The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas A&M
No. 4 Baseball seals State Farm Lone Star Showdown series with 14-0 win over Texas A&M
04.17.2010 | Baseball
April 17, 2010
Box Score | Quotes | Big 12 Standings
COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Junior right-hander Cole Green weaved a complete-game, one-hit shutout and Longhorns' batters pounded out a season-high 18 hits as No. 4 Texas registered a 14-0 rout over the Texas A&M Aggies at Olsen Field on Saturday afternoon. The 14-run win was the Longhorns largest margin of victory since an 18-3 win on May 15, 1939.
Green was masterful in pitching his fourth career complete game and second career shutout. He scattered one hit and three walks while striking out four over 9.0 innings. It marked the first time the Horns had blanked the Aggies since a 3-0 win on May 17, 2003.
Texas batters were equally impressive with six batters recording multiple hits and four Horns racking up three hits. Kevin Keyes led the hit parade going 3-for-5 with two home runs and four RBI. Tant Shepherd went 3-for-4 with one double, two runs and four RBI. Cohl Walla went 3-for-5 with four runs, two doubles and one RBI. Cameron Rupp went 3-for-5 with two runs and two RBI. Jordan Etier and Brandon Loy added two runs and two hits apiece.
The Longhorns pounced early with a run in the top of the first inning. Leading off the frame, Walla reached on an infield single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Loy and scored when Shepherd laced a single to leftfield as the Horns staked claim to a 1-0 lead.
Texas added a trio of runs in the top of the third. With one out, Etier and Walla deposited back-to-back doubles down the leftfield line to score a run. Walla moved to third on a groundout by Loy and after Shepherd walked to put runners at the corners, Walla scored when Rupp bounced a single up the middle. Russell Moldenhauer completed the cavalcade of runs by punching a single of his own up the middle to drive in Shepherd.
The Longhorns added an insurance run in the fifth. With one out, Loy doubled down the leftfield line and with two outs he scored when Rupp singled back up the middle to give Texas a 5-0 edge.
Keyes inflated the cushion to 6-0 by launching a moon shot over the leftfield fence to lead off the sixth inning.
Texas manufactured a run in the seventh when Rupp hit a leadoff single, moved to second on a Keyes walk and scored on a fielding error by Texas A&M's first baseman on a ground ball by Kevin Lusson.
Any thoughts of an Aggie comeback were killed with a five-run eighth inning, giving the Burnt Orange a 12-0 lead. The frame included an RBI double by Shepherd and a three-run homer by Keyes, his eighth of the season.
The run parade continued with two runs in the ninth highlighted by a double by Walla and a two-run single by Shepherd.
With the win, the Longhorns sealed the State Farm Lone Star Showdown series point. Texas takes a 7.5-5 edge in the Showdown standings.
The Longhorns and Aggies wrap up the three-game series with a 1:05 p.m. contest on Sunday at Olsen Field. The contest will be aired on Fox College Sports.
Head Coach Augie Garrido
On tonight's game: This was our `Sunday' performance, this is kind of the way it's happened on Sunday. It's why we think it's in there, and it doesn't come out all of the time. There is really good pitching in this league, and tonight it did come out. We were very consistent offensively, and what we've been trying to do is take each inning as a game. Then each inning becomes a game within a game, and we try and score every opportunity that we get. This is the closest we've come to doing that all year long, and I was pleased that there was no let up and they kept grinding it out. That's one thing that we want to try to establish mentally with this team is that you don't get satisfied and all of a sudden let the momentum shift.
Pitcher Cole Green
On his performance: It felt good, real good. I think I did a good job of getting ahead and got some good calls when I needed to. I tried to mix it in-and-out of the zone, just down, and tried to stay within my plan and get as many ground balls as I could.
On his strong starts this year: I think it's just another year. I think I had an improvement from my freshman year to my sophomore year, and you just learn a lot more. You learn your routine and what works for you. We've gotten to the point as a team that we're very comfortable with our defense and our offense is timely.
Rightfielder Kevin Keyes
On Texas' win: It was a good day, and we were all focused. We had a little bit of a rough day yesterday, and it was very pleasing for us to have a performance like we did tonight.
On everyone hitting: Hitting is contagious. It's a team effort. If everyone is hitting, then it's hard to get us out. It's one of those things that we have to keep moving forward and keep working towards.
BIG 12 STANDINGS (thru 4/17)
Big 12 Overall
Texas 12-2-0 .857 29-7
Kansas State 8-3-0 .727 25-8
Texas Tech 7-7-0 .500 19-19
Oklahoma 6-6-0 .500 26-9
Texas A&M 6-7-1 .464 20-13-1
Baylor 5-7-0 .417 21-13
Kansas 4-6-1 .409 21-14-1
Oklahoma State 4-7-0 .364 20-13
Missouri 4-7-0 .364 19-15
Nebraska 5-9-0 .357 18-17
