The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas-Pan American
No. 7 Baseball pulls out 8-6 victory over UT-Pan American
04.25.2006 | Baseball
AUSTIN, Texas -- Center fielder Drew Stubbs hit a three-run home run to key a six-run second inning and four UT relievers combined for 4.2 shutout innings as No. 7 Texas defeated UT-Pan American by a score of 8-6 in front of 4,651 fans at Disch-Falk Field on Tuesday, April 25.
The Longhorns' (29-15) win over the Broncs (20-24) not only marked the club's second victory opposite UTPA this season, but also snapped a two-game losing skid.
After Texas starter Kenn Kasparek (Weimar, Texas) kept UT-Pan American off the board in the top of the first, the Horns sent seven batters to the plate in the bottom of the frame and had three consecutive two-out hits, including a RBI-double from Chance Wheeless (Round Rock, Texas) and a run-scoring base hit off the bat of Bradley Suttle (Boerne, Texas), to stake UT to an early 2-0 lead. The Broncs immediately responded in the top of second with a two-run home run from Abraham Garcia to deadlock the game at 2-2. A triple from Brady Honeycutt was then followed by an RBI-single by Chris Lozano to push UTPA on top by a score of 3-2. Following Kyle Russell's (Tomball, Texas) over-the-shoulder catch in right field to end the Broncs' half of the second, Stubbs (Atlanta, Texas) connected on his 10th home run of the season with runners on the corners and no outs in the bottom of the second to regain the lead for UT at 5-3. The Horns then posted a single, two doubles and a sac fly to score three more times in the frame and grab an 8-3 advantage.
Following two scoreless innings for both sides, UTPA placed runners on the corners with one out in the fifth via a leadoff double and a one-out single to left. Osiel Flores then doubled in both runners before scoring himself on a base hit from Patrick Brooks to make it a two-run game at 8-6. From there, the game settled into a pitcher's duel of the bullpens as the Broncs were held hitless between the sixth and eighth and the Horns were limited to a pair of singles from the fifth through the eighth. Down to their final three outs, UTPA brought the tying run to the plate with two outs in the top of the ninth after Jason Buhagiar reached on a two-out error, but Austin Wood (Kingwood, Texas), who entered the game in the ninth, got his next batter to line out en route to notching his fifth save. While Keith Shinaberry (Austin, Texas), who struck out a career-best two over 1.2 innings of relief, notched his first career win, UTPA starter Dane Mason shouldered the loss. Notably, Shinaberry, Joseph Krebs (Bridgeport, Texas), Randy Boone (Yoakum, Texas) and Wood combined to allow only one hit and no walks over the final 4.2 innings while striking out six.
Headlining UT's 12-hit attack were Stubbs, who scored twice and drove in three runs during a two-hit effort to extend his current hit streak to 10 games, Wheeless, who went 2-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI, and Suttle, who posted a pair of hits. The Broncs, meanwhile, had their offense paced by Brooks, who went 2-for-4 with one run scored and one RBI, and the tandem of Flores and Garcia, who each drove in a pair of runs.
Up next, the Longhorns open a three-game series with Texas A&M at Disch-Falk Field on Friday, April 28. First pitch for the opening game of the State Farm Lone Star Showdown is slated for 6:15 p.m. Central. To purchase tickets, call by phone (1-800-982-BEVO).
