The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas State
Texas defeats No. 20 Texas State, 6-1
03.13.2012 | Baseball
March 13, 2012
AUSTIN, Texas - The Texas Longhorns team used steady offense and solid pitching in a 6-1 win over the No. 20 Texas State Bobcats on Tuesday night at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
It was a team effort for the Longhorns (7-8), who posted their largest margin of victory on the season. Eight of Texas' nine offensive starters recorded at least one hit and four UT pitchers combined to allow just four hits and no walks.
Texas set the tone early, taking the lead in the first inning for the first time in the 2012 season. Tim Maitland and Erich Weiss each drew walks off Texas State starter Louis Head and a Brooks Marlow single plated Maitland to put the Longhorns up 1-0.
UT added to its lead in the third. Marlow led off the inning with a walk followed by an Alex Silver single into shallow right. The runners advanced to second and third on a wild pitch, with Marlow scoring on a sharply hit ball up the middle by Jacob Felts that was mishandled by the Bobcats' second baseman.
The Longhorns picked up another run in the bottom of the fourth. Mark Payton dropped a one-out single along the right-field line. After Ross Goebel entered the game in relief of Head, Weiss doubled to right to put runners on first and third. A Jonathan Walsh sacrifice fly brought Payton across to extend UT's lead.
Texas kept the offense rolling in the fifth off Texas State's Austen Williams. After Silver drew another leadoff walk for the Longhorns, Kevin Lusson singled to center field with both runners advancing on the throw to third. Felts then sent a two-RBI base hit up the middle to make the score 5-0.
UT further extended its lead in the sixth. Weiss singled up the middle, stole both second and third and scored on an RBI-single by Silver.
Texas State managed to get one run back in the top of the seventh. With one out, Jeff McVaney reached when he was hit by a John Curtiss pitch inside and was able to run to third on a pinch-hit single by Ben McElroy. After Brooks Orton lined out to the shortstop Etier, Curtiss balked to allow McVaney to cross.
The Longhorns peppered seven Bobcat pitchers with 11 hits. Weiss and Silver were each 2-for-4 from the plate with a run scored. Felts went 1-for-3 and added two RBI.
Parker French (2-0) picked up the victory for Texas, pitching 4.0 innings and allowing three hits. Hoby Milner threw two scoreless innings and struck out three. After Curtiss yielded one run in the seventh, Corey Knebel closed the door with 2.0 shutout frames retiring six of the seven batters he faced, with the lone runner reaching on an error.
Head shouldered the loss for the Bobcats and dropped to 0-1 on the season. Head surrendered three runs on five hits and four walks in 3.1 innings, fanning four batters. Austen Williams threw one complete inning, giving up three runs on three hits and a walk. Covey Morrow, Garrett Shepperd and Hunter Lemke each pitched one shutout inning of relief for Texas State.
Texas travels to Norman, Okla. for a three-game weekend series beginning Friday, Mar. 16 against the Sooners. The first game is slated for 6:30 p.m. Central.
