The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas-San Antonio
No. 18 Baseball coasts to 16-5 win over UTSA
03.17.2008 | Baseball
SAN ANTONIO -- The No. 18 Texas Longhorns recorded a season-high 19 hits en route to a 16-5 win over UTSA in collegiate baseball action Monday evening at Wolff Stadium.
Preston Clark led UT's hit parade going 4-for-5 with two doubles, one triple, four runs scored and five RBI. Brandon Belt went 3-for-6 with his Big 12 Conference leading 10th double and three RBI. Jordan Danks extended his hit streak to 11 games with two singles. David Hernandez, Tant Shepherd, Michael Torres and Travis Tucker each added two hits. Rupp and Shepherd drove in a pair of runs each. Rupp extended his team-best hit streak to 13 games with a double down the leftfield line in the ninth inning.
The Longhorns pounced on the Roadrunners with three runs in the top of the first inning. With one out, Tucker reached on a bunt single, stole second base and scored on a double down the leftfield line by Clark. After the second out was recorded, Shepherd drew a walk and Belt lashed a double to the gap in left centerfield to plate Clark and Shepherd, staking UT to a 3-0 lead.
The UT advantage ballooned to 5-0 with a pair of runs in the fourth inning. With one out, Hernandez reached on a bunt single and moved to second on a single to rightfield by Torres. A pair of errors by UTSA's second baseman on a ground ball by Danks allowed Hernandez to score and put runners on second and third. Torres touched home on a wild pitch to close out the rally.
UTSA chased Texas starter Riley Boening from the game with three runs in the fifth. The Longhorns starter cruised through four shutout innings before hitting a wall in the fifth. Tyler Carpenter hit a leadoff double to leftfield. After Boening induced a pair of infield pops, Ryan Hutson broke the scoring seal with a single through the left side of the infield, plating Carpenter. James Keithley drew a walk and Tim Paliscar hit a chop single to second base to load the bases. Michael Rockett cut the Longhorns' lead to 5-3 with a double to centerfield, driving in Hutson and Keithley.
Texas added two insurance runs in the seventh. The scoring was highlighted by a wind-aided RBI triple to leftfield by Clark and a sacrifice fly to rightfield by Rupp.
The Longhorns created separation with six runs in the eighth inning. The frame featured a two-run single by Shepherd and RBI singles by Belt and Russell Moldenhauer.
After UTSA tacked on a pair of runs in the bottom half of the eighth, Texas finished the scoring with three runs in the top of the ninth. A two-run double by Clark and an RBI double by Rupp inflated UT's cushion to 16-5.
Hunter Harris (1-0) crafted two innings of scoreless relief for the Horns, allowing just one hit while striking out three Roadrunners.
Kris Ruepke (1-2) was saddled with the loss for UTSA. He allowed six runs, four earned, on eight hits and one walk while striking out three over six innings.
The Roadrunners logged 12 hits, including three by Palincsar and two apiece by Keithley, Rockett, and Carpenter.
Texas returns to action Tuesday evening with a 6:05 p.m. game against the Texas State Bobcats at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
POSTGAME QUOTES
TEXAS HEAD COACH Augie Garrido
On the performance at the plate: Because of the milk truck hitting us, we didn't get to take batting practice. So I guess the guys decided to take batting practice during the game. It was all about not letting the surrounding things, the bus and the weather, they couldn't control affect them. They just concentrated on what they are supposed to do at the plate and did it.
RF Preston Clark
On his double in the first inning: I was just looking for a pitch that I could drive; it was a change up out a little bit in the middle of the plate. I had been fouling off a lot of them trying to see different pitches and I got off on that change up and it went down the line.
On his diving catch in the outfield: It was more like a half twist gymnastics catch. It was one of those where you throw your glove up there and at the same time say a prayer and the ball was in there. I have no idea how I made that catch, the wind was blowing in about three different directions. They had warned us before about the wind and I tried to take that approach, but it still fooled me a little. Being out there is tough, now I feel something for Kyle Russell out there.
