Freshman Hannah Wells leads Texas softball to 5-2 win, completes sweep of South Carolina

March 9, 2026

Hannah Wells took the mound for five innings Sunday, holding South Carolina to one run as Texas claimed a 5-2 victory and completed the series sweep. The win moved the Longhorns to 22-1 overall and gave the coaching staff a clearer look at several players heading into SEC play.

Wells arrived at this outing with an uneven early resume, after allowing seven hits and seven runs over two innings in her first collegiate start against Nebraska just over a month ago. Texas coach Mike White has repeatedly noted the high standards Wells sets for herself and believes she can grow into a frontline option, even when results fall short of her own expectations.

The freshman showed poise on defense in the bottom of the fifth, recovering on a hard stop with her knee and initiating a double play that quelled a South Carolina threat. Junior shortstop Viviana Martinez and junior first baseman Katie Stewart turned the ball crisply, completing the third double play of the game and preserving Texas' lead.

Wells benefited from that support, finishing five innings with one run allowed and no fielding errors behind her, while teammates supplied the run support needed to close out the game. The Longhorns generated their biggest offense in the third and fourth innings, turning pressure into runs.

Junior outfielder Kayden Henry opened the scoring with a solo home run in the third, energizing the dugout. In the fourth, senior outfielder Kaiah Altmeyer hit a run-scoring double and senior catcher Reese Atwood followed with a single that brought home two more, putting Texas in control.

South Carolina cycled through five pitchers in an attempt to change momentum, and the Gamecocks did mount a late push after sophomore Cambria Salmon took the circle for Texas. That rally fell short, leaving the Longhorns with the 5-2 final.

The coaching staff left the series with clearer evaluations of role players and depth, particularly on the mound. White had stressed before the matchup that Wells would need to expand her role during SEC play, offering value both offensively and defensively and serving as a flexible option off the bench.

Texas will return home to Red and Charline McCombs Field and face the East Texas A&M Lions on Wednesday at 6 p.m., looking to carry the momentum of the sweep into their next outing.