Texas Softball Falls Flat in Super Regional Opener, Now One Loss from Elimination

Originally posted on Heartland College Sports
By Bryan Clinton | Last updated May 23, 2025 10:37 AM ET

Well, that didn’t go as scripted. Texas entered the 2025 season as the No. 1 team in the country, but their hopes of hoisting a national championship trophy in OKC are fading fast.

No. 6 seed Texas, hosting the Austin Super Regional with the expectation of a smooth ride to OKC, stumbled badly Thursday night in a 7-4 loss to No. 11 seed Clemson—a game that dragged into the early hours of Friday morning thanks to a weather delay and a few Longhorn-sized miscues.

The Longhorns, who looked unstoppable in the regional round with 35 runs in three games, couldn’t buy a big hit when it mattered. Instead, they left the door open just wide enough for Clemson, and the Tigers walked right through.

Texas actually struck first, thanks to a Clemson error that let Kayden Henry score all the way from first on a bunt. That was about as chaotic as it got for the Tigers, though, and from there, it was the Longhorn defense doing the gifting.

CLEMSON TAKES GAME ONE

(11) @clemsonsoftball stuns (6) Texas, 7-4, for their first-ever Super Regional win in program history! Clemson takes game one of the Austin Super Regional #RoadToWCWS pic.twitter.com/kw2b3qU3Eo
— NCAA Softball (@NCAASoftball) May 23, 2025

A rough third inning, featuring a misplayed fly ball and a shortstop error, led to a three-run frame for Clemson. Mia Scott did her part to respond with a solo shot in the bottom half, but the Horns never got closer than one run again.

The turning point came in the fourth. Texas had control of the game with the bases loaded and just one out. But Katie Stewart’s shallow fly ball turned into a bang-bang play at the plate—and Clemson’s Jamison Brockenbrough delivered a missile from center to cut down Ashton Maloney and end the inning.

From there, the wheels came off. Clemson pushed across four more in the sixth, and while Henry added two RBIs late, the comeback fizzled with a weak seventh.

Texas now faces elimination Friday night. If they want to make it back to OKC, they’ll need to find their bats—and their composure—fast.

This article first appeared on Heartland College Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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