss in the lead, 2-0. In the bottom of the first, Atwood reached on a fielding error and was able to advance to second with a unearned score by Henry putting Texas on the board, 2-1.
In the bottom of the second, Texas’ pinch hitter Mataia Lawson collected an RBI after reaching on base with another fielding error from Ole Miss, this time from first baseman Persy Llamas. Henry added an RBI after reaching on a fielder’s choice as the Horns took the lead, 3-2. Freshman third baseman Jaycie Nichols scored on a wild pitch before Goode hit an RBI double to left center. Texas kept swinging away with Altmeyer knocking a RBI single to center field, along with an RBI single up the middle from Stewart to bring the second to a close at 7-2.
In the bottom of the third, No. 3 Longhorns stayed explosive starting off with two RBIs from a Henry double to left center while Altmeyer grabed an RBI after a ground out to the Ole Miss first baseman. Stewart added a run with a single through the right side while junior shortstop Viviana Martinez drove in two more runs with another single through the right side. Before the third inning was finished, sophomore pitch hitter Taylor Anderson hit a single through the right side for two runs.
In the top of the fifth, Ole Miss’ Llamas hit a sacrifice fly out to left field for the game’s final score in the 15-3 run-rule victory by Texas.
In the circle, Kavan (11-0) pitched all 5 frames snagging 3 strikeouts while only giving up 8 hits and 3 runs in the Longhorn ten run-rule victory, 15-3
Next, Texas will face Baylor in Waco on Friday and Saturday with both games beginning at 6:30 p.m. Central, broadcasting on SEC Network+ and ESPN+.
