The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas Southern
No. 16 Baseball logs 7-4 win over Texas Southern
04.02.2008 | Baseball
AUSTIN, Texas -- Russell Moldenhauer hit a two-run double in the seventh inning to lead the No. 16 Texas Longhorns to a 7-4 win over the Texas Southern Tigers in collegiate baseball action Wednesday evening at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
With the score knotted at 4-4 in the bottom of the seventh, Travis Tucker hit a one-out single to left centerfield, stole second base and moved to third on a wild pitch. Jordan Danks drew a walk and stole second base to set up Moldenhauer's two-run double off the leftfield wall, staking the Horns to a 6-4 lead.
Texas tacked on an insurance run in the home half of the eighth. Cameron Rupp singled to rightfield and Preston Clark and Tucker drew walks to load the bases. Danks followed with an RBI infield single, inflating the cushion to 7-4.
The Longhorns drew first blood in the bottom of the first. Michael Torres reached second on a single and fielding error by the TSU leftfielder. Tucker pushed him to third with a groundout and he scored on another groundout by Danks, giving UT the 1-0 lead.
The Tigers claimed a 2-1 advantage in the second. With one out, David James and Justin Holloway drew back-to-back walks and Jordan Bush loaded the bases with a single to leftfield. David Arredondo was hit by a pitch to tie the score at 1-1 and Michael Norris pushed the go-ahead run across with a groundout to the pitcher.
Texas posted an equalizer in the bottom of the third. Danks drew a one-out walk and scored on a double to the right centerfield gap by Brandon Belt.
Texas Southern reclaimed the lead, 3-2, in the fifth inning when Earnest Rhone blasted a solo home run over the wall in left centerfield.
The Horns gained a 4-3 advantage with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. Moldenhauer drew a leadoff walk and scored on a triple to rightfield by Kyle Russell to tie the score at 3-3. Rupp put the Horns ahead with a sacrifice fly plating Russell.
The Tigers tied the score in the next half inning. With two outs, Sellers singled through the left side of the infield and Rhone reached on an error by the UT pitcher. James loaded the bases with a leadoff single and Holloway was hit by a pitch to tie the score at 4-4.
Stayton Thomas (2-0) picked up the win with 2.1 innings of perfect relief. He logged three strikeouts while retiring all seven batters he faced to close out the game. Kenn Kasparek worked perfect first inning before handing the ball to Casey Whitmer who allowed three runs on five hits and three walks while striking out four in four innings of work.
Haneef Aleem was saddled with the loss for Texas Southern. He yielded two runs on two hits and one walk while striking out one over 0.2 of an inning.
Rupp went 2-for-2 with one run scored and one RBI. Moldenhauer and Danks each drove in a pair of runs. Torres extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a single in the first inning
Adam Sellers and David James led the Texas Southern attack. Sellers went 2-for-5 with on run. James went 2-for-2 with two walks and one run scored. Earnest Rhone went 1-fo-4 with his fifth home run of the year.
Texas returns to Big 12 Conference action on Friday when the Horns travel to Norman, Okla., for a 6:35 p.m. contest against the Oklahoma Sooners.
