The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Oklahoma
McCulloch and Alaniz combine on five-hit shutout to lift Baseball over Oklahoma, 2-0
03.31.2006 | Baseball
NORMAN, Okla. -- Kyle McCulloch tossed eight shutout innings and Adrian Alaniz worked a perfect ninth to propel No. 10 Texas to a 2-0 shutout victory over No. 14 Oklahoma in front of 2,240 fans at L. Dale Mitchell Park on Friday, March 31.
The Longhorns' (20-10, 5-1 Big 12) win over the Sooners (20-8, 2-2 Big 12) not only extended UT's current win streak to a season-best five games, but also gave Texas its second shutout of the season and first on the road in conference play since April 3, 2004 (10-0 versus Texas Tech).
The game was scoreless through the first two innings of play despite a two-on, one-out chance in the second for the Sooners as McCulloch (Houston, Texas) worked out of the jam courtesy of a diving stop at second base from Bradley Suttle (Boerne, Texas) and a groundout to first. Both offenses then put runners on base in each of the next two frames, but both McCulloch and OU starter Daniel McCutchen kept the contest tied a 0-0 by limiting the respective offenses to a combined three hits. Following a scoreless fifth, the Horns put together a scoring chance in the top of the sixth as Nick Peoples (Round Rock, Texas) made his way to third with one out as he reached on a bunt single and moved up 180 feet on a throwing error and a sacrifice bunt. After a walk to Drew Stubbs (Atlanta, Texas), Carson Kainer (Tomball, Texas) then dropped down a safety squeeze bunt to give Texas a 1-0 lead.
Looking to respond immediately in the bottom of the frame, the Sooners received a leadoff double from Aaron Reza, but McCulloch induced a pair of flyouts around his second strikeout of the contest to keep UT on top. One inning later in the seventh, Oklahoma put the tying run in scoring position following a leadoff walk to Joe Dunigan and a sac bunt, but McCulloch again set down his next three batters in order to maintain the one-run advantage. After another UT scoring opportunity, which was produced by a leadoff walk and a sacrifice, was averted in the top of the eighth by McCutchen, McCulloch stranded another OU base runner in the bottom of the frame to move the game to the ninth.
With two outs in the top of the final inning, Suttle connected on his first career home run to stake the Horns to a 2-0 lead. Alaniz (Sinton, Texas) then emerged from the UT bullpen and worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth that included two strikeouts to close out the shutout and earn his second save of the season. While McCulloch, who has won his last two decisions and allowed only one earned run in his last 16 innings pitched, notched his third win of the year, McCutchen shouldered the tough loss despite allowing only three singles during his third complete-game effort of the season.
Headlining the Horns' offense on the evening were Kainer, who tallied his team-leading seventh game-winning RBI of the year, and Suttle, who has now reached base safely in 29 of 30 games with his first career round-tripper in the ninth. The Sooners' attack, meanwhile, was led by Reza, who went accounted for three of OU's five hits and reached base safely four times. Additionally for UT, McCulloch and Alaniz notched the eighth and second combined shutouts of their careers, respectively.
Texas and Oklahoma continue this three-game set with a 5:30 p.m. Central contest at L. Dale Mitchell Park on Saturday, April 1.
