UT Softball sweeps into Super Regional

Junior Blair Luna tossed a pair of shutouts Sunday to lead Texas to a championship in the Austin Regional and a place in next week’s NCAA Super Regional.

Luna struck out 29 batters – 15 in game one and 14 in game two – to lead Texas to consecutive 5-0 victories over Northwestern.

“This year hasn’t really been spectacular for me but this week me and coach [Connie] Clark just really worked hard on hitting my spots and today it really worked out,” Luna said.

Texas appeared to be on the verge of failing to advance out of a home regional for the third consecutive year after a loss Friday to Northwestern. But the Longhorns won four straight elimination games Saturday and Sunday.

“This year we’re determined to finish and you know dropping that first game it lit a fire under us. We knew that any game could possibly be our last one,” senior third baseman Nadia Taylor said.

Texas will host Oregon next weekend in the Super Regional. Game times have not been determined.

The Longhorns wasted little time getting Luna all the run support she would need in Sunday afternoon’s championship game. Taylor belted a two-run homerun to left field in the Longhorns’ half of the first inning, putting Texas up 2-0.

Texas scored three more runs during a two-out rally in the sixth inning. Sophomore catcher Mandy Ogle delivered the big hit, lacing a two-run double in to the corner in left field.