Texas's rally falls just short in Game 1 loss to Texas A&M

Victoria Hunter, Texas softball
Victoria Hunter, Texas softball / Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA
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The undefeated run for No. 1 Texas softball came to an end this postseason in Game 1 of the Austin Super Regional on May 24 against the No. 16 Texas A&M Aggies. Texas rallied to cut a 6-0 Texas A&M lead down to just one run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Victoria Hunter's sixth-inning grand slam nearly leads a Texas softball comeback vs. Texas A&M

Most of this rally late in the game for the Longhorns came courtesy of a clutch pinch-hit grand slam from freshman Victoria Hunter in the bottom of the sixth inning. Hunter notched her 15th hit of the season, and fourth home run, with the timely big fly to get the Longhorns right back in the game in the late innings.

This was also the first career grand slam for Hunter, which came in an enormous moment in her first Super Regional at-bat.

Head coach Mike White's squad tacked on another run to narrow the Aggies lead down to one run in the bottom of the seventh inning. Star sophomore Reese Atwood smashed her 23rd home run of the season to get the Texas A&M lead down to just 6-5.

But Texas A&M's pitching staff shut the door by striking Katie Stewart out to claim the 6-5 win in Game 1 of the Austin Super Regional despite the late-inning rally by the Longhorns.

Texas A&M did the bulk of their damage with the bats in the top of the first inning. A three-run shot from Trinity Cannon notched the Aggies their first three runs of the game. Cannon also had two other runs batted in, including the eventual game-winner, to give the Aggies the edge they needed to pull off the upset to kick off this super regional.

Texas's aspirations of making it to the Women's College World Series for the second time in the last three seasons took a hit on May 24. The Longhorns must win two straight over Texas A&M to win the Austin Super Regional and punch their ticket to Oklahoma City and the WCWS.

Game 2 of the Austin Super Regional begins at 4 p.m. CT at McCombs Field in Austin.

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