Texas Softball Dominates Maryland with Four Home Runs

In its home opener, Texas softball put on a show against unranked Maryland.

Texas outfielder Kayden Henry (21) gets a base hit in the fifth inning of the first game of the Women’s College World Series softball championship series between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns at Devon Park in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, June 5, 2024. / NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

AUSTIN -- No. 1 Texas softball had no issues getting past Maryland in its 2025 home opener.

Head coach Mike White trusted highly ranked freshman Cambria Salmon to take on the mound for Texas. White has experience with star first-years in the position, as sophomore pitcher Teagan Kavan put up a Big 12 Freshman of the Year performance last year.

Texas took control of the game from the first inning with two runs, but the middle of the second was a game-changer. In two back-to-back home runs from sophomore centerfield Kayden Henry and sophomore catcher Katie Stewart, the Horns put up five runs.

Henry was the first one to hit a homer as redshirt junior outfielder Ashton Maloney advanced from the third base to score. After junior catcher Reese Atwood and senior utility Mia Scott took their bases, Stewart scored her homer for a triple score.

Texas utility Reese Atwood (14) slides home to score past Oklahoma catcher Kinzie Hansen (9) in the second inning of Game 2 of the NCAA softball Women's College World Series Championship Series game between the Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and Texas Longhorns at Devon Park in Oklahoma City, Thursday, June 6, 2024. Oklahoma won 8-4. / Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman / USA TODAY NETWORK

The next two home runs came in the fourth quarter as junior utility Leighann Goode homered to the left field, helping Stewart score her third run of the night. 11-0. Then senior utility Vanessa Quiroga took the bat. As junior utility Rachel Wells waited at her base, Quiroga hit another homer to put Texas up 13-0.

And while her teammates shined at the bat, Salmon showed fans why she was so hyped up. At the top of the fifth, the Terrapins had yet to score a run. But a fire lit under Maryland, and the team scored four runs in the fifth inning. Under the mercy rule, the game ended after the four scores as Maryland avoided a shutout.

Salmon won the pitcher's duel 3-0 as Maryland's Julia Sheafer lost 1-2.

The day is not over for the Longhorns as they take on their first ranked opponent of the season in former Big 12 rivals, No. 11/8 Texas Tech at 6:30. The game against the Red Raiders will mark the end of the first day of the Bevo Classic, which will last until Sunday as Texas also takes on UMass.

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