Austin, TX
Live: No. 1 Texas softball faces Texas A&M in Game 2 of NCAA Tournament super regional
Texas A&M survived a wild opening to its super regional against Texas on Friday, winning 6-5 in the first game of the best-of-three series. Texas A&M (44-13), the No. 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament, will try to qualify for the Women’s College World Series by eliminating the No. 1 Longhorns (50-8) in the second game at 4 p.m. today at McCombs Field.
More: As expected, Texas and Texas A&M softball delivers big hits, drama and fireworks | Bohls
Can Texas stay alive on a blistering afternoon on its home turf? Follow along with the Statesman.
Middle 9: Texas 9, Texas A&M 8
Texas uses some small ball and speed to grab the one-run lead. Now, the season depends on the ballyhooed pitching staff. Looks like Texas coach Mike White will stick with Mac Morgan, who has yet to allow a base-runner in 1.1 innings.
Top 9: Texas 9, Texas A&M 8
Texas freshman Kayden Henry legs out an infield single, steals second, reaches third on a infield out by Bella Dayton and scores on a fielder’s choice by Ashton Maloney The throw home is errant but the speedy Henry would have scored anyway.
End 8: Texas 8, Texas A&M 8
No problems for Texas pitcher Mac Morgan, the third Longhorn to take the circle today. She doesn’t allow a base-runner and we go to the ninth. What’s at stake? Nothing less than a Women’s College World Series berth and arguably the best season in Texas history – excluding previous appearances in the WCWS, of course.
Middle 8: Texas 8, Texas A&M 8
The Longhorns leave two on against Texas A&M’s Emiley Kennedy. The last out by Joley Mitchell had warning-track power. The great Robert Cessna of the Bryan-College Station Eagle says Kennedy has thrown 233 pitches over the past two games. Unbelievable effort in this heat.
End 7: Texas 8, Texas A&M 8
Extra innings seems fitting for this series between No. 1 Texas and No. 16 Texas A&M, right? Both teams seem stunned after Aggie freshman Mya Perez tied the game with a 2-out, 3-run homer in the bottom of the seventh. Texas A&M ace Emiley Kennedy remains in the game; let’s see how Texas bounces back.
Bottom 7: Texas 8, Texas A&M 8
Texas A&M freshman Mya Perez just launched a 2-out, 3-run home run into the centerfield bleachers and we are suddenly tied and the crowd at McCombs Field is stunned. Mac Morgan is in the game to stop the bleeding and force extra innings.
Middle 7: Texas 8, Texas A&M 5
Bella Dayton blasts a 2-run homer into center field to give Texas pitcher Estelle Czech some breathing room, and the Longhorns are three outs away from a wild comeback and a game three against Texas A&M in the NCAA Tournament’s super regionals on Sunday.
Middle 6: Texas 6, Texas A&M 5
An epic inning for Texas included an overturned call at home plate and RBI hits from Mia Scott, Vivi Martinez and Reese Atwood. Oh, and a stoppage in play because of an issue with the padded wall, some trash on the field, or perhaps both. Five runs, four hits and two errors from the Aggies. Wow. Does this series have even more late-game drama in it?
Top 6: Texas 6, Texas A&M 5
More drama in the sixth. Freshman Kayden Henry races home on a grounder from pinch hitter Vic Hunter and is called out on a tight play at the plate. But the sixth inning means an automatic replay, and the umpires overturn the call because of catcher impediment. Henry is safe, the Horns have two on with one out, and here comes Aggie pitcher Emiley Kennedy back in the game to try and finish what she started. Softball, folks; you can do that. Mia Scott greets Kennedy with an RBI single into center that scores Ashton Maloney, and Vivi Martinez follows with a 2-RBI shot. Once again, the Texas bats have heated up late in the game. Oh my.
And you remember that wardrobe malfunction years ago? We have a wall-pad malfunction, apparently. Play has stopped, players are off the field, workers are looking at the outfield wall like I do my car engine when I hear some strange knocking, and we’re in a delay.
The UT worker pulls out some duct tape, and we’re ready to play ball again. One on, one out for Reese Atwood, who promptly gives Texas the lead with a bloop single into left field.
End 5: Texas A&M 5, Texas 1
This feels familiar for anxious Texas fans, whose team trailed 6-0 on Friday after five innings. Texas rallied for five runs in the final two frames yesterday, so four runs is light work, right? Texas A&M will come back with spinballer Brooke Vestal this frame. It doesn’t need to be said, but No. 1 Texas has six outs to save its season against No. 16 Texas A&M and force a third and decisive game on Sunday.
