The No. 6 Texas Longhorns moved into the SEC Tournament semifinals on Thursday after a walk-off double against the No. 25 Ole Miss Rebels 7-6 in the quarterfinals.
Texas picked up right where it left off, scoring early in the ball game and holding control of the game, but the Rebels clawed themselves back into a tie ball game forcing the Longhorns to step up in the clutch.
Scoring four runs in the opening inning of the game as junior catcher Reese Atwood and graduate infielder Joley Mitchell got themselves an RBI. And reining SEC Player of the Week and NFCA's Player of the Week, sophomore Katie Stewart, got herself a pair of RBI.
Though the Rebels chipped into the lead in the top of the fourth, a two-run home run from sophomore Kayden Henry pushed the Longhorns' lead to 6-1 and placed the game into run-rule territory.
Texas found itself with the opportunity to blow the game wide open in the fourth. With two outs and the bases loaded, the Longhorns were not able to capitalize on the golden opportunity to put the game out of reach.
The momentum would shift from the Longhorns into the hands of the Rebels in the fifth inning.
The top of the fifth put the Longhorns into serious trouble with the bases loaded with nobody out. And after three runs were socred cutting Texas' lead in half sophmore Teagan Kavan was pulled and replaced by junior Citlaly Gutierrez.
However the pitching change did not do much in the inning as the Rebels pushed through three more runs after the switch-up and tied the game up after being down 6-1.
Heading into the seventh inning, all tied up, Texas needed something special to avoid a comeback from the Rebels, and it received its wish.
A week after playing all nine positions, senior infielder Mia Scott stepped into the box with two runners on base and two outs with the opportunity to walk off. And with a full count, the senior came in clutch, powering through a base hit into centerfield, bringing in the winning run from redshirt junior Aston Maloney.
With the victory, the Longhorns will take on either the South Carolina Gamecocks or the Texas A&M Aggies in the SEC Tournament semifinals on Friday at 5:40 p.m.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!