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Longhorns return to the Women’s College World Series in back-to-back seasons for first time since 2005-06.
Source: University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Photo: Courtesy
AUSTIN, Texas – The University of Texas softball program needed just one more win; one more win to knock off the 11th-seeded Clemson Tigers and advance back the Women’s College World Series (WCWS) for the second consecutive season and third time over the last four seasons.
It took 2 hours and 27 minutes, but the 53rd pitch by Mac Morgan (10-4) found the bat of Marian Collins and with a soft roller back to Morgan, who then turned and fired to Joley Mitchell at first base, the Longhorns earned their eighth WCWS berth in program history by knocking off the Tigers, 6-5, in the decisive game three of the NCAA Austin Super Regional on Saturday night.
Leighann Goode, who recorded seven hits in 11 trips to the dish over the course of the three-game series against Clemson, got Texas into the run column early with a double on 1-1 pitch in the bottom of the second to score Mitchell and Katie Stewart. Goode, herself, came around to score later in the frame on a two-out single back up the middle by Ashton Maloney.
Clemson cut its deficit with a two-out, unearned run in the top of the third, before Katie Stewart drove in Mia Scott on a sacrifice bunt and Mitchell followed – moments later – on a wild pitch to give Texas a 5-1 advantage through three innings.
The Tigers, again, cut their deficit by scoring a pair in the top of the fourth on a sacrifice fly and a two-out single to center field. And, again, the Longhorns responded right back in the bottom half of the frame when Kayden Henry grounded out to second base, which allowed Ashton Maloney to score from third.
The 6-3 Texas lead stood for the next two innings, until Julia Knowler hit a two-run home run in the top of the seventh to make it a one-run ball game. The Tigers drew a four-pitch walk during their next at bat, before Ava Wilson, representing the game-tying run, advanced to second on a ground out to Mia Scott at third base.
This set the stage for Morgan’s 53rd – and final – pitch of the contest that Collins hit back to the Longhorn senior and sent the Texas program back to Oklahoma City for the second consecutive season, marking just the second time in program history the Longhorns have advanced to the WCWS in back-to-back seasons.
FROM HEAD COACH MIKE WHITE
“Congratulations to Clemson on a great season. It’s very impressive to see what they’ve done with their pitching staff and how they control it, which really made us work. I thought we haven’t really faced a staff like that who hits the corners as well as what they do, so they are well coached. They have a lot of young players on their team who are going to be there for a number of years, so I’m sure (Clemson head coach) John (Rittman) is going to build an even stronger program moving forward. I know it’s bittersweet: that last talk with the seniors, who have done so much for their program, it’s a difficult one to have and not one you look forward to having, but congratulations, again, on an outstanding series and outstanding season.”
GAME NOTES
- With the victory on Saturday evening, Texas earned its 51st win on the season which ties the 2013 squad for the third most wins in a single season by a Longhorn squad.
- With her two hits during Saturday’s contest, Ashton Maloney now has 89 hits on the season, three shy of tying Janae Jefferson’s program record of 92 hits in a single season.
- For the second consecutive game, Leighann Goode finished with three hits, marking the first time in her collegiate softball career that the junior recorded three-or-more hits in back-to-back games.
- By earning the win in Saturday’s game, Mac Morgan (2023-P) now has 44 career victories, which ties her Teagan Kavan (2024-P) for the seventh most wins in program history.
- Saturday’s game marked the third time in program history – and third time over the last four seasons – that Texas has dropped the first game of a NCAA Super Regional but rebounded to win the next two to advance to the Women’s College World Series.
UP NEXT
- Texas (51-11) advances to next week’s Women’s College World Series, where the Longhorns will take on either Florida or Georgia, one of the four three-game NCAA Super Regionals that will have a Game 3 played on Sunday, May 25.
- The Longhorns took two of three regular season matchups against the Gators in Gainesville in mid-March, but did not play the Bulldogs at any point throughout the 2025 campaign.