Bottom 5: Texas A&M 5, Texas 1
Texas A&M’s Trinity Cannon loves her some McCombs Field. She played here at state for Forney High School and she just launched her third home run of this series series. This 2-run shot off Texas starter Teagan Kavan has the Longhorns on the ropes. That one screamed over the left-field wall. That’s all for Kavan, who gave up six hits and five runs in 5.1 innings. Senior Estelle Czech is now warming up for Texas.
Middle 5: Texas A&M 3, Texas 1
A brilliant play by Aggie shortstop Koko Wooley, who turns a double play to end a promising inning. But the Texas dugout isn’t happy, since replay shows Katie Stewart appeared safe at first. But Texas is out of challenges and the tension mounts for the No. 1 Longhorns, who are six outs from elimination.
Top 5: Texas A&M 3, Texas 1
Concerning how Aggie coach Trisha Ford will use her bullpen? We have our answer. Brooke Vestal, who has a nasty spinball, comes in for Texas A&M starter Emiley Kennedy to face Katie Stewart. There’s one on and no outs for Texas after Kennedy plunked Reese Atwood.
End 4: Texas A&M 3, Texas 1
Three up, three down for the first time since the first inning for Texas pitcher Teagan Kavan, who has settled into this game. Now it’s about the Longhorn bats against Texas A&M starter Emiley Kennedy – and it’s about how Aggie coach Trisha Ford will use her bullpen considering Kennedy has now thrown 11 innings in blistering heat over the past 24 hours.
Middle 4: Texas A&M 3, Texas 1
The Longhorns finally get on the board against Texas A&M starter Emiley Kennedy with a solo shot by Joley Mitchell, but Texas coach Mike White thinks it should be more. He signaled Bella Dayton to round third and go home on a shot into center field by Mia Scott, but Dayton holds at third as the throw to home goes wide. Vivi Martinez flies out for the third out in the next at-bat, and White gives Dayton an earful.
Top 4: Texas A&M 3, Texas 1
The Longhorns finally get to Texas A&M starter Emiley Kennedy. Leadoff hitter Joley Mitchell, the transfer from Notre Dame, launches a full-count homer over the left-field wall and screams in joy while rounding the bags. The other Longhorn hitters hope that stuff is contagious.
End 3: Texas A&M 3, Texas 0
A big challenge by Texas coach Mike White overturns a call and helps keep Texas within three runs. Trinity Cannon was originally called safe at second after a toss from third baseman Mia Scott, but replay calls her out by an inch. The Aggies end up stranding two. Huge escape by the Longhorns and starter Teagan Kavan, who has given up four hits, two walks and hit a batter in three innings.
Middle 3: Texas A&M 3, Texas 0
The first big mistake by the Aggies all series, but they survive the error. Second baseman Rylen Wiggins has a chance to turn a double-play that would have ended the inning but short-arms the throw to second into left field. Vivi Martinez is safe and Reese Atwood follows with a single to load the bases, but Texas A&M starter Emiley Kennedy fans Katie Stewart and gets Alyssa Washington to hit into a weak grounder. That inning could haunt Texas coach Mike White if the Horns don’t rally.
End 2: Texas A&M 3, Texas 0
A 2-run home run from centerfielder Jazmine Hill gives the Aggies the early lead, and the pressure begins to ratchet up on the No. 1 Longhorns, who will be eliminated from the NCAA Tournament with a loss. A 2-out RBI single by Kennedy Powell adds to the lead. Texas pitcher Teagan Kavan gave up three hits and two walks as well as a hit batter that frame, and only a nice throw by catcher Reese Atwood that caught Rylin Wiggins stealing helps keep it a three-run game. How long will Texas coach Mike White stick with Kavan?
Bottom 2: Texas A&M 2, Texas 0
Small ball? Not these Aggies. After Julia Cottrell draws a leadoff walk, Texas A&M coach Trisha Ford bypasses any thought of bunting her to second and Jazmine Hill launches a homer over the left-center wall. That’s the third Aggie homer of the series.
More: Texas and Texas A&M softball coaches were ejected Friday. Are they available for game two?
