The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Baylor
No. 8 Baseball wins series opener at Baylor, 11-3
04.08.2011 | Baseball
April 8, 2011
WACO, Texas - The No. 8 Texas Longhorns scored a season-high nine runs in the sixth inning en route to an 11-3 win over the Baylor Bears on Friday night at Baylor Ballpark.
Nursing a 1-0 lead after five innings, the Longhorns blew the game open with their most productive inning of the season. Texas sent 13 batters to the plate and registered seven hits in the nine-run frame.
The rally started innocently when Baylor's rightfielder lost a fly ball by Erich Weiss in the lights resulting in a leadoff double. Lucas Kephart made the Bears pay for the free runner bouncing a double off the wall in rightfield. Shepherd followed with a single to leftfield, driving in Kephart for a 3-0 advantage.
A stolen base by Shepherd, infield single by Lusson and steal of second by Lusson put a pair of runners in scoring position. Montalbano laid down a sacrifice bunt to drive in Shepherd, but the throw to first from starting pitcher Logan Verrett was errant allowing Lusson to score, inflating the cushion to 5-0. The Longhorns took advantage of another Baylor gaffe when Loy singled to centerfield and Brooks Pinckard dropped the ball allowing everyone to advance an extra base, including Montalbano who scored on the play for a 6-0 edge.
After Mark Payton drew a walk to load the bases, the cavalcade of runs continued. Weiss singled to leftfield to drive in Felts and Kephart doubled to the gap to push a pair of runs across. Tant Shepherd capped off the rally with a sacrifice fly to give Texas a 10-0 edge.
Texas (23-7, 8-2 Big 12) drew first blood in the top of the second inning. With two outs, Jordan Etier laced a single to leftfield, stole second base and moved to third when the catcher's throw to second bounced past the infielders into centerfield. Montalbano plated Etier with a single up the middle to stake the Horns to a 1-0 lead.
Baylor (17-14, 4-6 Big 12) broke the scoring seal in the bottom of the sixth inning. With one-out, Max Muncy muscled a 2-2 offering over the fence in right centefield to cut the Longhorns' lead to 10-1.
A two-out rally produced a run for the Longhorns in the seventh. Felts was hit by a pitch and scored when Loy followed with a double off the wall in left centerfield gap for the 11-1 lead.
The Bears scored runs on a pair of solo home runs by Cal Towey. He hit a leadoff dinger in the seventh and added a one-out home run in the ninth to cut the lead to 11-3.
Taylor Jungmann (7-0) earned the win for the Longhorns. He yielded two runs on five hits while striking out 10 over 8.0 innings.
Logan Verrett (3-3) was saddled with the loss for Baylor. He allowed eight runs, six earned, on 10 hits and two walks while striking out three over 5.1 innings.
The Longhorns offense racked up 14 hits, including five extra-base doubles, and added four stolen bases. Loy and Weiss led the hit parade with three hits apiece. Loy went 3-for-5 with one run, two doubles and one RBI. Weiss went 3-for-5 with two runs, one double and one RBI. Kephart sparked the nine-run rally with two doubles and three RBI in the inning. Shepherd and Montalbano each added two RBI.
Towey's performance at the plate for the Bears was overshadowed. He went 3-for-4 with a triple and two home runs.
Texas and Baylor return to action on Saturday with a 3 p.m. contest at Baylor Ballpark.
