The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
No. 13 Baseball wins first game of doubleheader vs. Duke, 4-0
02.18.2012 | Baseball
Feb. 18, 2012
AUSTIN, Texas - Freshman Brooks Marlow blasted a pair of home runs in his first collegiate game to lead the Texas Longhorns to a 4-0 win over the Duke Blue Devils in the 2012 season opener at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Saturday afternoon.
The Longhorns relied on strong pitching performances by Nathan Thornhill and Corey Knebel to coast to the win.
Thornhill (1-0) earned the victory, allowing no runs, only three hits and one walk while striking out two in five scoreless innings. Knebel closed out the game with two strikeouts and no hits in the last two innings to pick up his first save of the season.
The Longhorns drew the first run in the bottom of the fourth with a career first home run by freshman Brooks Marlow.
Texas cushioned the lead with two more runs in the fifth inning. After Landon Steinhagen was walked to first, Marlow blasted notched his second tater of the game over the right field fence.
After a 30-minute rain delay in the middle of the sixth inning, the game started with Blue Devils starting pitcher Marcus Stroman being relieved by Chase Bebout.
Longhorns took advantage of the pitching switch up. After drawing a walk and advancing to second on a balk, Christian Summers scored when Mark Payton hit wall-banger off the rightfield fence for a triple to give Texas a 4-0 lead.
Stroman (0-1) received the loss allowing three runs on four hits, six walks and three errors while striking out three over five innings.
Marlow led the Texas offense, going 2-for-3 with two home runs and three RBI.