Texas Longhorns utility player Vanessa Quiroga (3) steps up to bat during the NCAA D1 Softball Tournament Regional against UCF at Red and Charline McCombs Field on Sunday, May 18, 2025 in Austin, Texas. Aaron E. Martinez / American Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns Struggle in Game One of Austin Super Regional

Originally posted on Texas Longhorns on SI
By Ylver Deleon-Rios | Last updated May 23, 2025 8:00 AM ET

The No. 6-seeded Texas Longhorns will have to play with their backs against the wall after dropping the first game of the Austin Super Regional Thursday night to the No. 11-seeded Clemson Tigers 7-4 in unique circumstances, which pushed the game's end well into midnight, thanks to a long weather delay.

A Texas offense that exploded in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, which combined for 35 runs over three games, was quieted by the combination of Tigers pitchers, allowing just four runs in their seven innings of work

A combination of quiet bats and defensive miscues put the Longhorns into a deep enough deficit that they could not dig themselves out of on the night.

A fielding error from the Tigers' infield got the scoring started early for the Longhorns, allowing sophomore Kayden Henry to score from first base after a bunt from senior Mia Scott. It would be the only time the Longhorns led in the ballgame.

The third inning was a rough one for the Longhorns defensively, as a few mishaps allowed the Tigers to get out in front with a three-run inning. An error from the shortstop and a misjudged fly ball out in left field allowed for the three runs to score. A line out and strikeout, got Texas out of what could've been an even worse inning for the Longhorns.

Scott's home run in the bottom third quickly responded to the three-run inning from the Tigers, cutting the lead to one. Unfortunately for the Longhorns, that would be the closest they would be in the game the rest of the way.

Texas had a big opportunity to turn the game on its head with the bases loaded after junior Reese Atwood was intentionally walked by Tiger senior pitcher Brooke McCubbin, who came into relief of the starter. And sophomore Katie Stewart stepped in with just a single out in the inning, but popped up into center field, and an aggressive decision to send redshirt junior Ashton Maloney from third did not pay off. As center fielder junior Jamison Brockenbrough lasered a throw home, and the catcher tagged out Maloney to end the inning.

With bases loaded and nobody out in the sixth, junior Citlaly Gutierrez came into the game to try and get the Longhorns out of the jam. Being placed into a challenging situation, Gutierrez could not get out of the inning unscathed. The Tigers managed to bring across four runs and extended their lead to 7-2.

A two-out rally, with bases loaded in the sixth, allowed Henry to inch the Longhorns back into the game with a two-RBI single in the sixth, and with an opportunity to come back in the final inning, would be ruined after two straight groundouts and a pop-up for the final out.

The Longhorns will return to the field Friday, May 23, at 8 p.m. for the second game of the Super Regionals, this time facing elimination from the NCAA Tournament and losing their dreams of returning to the Women's College World Series.

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

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