Middle 2: Texas A&M 0, Texas 0
Alyssa Washington draws a leadoff walk against Texas A&M starter Emiley Kennedy, but the Longhorns can’t make it count. They’ve now stranded three runners through the first two innings. A one-out, pop-out bunt attempt by freshman outfielder Kayden Henry really hurt Texas that inning.
End 1: Texas A&M 0, Texas 0
A much better start for Texas today. The Longhorns gave up three runs in the opening frame on Friday, but freshman pitcher Teagan Kavan retires the side in order today. She had lots of help from the outfield, including a diving catch by left-fielder Bella Dayton on a well-hit ball from Koko Wooley for the second out.
Middle 1: Texas A&M 0, Texas 0
Texas A&M ace Emiley Kennedy gives up several hard-hit balls but she escapes the inning without any damage. Shortstop Vivi Martinez had a 2-out hit for Texas and Reese Atwood followed with a walk, and a shot by freshman Katie Stewart drives centerfielder Jazmine Hill to the wall, but Hill makes the catch.
Texas pitcher Teagan Kavan will face Aggie ace Emiley Kennedy in game two
Less than 24 hours after earning a complete-game win, Texas A&M ace Emiley Kennedy will return to the circle and try to close out the series. Kennedy gave up six hits with five walks and five strikeouts in game one, so keep an eye on how big a toll those seven innings took on a field with temperatures over 140 degrees. Texas coach Mike White will counter with Teagan Kavan, the Big 12’s freshman of the year who leads the Longhorns in innings pitched (108.1), wins (18) and strikeouts (113) this season.
Smokable cannabis products must be removed from Texas stores by the end of the month under new rules adopted by the state’s health department.
Virtually all edible hemp products will still be allowed with stricter packaging and testing requirements. But sharply higher fees on retailers and manufacturers, while lower than initially proposed, could lead to more expensive products or force some companies out of business.
The sweeping regulations for the state’s hemp industry were first recommended in December. They were created based on an executive order issued by Gov. Greg Abbott after the Texas Legislature couldn’t agree whether to regulate THC products more strictly or ban them entirely.
Last week, the Texas Department of State Health Services adopted its final version of the rules and said they would take effect March 31.
The new regulations effectively ban the sale of smokable hemp and extracts by changing how DSHS measures Delta-9 THC, the primary psychoactive ingredient in cannabis.
Michael Minasi
/
KUT News
Under the state’s 2019 hemp law, cannabis with no more than 0.3% Delta-9 by dry weight is considered legal hemp.
The adopted DSHS regulation includes a new “total THC” rule, which counts a cannabis compound known as THCA in the Delta-9 calculation. THCA converts to Delta-9 when heated or smoked, which is why a product known as THCA flower has become widely popular in Texas.
During the public comment period, hundreds of people told DSHS they oppose counting THCA as Delta-9. THCA is not explicitly banned by state or federal law.
In its response, DSHS said the “total THC” policy follows existing state and federal regulations, which are the rules written by government employees tasked with interpreting law.
The Texas Agriculture Commission adopted regulations in 2020 requiring that tests account for the potential conversion of THCA to Delta-9. The U.S. Department of Agriculture proposed a similar rule on the last day of President Trump’s first term. The rule was adopted two months later by the Biden administration.
The state’s new hemp regulations slash a proposed 10,000% increase in the annual fees charged to retailers and manufacturers of what Texas calls “consumable hemp products.” But the adopted fees — $5,000 per year for each retail location and $10,000 per year for each manufacturing facility — are still 33 and 40 times higher, respectively, than existing levies.
More than 9,100 retail locations in Texas are registered to sell consumable hemp products, according to state health records.
Michael Minasi
/
KUT News
Some retailers say the fees are still crippling, especially coupled with the new prohibition on smokable products.
“It’s a high rate, but it would still be feasible, but then we come into the [THCA] regulations,” said Estella Castro, owner of the hemp store Austin Cannabis Co. “If you don’t have the flower, and the flower is going off completely, I don’t think you’re going to have the $5,000.”
Castro said smokable products account for about 40% of her sales.
Cannabis advocates say they are glad to see new product recall standards and a process to track consumer complaints, but they believe high licensing fees and a ban on flowers and extracts will power up the unregulated market.
“We know that consumers will be able to still acquire these products either from out of state operators who are not restricted by DSHS regulations or from the illicit market, which causes the most concern for us,” said Heather Fazio, who leads the Texas Cannabis Policy Center. “The illicit market doesn’t have age restrictions. It doesn’t have safety mechanisms and consumer protection.”
