Junior first baseman Katie Stewart hit a two-run, walk-off home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to give No. 4 Texas Softball an 8-6 win over No. 2 Oklahoma in the series finale at McCombs Field, according to an April 12 announcement.
The victory is significant as it marks Texas’ first walk-off win against Oklahoma since March 25, 2007, and its first ever walk-off home run versus the Sooners. The Longhorns improved their record to 33-6 overall and are now 11-5 in Southeastern Conference play. They have also recorded a strong performance against ranked opponents this season.
Stewart led Texas offensively with her third multi-home run game of the season, going three-for-four at the plate with three runs batted in and reaching base four times. She now has a team-leading total of 22 home runs for the season and is one shy of tying Reese Atwood’s single-season program record set last year.
Freshman Hannah Wells tied the game with a solo home run leading off the bottom of the eighth inning, while junior center fielder Kayden Henry contributed a three-run homer earlier in the game. Senior second baseman Leighann Goode also added a solo shot in the fifth inning. Junior right-handed pitcher Teagan Kavan started for Texas and pitched seven innings before being relieved by sophomore Brenlee Gonzales and senior Citlaly Gutierrez, who was credited with the win after closing out Oklahoma’s final threat.
After taking an early lead on Henry’s three-run blast, Texas saw its advantage narrow several times as Oklahoma responded with timely hitting throughout regulation and extra innings. The teams traded leads until Stewart ended it with her decisive home run.
Texas will next travel to Athens for a three-game series against No. 14 Georgia from April 18 to April 20.
