The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
UNLV
Wheeless and McCullough lead Baseball to sweep of UNLV
02.13.2005 | Baseball
AUSTIN, Texas -- Sophomore Kyle McCulloch (Houston, Texas) worked a career-best seven innings in which he struck out a career-high eight and the UT offense scored 12 runs on 14 hits as No. 1 Texas (7-0) recorded a 12-3 win over UNLV (1-5) in front of a crowd of 4,807 fans at Disch-Falk Field on Sunday, Feb. 13. With the victory, the Longhorns not only earn a three-game sweep of the Rebels, but also improve to 7-0 on the year.
Drew Stubbs (Atlanta, Texas) and Seth Johnston (Boerne, Texas) gave Texas an early 1-0 in the bottom of the first as Stubbs walked to start the inning, stole both second and third before coming home on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Johnston. Willie Bowman would then lead off the top of the third with a double to right-center and came home to tie the game at 1-1 following a groundout and a fielder's choice chopper. In the bottom of the frame, UT came right back to reclaim the lead with a two-out rally that yielded a 6-1 Longhorns' advantage as Taylor Teagarden (Carrollton, Texas) came up with a two-out, RBI-single with a runner on second, Carson Kainer (Tomball, Texas) came through with a two-run base hit with the bases loaded, Calvin Beamon (Aurora, Colo.) pulled off a steal of home on a delayed double-steal with Kainer, and Chance Wheeless (Round Rock, Texas) doubled in another run. Quickly responding in the top of the fourth, UNLV strung together four, two-out singles to plate a pair of scores and make it a 6-3 game.
UT would up its lead to 7-3 in the bottom of the fifth as Teagarden brought home Robby Hudson (Redlands, Calif.) from third with a sacrifice fly and then make it an 8-3 contest in the fifth via a Wheeless RBI-single with Beamon on second. Texas then tacked on two more runs in the eighth without the benefit of a hit by taking advantage of three walks and an error and two additional scores in the seventh via doubles from Stubbs, Johnston and Bryan Herrera (Austin, Texas) to claim a 12-3 lead. McCulloch, meanwhile, fanned four of his eight batters on the day in his final two frames before giving way to J. Brent Cox (Bay City, Texas), who worked two hitless innings to close out the ballgame and seal the victory. Picking up his first win of the season was McCulloch, who allowed only three runs on six hits over a team season-high seven innings, which matched the longest outing of his career, while UNLV starter Eric Brock incurred the loss.
Pacing the Texas offense, which saw each of its starters register a hit, were Wheeless, who went 3-for-3 while also tallying three RBI; Stubbs and Hudson, who each recorded multi-hit efforts and the trio of Johnston, Teagarden and Kainer, who each had a pair of RBI. Of note, Wheeless' three hits and three RBI were a career best while Johnston and Stubbs each extended their respective hitting streaks to seven games. Meanwhile, the Rebels were led by Ryan Bird and Bowman, who each tallied two hits while collectively accounting for two runs scored and one RBI. On an additional note for the Longhorns, Beamon's steal of home in the bottom of the third marked the Horns first steal of home since Michael Hollimon turned the trick at San Diego during the finale of a three-game series on Feb. 2, 2003.
Up next, the Longhorns welcome the Roadrunners of UT-San Antonio to Disch-Falk Field for a 2:30 p.m. Central game on Tuesday, Feb. 15.
