The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas Tech
Baseball wins rubber match against Texas Tech
03.29.2009 | Baseball
March 29, 2009
Box Score | Box Score 
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AUSTIN, Texas -- The No. 9 Texas Longhorns scored runs in each of the first five innings and had four pitchers combine to allow just one run in an 8-1 win over the Texas Tech Red Raiders at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Sunday afternoon.
Texas (17-7, 4-5 Big 12) pounced early with two runs apiece in each of the first three innings to take a 6-1 lead.
In the first inning, Michael Torres hit a one-out single up the middle, stole second base and scored on a single by Brandon Belt through the right side of the infield. Cameron Rupp drew a walk and Russell Moldenhauer singled to leftfield to plate Belt and stake the Horns to a 2-0 lead.
Tant Shepherd started the uprising in the second inning with a walk. Tech's pitcher Nathan Karns made a poor fielder's choice on a ground ball by Kyle Lusson and was late on the throw to second to retire Shepherd. Brandon Loy sacrificed the runners to second and third with a bunt. Travis Tucker plated Shepherd with a single to centerfield and Torres hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Lusson and balloon the lead to 4-0.
Texas Tech (11-17, 4-5 Big 12) scored its lone run of the game in the top of the third when Jeremy Mayo hit an 0-1 offering over the leftfield fence for his fifth home run of the season, trimming the Texas lead to 4-1.
Texas bounced back with two runs in the bottom half of the third. Rupp and Moldenhauer walked to lead off the inning. After a fielder's choice put Moldenhauer on second and Keyes on first, Shepherd plated a pair with a double just out of the reach of Tech's centerfielder to inflate the Longhorns' cushion to 6-1.
Keyes drew a bases-loaded walk to score Tucker in the fourth inning and Torres hit an RBI single to drive in Loy in the fifth to close out the scoring.
Austin Dicharry (2-1) picked up the win in relief. He allowed just two hits over 2.2 scoreless innings. Cole Green scattered seven hits and one walk and allowed one run while striking out two over 4.2 innings as the Texas starter. Austin Wood closed out the game with 1.2 hitless innings, striking out two.
Nathan Karns (1-3) was saddled with the loss for the Red Raiders. He yielded four runs on four hits and two walks while striking out two over 1.2 innings.
Tucker went 3-for-5 with one run, two stolen bases and one RBI to spearhead the Texas arsenal. Torres went 2-for-4 with one run, one stolen base and two RBI.
Willie Rueda, Joey Kenworthy, Chris Richburg and Scott LeJeune each had two hits apiece, but Tech left eight runners on base and the Longhorns turned two double plays to stymie the Red Raiders' offense.
Texas returns to action on Tuesday with a 6 p.m. contest against Oral Roberts at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
TEXAS QUOTES
Head coach Augie Garrido
General statement: The best thing about what happened today is the fact that we lost a game yesterday, and in that loss I thought we played better than we did the day before when we won. The fact that the players heard that and maintained their confidence, it motivated them to do well today. They played one of their best offensive games in a long time. The separation in the two teams is we got timely hits. They had as many hits as we had. I go back to total offense. We made some outs on the bases yesterday when we were more aggressive. We were more aggressive and more successful on the bases today. If we don't use our speed, we're really not cashing in on one of our skills. So we're going to make aggressive mistakes. I think it helped everyone loosen up and play at a higher level. I think the pitchers picked each other up. They weren't quite as sharp, but they've been so good for so long and so often against so many teams, sooner or later something is going to have to be imperfect. They just made it look so easy for so long. Everyone goes through their ups and downs in this game. I'm proud of the players for being better as a result of the tough time we've had over the last two weekends.
On scoring runs early and often today: It really does a lot for my cardiologist. It keeps him happy and my heart rate down. It takes a lot of pressure off the defense. They don't bunt, they don't run as much. You get control of the momentum. It puts the opposing team that's behind into a situation where they're down to one skill to get back in the game, and that's hitting. You've backed the team into a corner where they have to use one of the most difficult skills in all of sport - hitting a baseball - to win the game. That's what you want to do. When you keep yourself in the game, you can bunt, you can steal, you can hit and run, you can make productive outs and score runs. When you are several runs behind, you've got to hit.
On winning the series against Texas Tech: I honestly believe that there will be a lot of losses in this league. Typically the league can be won with seven losses. It's been won with less, but not very often. It could go up to as many as 10 this time. The teams are really battling each other top to bottom. Welcome to the Big 12. It's a conference that has definitely arrived. The ACC, the SEC, the Pac-10 and the Big 12. Every year those conferences are going to be good.
Second baseman Travis Tucker
On scoring runs early and often: It's a lot less stressful. Our pitching settled down and pitched well. We did a lot of different things in the field. We settled down and played.
On winning the series against Texas Tech: You've got to win series at home. Tech's a good team and to win two games from that team is pretty good. Hopefully it'll keep snowballing and we'll keep swinging the bats better.
On a higher level of parity in the Big 12: We do know that there are a lot of good teams in the Big 12. It's going to be a lot tougher. Usually there are a couple of powerhouses but now every team is good. It shows how good our conference is.
Third baseman Michael Torres
On being aggresive at the plate: When we talk about being aggressive, we mean on the bases, in the box and putting pressure on the team with our style of baseball. We stole a lot of bases, read the ball in the dirt to advance an extra base, and hit the ball early in the count. That's been something that he's been trying to get us to do.
On getting good at-bats on offense: That's what we try to do. We felt that we had good at-bats yesterday at the plate, but unfortunately we hit the ball right at Texas Tech and they made great plays. We went up with the same kind of approach and it all just fell this time. We found the holes. We want to have good at-bats inning after inning and we did that today.
Right hander Austin Dicharry
On coming into the game in relief: Anyone is capable of doing their job in that bullpen and with the starters. We have a lot of good people this year. Whoever gets the call does their job and we pick each other up.
On winning the series against Texas Tech: It was great. Taking two out of three, it was a great job and gives us something to look forward to next week against Oklahoma State.
On the difference between starting and relieving: To me it's a little more different than starting. I came in with runners on and usually at that point of the game I'm trying to be aggressive and throw strikes because I don't want to walk the guy. I threw strikes and the outfield picked me up, and we came out OK.
