No. 1 Texas Softball Falls to Mississippi State in Starkville

The Texas Longhorns drop the first game of the ranked conference series.

Jun 6, 2024; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Texas Longhorns outfielder Ashton Maloney (7) makes a catch at the wall in the third inning against the Oklahoma Sooners during game two of the Women's College World Series softball championship finals at Devon Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images | Brett Rojo-Imagn Images

No. 1 Texas softball dropped its first game against No. 18 Mississippi State.

The Bulldogs started on top with a run in the bottom of the second. Shortstop Kylee Edwards scored on a Riley Hull batt to open the nights' runs. After Texas finished the top of the third scoreless once again, Mississippi State took advantage of their offensive strength to add another in the bottom of the inning.

The tide turned for Texas in the top of the sixth. Down 2-0, junior shortstop Leighann Goode homered to the left-center to put the Longhorns back in the game. Still in the sixth, Kaydee Bennett and Ashton Maloney added two more to give Texas its first lead of the game.

Texas Longhorns utility player Kaydee Bennett (5) catches a ground ball during the game against South Florida on the first day of the Longhorn Invitational on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025 in Austin. | Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas led 3-2 going into the bottom of the second as the Longhorns scored on every hit.

The home team didn't give up so easily. That same inning, third baseman Nadia Barbary single to the right field as centerfielder Sierra Sacco scored, unearned. With the chance to regain the lead, the Bulldogs left Gretta Grassel in scoring position on the second base.

Tied in the last inning, Texas was unable to get any solid action. All the Bulldogs needed was a run to seal the win, and with only one out separating them from an eighth inning, Paige Ernstes singled down the left field line, bringing Abby Richardson home for the winning run.

This is Texas' first losing start of a series this season, but not all is lost. Due to incremented weather, Saturday's game was moved to Friday and set to start 40 minutes after the end of the first matchup. The Longhorns will have a second chance of getting the win today.