The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas A&M Corpus Christi
No. 1 Baseball pulls out 2-1 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
03.29.2005 | Baseball
AUSTIN, Texas -- Pinch-runner Nick Peoples (Round Rock, Texas) induced a balk from third with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to snap a 1-1 tie and lift No. 1 Texas (24-4) to a 2-1 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (19-15-1) in front of 4,377 fans at Disch-Falk Field on Tuesday, March 29.
The game began as a pitcher's duel as the respective offenses were limited to a first-inning single apiece through the first four frames. While UT starter Adrian Alaniz (Sinton, Texas) struck out four over three scoreless innings, Islanders' starter Trey Hearne matched the effort with three shutout innings of his own. The 0-0 deadlock continued through the top of the sixth as Randy Boone (Yoakum, Texas), who came on for Alaniz in the fourth, registered five strikeouts over three innings of one-hit relief and Hearne retired six of his next seven batters. Then, in the bottom of the sixth, UT received a one-out single from Drew Stubbs (Atlanta, Texas), who stole second, moved to third on an errant throw during his steal attempt and scored on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Seth Johnston (Boerne, Texas) to stake the Horns to a 1-0 lead.
Following a scoreless seventh for both sides, A&M-Corpus Christi received a leadoff double to open the eighth from designated hitter Jon Kourie. A flyout to center then moved Kourie to third before a passed ball with two outs brought in the tying run. Immediately answering in the bottom of the inning, Texas used a leadoff walk to Clay Van Hook (Brenham, Texas), a sacrifice bunt and a groundout to place a runner at third with two down. Then, with two strikes on Taylor Teagarden (Carrollton, Texas), Peoples, who was pinch-running for Van Hook, faked a steal of home to cause a balk to score the go-ahead run. From there, J. Brent Cox (Bay City, Texas) came on for his first full inning of work and set the side down in order to nail down the win and pick up his third victory of the season. Incurring the loss for the Islanders, meanwhile, was reliever Josh Mitchell.
Paving the way to victory for Texas were Carson Kainer (Tomball, Texas), who extended his current hit streak to six games, Stubbs, who singled and scored one run, and the UT pitching staff, which had Alaniz, Boone, Clayton Stewart (Angleton, Texas), Buck Cody (Oklahoma City, Okla.) and Cox combine to allow only one run on four hits while striking out 13. On the other side of the ledger, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi was led by Jaime Landin, who went 2-for-3 on the night, and Hearne, who surrendered only one unearned run on four hits while striking out five over seven innings in a no-decision.
Up next, the Horns open a three-game league series with the Wildcats of Kansas State at Disch-Falk Field on Friday, April 1 at 6:15 p.m. Central.
