Texas gather together as the Longhorns prepare to take on the Michigan Wolverines in the third game of the NCAA Tournament regional in Austin, May 17, 2025. Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns Advance in NCAA Tournament After Impressive First Round

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Ylver Deleon-Rios | Last updated May 18, 2025 4:56 PM ET

The Texas Longhorns are the winners of the Austin Regional after an excellent hitting display in a 9-0 victory against the UCF Knights and will move on to host a Super Regional in the next round of the NCAA Tournament.

Texas once more got a big contribution from the long ball with three home runs, two from star catcher junior Reese Atwood, and complete control in the circle from sophomore ace Teagan Kavan. The sophomore pitched a complete game shutout, giving up six hits and striking out five batters.

The Longhorns' offense was in complete dominance throughout the Austin Regional, totaling 43 hits, nine home runs, and outscoring their opponents 35-6 through three games. Highlighted by Atwood's dominance at the dish, going 8-11 from the plate with three home runs and 13 RBIs through three games.

Reigniting the home run spark from the last game, junior utility player Leighann Goode got the long ball started in this game. A two-run home run in the second inning got the Longhorns out to an early lead that they never gave back. The two-run drive from Goode was her second home run in the past two games.

The fourth and fifth innings saw the Knights' best chances in the ball game. In the fourth, UCF had an opportunity with runners on the corners, and in came freshman Kendall Yarnell to pinch hit. Yarnell had been 3-5 across the Regional up until this point, where Kavan coolly struck her out.

And in the fifth, the Knights looked to rally with just one out in the inning and two runners on base. Once again, Kavan pitched her way out of a dangerous situation with a strikeout and forced a groundout from the Knights. The fifth-inning strikeout was Kavan's 200th strikeout on the season, the first Longhorn pitcher to reach that mark since 2022.

Adding on to her explosive weekend, Atwood knocked another two-run home run in the fifth inning, increasing the Texas lead to 4-0. And in the seventh inning, Atwood tacked on her second two-run shot to put the game way out of reach. Followed up by a sac-fly from sophomore Victoria Hunter and an RBI base hit from redshirt junior Ashton Maloney placed the finishing touches on the Longhorns' stellar weekend.

The Longhorns will host the Clemson Tigers in the NCAA Tournament's Super Regionals, who were the winners of their regional, knocking off the Kentucky Wildcats 5-1. Super Regionals begin next week, starting on May 22-25.

This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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