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Kavan stars in relief, Texas forces decisive Game Three

Screenshot 2025-02-05 152517by: Cooper Taylor05/24/25
Screenshot 2025-05-23 at 9.49.23 PM
Photo courtesy of Texas Athletics

Texas held off Clemson 7-5 in a 10-inning thriller to force a decisive Game 3 in the Super Regional.

Clemson starter Reese Basinger and Texas freshman Cambria Salmon both worked a scoreless first inning. Texas jumped on the board in the second. Following a hit-by-pitch, Leighann Goode hammered a two-run home run to grab an early 2-0 lead.

Salmon earned the shutdown inning to hold the Longhorns’ lead after two innings. However, in the bottom of the third, Alex Brown ripped a double to left center and Maddie Moore delivered with a game-tying swing. The two seniors scored to tie the game on Moore’s two-run shot.

To open the fourth, Reese Atwood blistered a line drive homer to left field, grabbing a 3-2 lead. In the home half, Clemson put the first two runners on base with a single and a walk. Then, a two-out RBI single from Jamison Brockenbrough tied the game at 3-3. Following the single, senior pitcher Sophia Simpson relieved Salmon from the game. Unfortunately for Texas, Simpson could not find the strike zone. The Texas senior lasted only nine pitches and walked consecutive batters, giving Clemson a 4-3 lead after four innings. Citlaly Gutierrez then came on in relief and induced a pop-up to strand the bases loaded.

For the second straight day, the Tigers turned to Brooke McCubbin in the fifth inning. The senior pitcher recorded two outs to start the inning, but then walked Mia Scott and surrendered an infield hit to Atwood. A throwing error moved both runners into scoring position for Joley Mitchell. On a 1-2 count, Mitchell blasted a two-run double off the wall to put Texas back in front.

In the bottom of the fifth, Clemson responded immediately. Freshman Macey Cintron belted a solo shot to tie the game at 5-5. Marian Collins kept the pressure on in the fifth, doubling off the wall and chasing Gutierrez from the game. Texas then turned to Teagan Kavan in the circle, its fourth pitcher of the game. Kavan retired the next two Tiger batters to preserve a 5-5 tie after five innings.

In the top of the sixth, McCubbin worked around a pair of infield singles and recorded an inning-ending strikeout of Kayden Henry to keep Texas quiet. Kavan then matched McCubbin’s clean frame in the home half. An outfield assist from Texas left fielder Katie Stewart highlighted an empty seventh, sending the game into extras.

In the eighth, McCubbin stayed locked in, mowing down the bottom of the Texas lineup in order. Clemson was one pitch away from history in the bottom of the eighth. Consecutive singles from Marian Collins and Taylor Pipkins put the first two runners on. A wild pitch then moved both runners into scoring position with no outs. Kavan notched a huge strikeout for the first out of the inning. The next at-bat, Brockenbrough lined out, keeping the winning run at third. Kavan then induced a groundout back to the circle, stranding Clemson’s World Series run 60 feet away.

A two-out triple from Scott finally put pressure on McCubbin, but after intentionally walking Atwood, the Clemson senior induced a weak fly out to end the top of the ninth. Kavan then responded by striking out the Clemson side in the bottom half.

The Longhorns broke the stalemate in the tenth inning. Stewart led off with a single, followed by a Clemson error. After a sacrifice bunt moved both runners into scoring position, Kaydee Bennett hit a sacrifice fly to score the go-ahead run. The next pitch, Ashton Maloney legged out an infield single, scoring the speedy Goode from second and padding the Texas lead to 7-5.

The Tigers did not go down easy though, bringing the winning run to the plate. But Kavan persevered through. The sophomore tossed over five shutout innings in relief, striking out seven batters and walking just one. With the win, Texas forces a Game 3. Tomorrow night, the two teams will duel for a bid to the Women’s College World Series.

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