The new DSHS rules only affect the manufacture, distribution and sale of hemp products. They don’t affect state law allowing for possession of them.
Mark Bordas, head of the Texas Hemp Business Council, compared the $10,000 fee annual on hemp manufacturing facilities to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission’s fee on distillers: $3,000 every two years.
“Our concern is some of these measures are so draconian that you are going to drive people out of the business and then folks’ access to the products,” Bordas said. “Invariably, we’re going to have to bring forth a [lawsuit], and the state has to defend what it’s done, and that’s taxpayer money, and it’s a waste.”
The Texas Longhorns continue to do everything they can to better their team for the future, including dominating on the recruiting trail with some of the most sought-after prospects in the country.
Their latest installment comes after extending offers to offensive lineman Ty McCurry and Jayden Thompson, while also leaving a favorable impression on premier recruit Brayson Robinson.
As they continue to make a push for another top-10 class under head coach Steve Sarkisian, the Longhorns made a staunch impression on three of their top targets for the 2028 cycle.
Forty Acres Stands Out
The Longhorns continue to make a push on the recruiting trail, hosting some premier targets on the first day of spring camp, and extending offers to McCurry and Thompson. Both players were impressed with what they saw, not just on the football field, either, but from the Forty Acres as well.
“They said I’m their top guy and that they want me back out for a visit soon. “McCurry tells me of his conversations with the Longhorns before continuing on where they stand in his rankings. “I’ve loved the past two times I’ve been in Austin to check out the Longhorns and can 100 percent see them being a contender in my commitment down the line.”
McCurry was a Sports Illustrated freshman All-American and currently stands at 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds, currently holding 11 offers with many of them coming from the Lone Star State. The other offer from the first day of practice went to Jayden Thompson, number 15-ranked offensive tackle in the 2028 class according to 247Sports.
“My conversations with the coaches went very well, they were all very inviting and helpful,” Thompson told Texas Longhorns On SI of the Longhorns staff. “If I had one takeaway, it would be the tour of not just the football part of the school, but the campus as well.”
Another target for the 2028 cycle is Brayson Robinson, an edge defender out of Mavel, Texas. While he didn’t receive an offer yet, he has quickly garnered interest with some of the top programs in the country. The Arizona State Sun Devils and Alabama Crimson Tide have been on him mainly, but he’s hearing from a lot of schools, including the Longhorns, who impressed him.
“It went amazing and I like how every coach introduced themselves to my family and me,” Robinson told Texas Longhorns On SI about his visit. “I also love the culture.”
With still a while to go until the 2028 cycle becomes the forefront on the recruiting trail, Sarkisian and his staff continue to set themselves up to be at the top of the conversations regarding the premier talent on their target board.
So far this month, Austin’s main weather observation site at Camp Mabry has recorded 0.7 inch of rain, but the year overall has been dry. Since Jan. 1, we’ve recorded just over 2.5 inches of rainfall, which is about 2.75 inches below normal at this point in the year.
While the weekend rain wasn’t exactly a drought-buster, we can still keep our hopes high — or, in the words of a classic infomercial: “But wait … there’s more!”
Morning: We’ll wake early Tuesday under dark and cloudy skies, as the sun doesn’t rise in Austin until 7:46 a.m. because of daylight saving time. Temperatures will be near 70 degrees, but don’t expect the same foggy start we saw Monday. Winds will be a bit gusty out of the south, which will help keep the low-level moisture mixed and prevent it from settling in and creating a layer of fog.
Midday: Sprinkles or light showers are possible through midday, but the heavier rainfall will hold off during the morning. The upper-level low pressure system approaching from the west will help produce active weather across West Texas during the first half of Tuesday.
Afternoon: However, across Central Texas an atmospheric lid, known as a capping inversion, will remain in place until surface temperatures warm up enough for rising air to break through the “cap.” Once that happens, the atmosphere will gradually destabilize through the afternoon and evening, allowing rain and thunderstorms to develop.
Breezy south winds will continue throughout the day, with gusts up to 25 mph. Afternoon temperatures are expected to climb into the upper 70s and lower 80s.
Once the cold front transits east of Austin on Wednesday, drier and cooler weather will settle in for the rest of the work week before 80-degree afternoon temperatures reemerge next weekend.
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