Texas
No. 1 Texas softball powers past Northwestern, improves to 2-0 in NCAA Tournament
Top-seeded Texas matched its efficiency with plenty of explosiveness while blasting Northwestern 14-2 Saturday at McCombs Field and cruising into the final day of the NCAA Tournament’s Austin Regionals with a 2-0 record.
A day after leaving a dozen on the bags in a 5-0 win over Siena, Texas (49-7) didn’t strand a single runner while racking up a dozen hits against the Wildcats, including four home runs. That helped ease some frustrations for a Texas squad still miffed about squandering its opportunities at the plate on Friday.
More: Mac Morgan throws a no-hitter as No. 1 Texas shuts out Siena in NCAA Tournament opener
“After the game yesterday, we had a pretty tough talk about our performance and how we have higher standards for this program,” said second baseman Alyssa Washington. “And yesterday, we just didn’t play to those. So there was just some self-reflection (which) prompted us come back and make a change today.”
Washington, a senior team captain, led the way. She went 3-for-3 at the plate with three runs, three RBIs, and the first of Texas’ four home runs. Designated player Joley Mitchell, centerfielder Kayden Henry and third baseman Mia Scott also had home runs and helped the Longhorns rack up 12 hits.
More: Five softball teams that could stand in the way of a Texas-Oklahoma WCWS rematch
Texas coach Mike White said his team played with a renewed sense of urgency, which will bode well as the competition stiffens with each round of the tournament.
More: No. 1 Texas softball leaning on deep pitching staff to make its NCAA Tournament run
“You can’t afford to come in here and think you’re going just turn up and win,” he said. “It just doesn’t happen that way. These teams are coming here for a reason; they want to win. I think we got ahead of ourselves (on Friday) and we started looking ahead. We didn’t play with the same high energy that we had all year. It’s just getting them to know that ‘Hey, this is this could be our last weekend to play for the season.’ So I liked the energy we had today.”
Citlaly Gutierrez earned the win in the circle after scattering four hits across four innings in the game shortened to five innings in the run-rule game. White said he hopes his players “find some air-conditioning and relax a bit” while they wait to find out Sunday’s opponent.
Saint Francis and Siena faced off in Saturday’s second game, with the winner taking on Northwestern in the third and final game Saturday. Whoever wins that third game will face Texas at noon on Sunday, and that team will need to beat Texas twice to advance to next weekend’s Super Regionals.
A day off at the pool — and a little sunburn — didn’t stop the Minnesota Twins’ momentum.
Brooks Lee hit a three-run homer as Minnesota scored multiple runs in the first inning for the third consecutive game, and the Twins went on to complete a series sweep of the Texas Rangers with a 9-3 win Thursday.
Minnesota has won four games in a row and scored 25 runs in the three-games series in Texas. The two teams had a rare, mid-series day off on Wednesday with the England-Croatia World Cup game being played in Arlington.
“We’re locked in every day,” Lee told Audra Martin on the team’s broadcast. “Yesterday, taking time off, lay out by the pool, get a little burnt and then right back to it. We did a good job getting focused. I feel like we do that with rain delays, too, just lock back in and we’re doing it.”
Lee’s 12th homer capped a four-run first off Jack Leiter (3-7). Trevor Larnach made it 6-0 in the fourth with a two-run shot to straightaway center that just cleared the extended glove of leaping Alejandro Osuna. Larnach’s third hit was an RBI single in the fifth, and Ryan Kriedler hit a two-run homer in the eighth.
Joe Ryan (5-3) struck out seven but needed 97 pitches to get through five scoreless innings while allowing three singles. Leiter was done after the fourth, and has given up 17 runs while losing three starts in a row.
The Twins never trailed in the sweep that extended their winning streak to four, matching their longest this season. Their 14-5 record at Globe Life Field is the best for any American League opponent since the ballpark opened in 2020.
Wyatt Langford, Ezequiel Duran and Justin Foscue hit solo homers for the Rangers, who have lost five of six games. They are 0-15 when giving up multiple runs in the first inning.
Twins DH Josh Bell, who was born in nearby Irving and grew up in the area, had an RBI single before Lee’s homer. Bell hit a three-run homer in the first inning of the series-opening 4-2 win Monday, and had an RBI single for a 2-0 lead in the first of a 12-2 win on Tuesday.
“We’re just passing the baton each time,” Lee said of the offensive output. “Our guys are hot. They feel good and they came out swinging today. It was awesome to see. We’ve done that for a while now.”
Up next
Twins rookie left-hander Connor Prielipp (2-4, 5.26 ERA) starts Friday at Arizona. The Diamondbacks are scheduled to start right-hander Michael Soroka (8-3, 3.11).
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A Texas state trooper was killed in a crash in the Panhandle, becoming the 244th Texas Department of Public Safety officer to die in the line of duty since 1823, according to the agency.
Sergio Romero, 27, died Wednesday after a semi-truck pulled in front of him as he attempted a traffic stop around 4 p.m. on U.S. 287 in Childress County, DPS said.
In a statement, Col. Freeman F. Martin praised Romero’s courage, integrity, and service.
“Today, we grieve the loss of one of our own,” Martin said. “… Our hearts break alongside his family, friends, fellow troopers, and all who loved him. We will never forget the ultimate sacrifice he made in service of his fellow Texans.”
Romero previously served with the Hall County Sheriff’s Office before joining DPS as part of Class B-2025 in Childress, the agency said.
He is survived by his wife, Francisca, and their two young sons.
Funeral arrangements are pending. The crash remains under investigation.
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