The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
California
No. 18 Baseball coasts to 13-3 win over California
03.30.2012 | Baseball
March 30, 2012
ROUND ROCK, Texas - The Texas Longhorns scored a season-high 13 runs and pounded out 15 hits, including five of the extra-base variety, to register a 13-3 win over the California Golden Bears in the series opener at Dell Diamond on Friday night.
Mark Payton led the Longhorns' hit parade, going 3-for-5 with three runs, one double and two RBI. Payton has reached base in all 24 games this season. Jonathan Walsh recorded his eighth consecutive game with two or more hits, going 2-for-3 with two walks, one home run, two runs and two RBI. Landon Steinhagen went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs and two RBI. Taylor Stell went 2-for-4 with a triple, two stolen bases and three runs scored. Erich Weiss added two hits, one run, two stolen bases and two RBI.
The Longhorns pounced on the Golden Bears early with each of the first four batters reaching base in the bottom of the first inning. Payton singled up the middle and Jordan Etier reached on an error by Cal shortstop Chris Paul. Weiss singled up the middle to drive in Payton for the 1-0 lead. Weiss and Etier were successful on the double steal and when the throw by Cal catcher Chadd Krist to get the tail runner bounced into centerfield Etier came around to score. Walsh was issued a walk and after Alex Silver struck out, Weiss and Walsh stole third and second, respectively to put two runners in scoring position. Jacob Felts capped off the scoring in the frame with a sacrifice fly to plate Weiss.
Texas (15-9) tacked on another run in the home half of the second. With one out, Stell singled to centerfield. Stell stole second with two outs and after Etier drew a walk, Weiss plated Stell with a single up the middle to inflate the cushion to 4-0.
The Longhorns dropped the anvil on the Golden Bears with four runs in the third inning. Silver started the rally with a single to the gap in right centerfield and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jacob Felts. Steinhagen singled up the middle to put runners at the corners. Brooks Marlow plated Silver with a sacrifice fly for the 5-0 lead. Stell was hit by a pitch and Payton dropped an RBI single down the leftfield line to drive in Steinhagen. Etier capped off the rally with a two-run double to leftfield giving Texas an 8-0 edge.
The cavalcade of runs continued for Texas in the fourth inning. Walsh drew a five-pitch walk and moved to second on a balk. After a pair of flyouts, Steinhagen launched moonshot over the centerfield fence for a two-run home run to stake the Horns to a 10-0 lead.
California (14-10) showed signs of life with two runs in the top of the fifth inning. Krist reached on a leadoff infield single for the Golden Bears first hit of the game. Andrew Knapp followed with a single through the right side of the infield. After Chad Bunting struck out looking, Darrel Matthews roped a double to the gap in left centefield to plate Krist and move Knapp to third. Chris Paul brought Knapp home with a sacrifice fly to trim the Texas lead to 10-2.
The Longhorns responded immediately with two runs in the home half of the fifth to push the lead back to 10 runs. Stell rattled a hit into the rightfield foul pole corner for a leadoff triple and scored when Payton doubled over the centerfielder's head. Payton moved to third on a groundout by Etier and scored on a single by Walsh to centerfield to give the Horns a 12-2 cushion.
Cal shaved a run off the lead in the sixth. Vince Bruno hit a leadoff single and moved to second when Weiss' throw to first skipped past Silver. With one out, Tony Renda singled to plate Bruno, cutting the advantage to 12-3.
Walsh recorded his second hit of the game to leadoff the eighth inning, a solo home run to rightfield to give Texas a 13-3 lead.
Nathan Thornhill (3-2) earned the win for Texas. He allowed three runs, two earned, on five hits while striking out five over 7.0 innings. Dillon Peters pitched to two batters in 0.1 of an inning, allowing one hit. John Curtiss finished off the game pitching the final 1.2 innings allowing one hit.
Justin Jones (2-4) was saddled with the loss for California. He yielded eight runs, six earned, on eight hits and two walks while striking out one over 2.2 innings.
Texas and California return to action on Saturday for a 4 p.m. contest at Dell Diamond in Round Rock.
