Photo Texas Athletics
After another tough-to-swallow extra-innings loss in Friday night’s series-opening game against Oklahoma, the Texas Longhorns battled back on Saturday and beat the Sooners 4-1.
Coming into the game, you probably would have expected a big start out of Sooners mega-prospect Alec Hansen, but instead it was Texas’ Kacy Clemens who stole the show, throwing six innings, giving up six hits and one run with two walks and four strikeouts. Hansen was done after 5.2 innings, having given up five hits and five walks, leading to four runs, all earned.
For the Longhorns offensively, both Bret Boswell and Tres Barrera had 2-for-3 days with an RBI. Michael Cantu didn’t have a single hit, but he managed to draw three walks and score two runs.
With his team trailing 4-1, OU reliever Ralph Garza, Jr. did the best he could to keep his team in the game, throwing 2.1 innings, allowing two hits and no runs with no walks and five strikeouts. However, the Sooners just never could get back into the game against Clemens and relievers Ty Culbreth, Ty Marlow, and Kirby Bellow.
Similarly, the TCU Horned Frogs bounced back from their 14-4 loss to Kansas State on Friday night with a 9-0 win on Saturday.
After some uncharacteristically rough starts (for him, at least) at different points of Big 12 play, Preston Morrison was classic Preston Morrison on this day. He threw a complete game shutout, giving up four hits and two walks with six strikeouts.
TCU actually only led this game 3-0 going into the top of the eighth inning, but in that frame, they exploded for six runs off of K-State reliever Brandon Erickson to break the game wide open.
Frogs leadoff hitter Cody Jones was 3-for-5 on the day with two runs scored. Derek Odell was 2-for-5 with three RBI, and Dane Steinhagen went 3-for-4.
Texas Tech Downs Baylor in 12
The Red Raiders clinched the series win over Baylor with a 12-inning thriller. Tied at two in the bottom of the 12th, Orlando Garcia stepped to the plate and clocked a walk-off homer off of Troy Montemayor, who had not given up a hit to that point in his 3.1 innings of relief. What a time for Garcia’s first home run of the season.
The Baylor bats just never got going against starting pitcher Cameron Smith (6 IP, 3 H, 2 R) and relievers Corey Taylor (5.1 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K) and Dominic Moreno (0.2 IP, 2 K).
Kansas Upsets Oklahoma State
The Jayhawks joined the ranks of those who bounced back from a Friday loss by getting by Oklahoma State 3-2. OSU’s Michael Freeman was just about as good as advertised. He didn’t allow an earned run in his seven innings, but unfortunately, his defense let him down, as KU plated one unearned run in the second and two more unearned runs in the third.
His counterpart, Drew Morovick, was every bit as good. He threw seven innings of his own, giving up seven hits and no runs with two walks and five strikeouts. The reliable Stephen Villines surrendered two runs in the top of the eighth inning to allow the Cowboys back into the game, but he threw a 1-2-3 ninth for his eighth save of the season.
West Virginia Shuts Out Butler
The Mountaineers shut out the Butler Bulldogs 8-0 to clinch the out-of-conference series win. WVU starter Ross Vance threw eight innings, giving up just four hits and one walk in a tidy 103 pitches.
Offensively for WVU, Kyle Davis and Jackson Cramer both had three-hit days with three RBI and a home run.
