The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Kansas State
No. 2 Baseball takes series from Kansas State with 6-5 win
05.09.2010 | Baseball
May 9, 2010
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- Kevin Keyes went 3-for-3 with two home runs and four RBI and the Longhorns' bullpen worked 5.1 shutout innings to give No. 2 Texas a 6-5 win over the Kansas State Wildcats at Tointon Family Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
The win improved Texas to 41-8 overall and 21-3 in the Big 12 Conference. With the conference crown already captured, the Longhorns continue to put up historic numbers. The 21 wins in Big 12 action equal the league high since Iowa State dropped baseball dropping the conference to 10 teams. The 2007 Texas team finished 21-6. Three teams posted 23-win seasons when the league had 11 teams and played a 30-game league schedule as opposed to the current 27-game slate.
Keyes accounted for half of UT's six runs and four of their six RBI on the afternoon, with a pair of solo home runs and a two-run, go-ahead single in the seventh.
After Brandon Workman struggled in his start for Texas, Hoby Milner came in from the bullpen to halt the momentum and Chance Ruffin came in to slam the door. Milner (3-0) earned the victory, allowing just one hit in 2.1 innings. Ruffin earned his 11th save of the year with 3.0 innings of work. He scattered four hits while striking out three. Workman worked 3.2 innings, allowing five runs on four hits and three walks while striking out four over 3.2 innings.
The Longhorns pounced on the Wildcats early, exploding for three home runs in the top of the first. Leadoff hitter Cohl Wall hit the second pitch of the game over the leftfield fence to draw first blood. Three batters latter Russell Moldenhauer crushed the second pitch he saw over the centerfield wall for the 2-0 lead. Kevin Keyes went back-to-back launching a majestic moon shot over the fence in left centerfield.
The Wildcats tacked on homer of their own in the bottom half of the first to cut the lead to 3-1. With one out, Carter Jurica deposited a 2-1 pitch over the leftfield wall.
Kansas State claimed the lead in the fourth inning with four runs. Blair DeBord walked and Mike Kindel singled to start the inning. Matt Giller put down a sacrifice bunt to push both runners into scoring position and Tanner Witt followed with a two-run single up the middle to tie the game at 3-3. Witt, who moved to second on the throw home, advanced to third on a wild pitch. Adam Muenster walked and stole second base to put two in scoring position. Jurica hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield, giving the Wildcats their first lead of the game and Nick Martini delivered an insurance run with a single through the right side of the infield to drive in Muenster for the 5-3 lead.
Texas shaved a run off the lead in the sixth when Keyes hit his second home run of the game, this one to leftfield on a 1-0 offering.
The Longhorns reclaimed the lead in the seventh inning thanks to a pair of Kansas State errors and a clutch hit by Keyes.
Jordan Etier grounded to shortstop to start the inning, but Jurica mishandled the ball. When Walla's sacrifice bunt attempt was knocked too hard to the pitcher, it looked like Etier would be erased at second, but Jurica dropped the throw from the pitcher, putting two on. Brandon Loy sacrificed the runners into scoring position.
Tant Shepherd looked like he might extend his 17-game hit streak and put the Horns ahead, but second baseman Tanner Witt snared his line drive out of the air for the second out of the inning. The Wildcats intentionally walked Moldenhauer to load the bases and Keyes followed by depositing an 0-1 pitch into leftfield, plating both runners.
Shepherd went 0-for-5 halting his streak at 17, tied for the ninth longest streak in school history.
Texas returns to action on Sunday when the Longhorns host the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs for a doubleheader at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. The first game is slated for 12:30 p.m. with the second game to follow 30 minutes after the end of the first.
