The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
14-4
Texas State
10-6
No. 10/14 Baseball tops Texas State, 6-3
03.11.2014 | Baseball
Johnson drives in three, Barrera goes 3-for-4.
SAN MARCOS, Texas -- Ben Johnson went 2-for-3 with two runs and three RBI, Tres Barrera recorded his first career three-hit game, and the No. 10/14 Texas baseball team beat Texas State, 6-3, Tuesday night at sold-out Bobcat Ballpark.
The Longhorns (14-4) won their 19th in a row over Texas State (10-6), and captured their ninth win in the last 10 games as they head into Big 12 play this weekend vs. Kansas.
Batting leadoff for the first time this season, Johnson got Texas off to a quick start with a home run to left field on the second pitch of the game. The sophomore added sacrifice flies in the fourth and ninth innings to finish with a career-high three RBI.
Barrera, meanwhile, tripled in the fourth and scored on Johnson's sac fly, then added singles in the sixth and ninth. His single to lead off the ninth with Texas leading 4-3 led to a pair of insurance runs, as pinch runner Weston Hall scored on a single by Collin Shaw, and Shaw scored on Johnson's second sac fly.
Texas' bullpen tossed 6 2/3 scoreless innings, with five Longhorns holding the Bobcats to just one hit in the final five innings. That stretched the bullpen's scoreless inning streak to 22.
Ty Culbreth (1-0) picked up the win, striking out a career-high four while allowing just one hit and walking two in 2 2/3 scoreless. Chad Hollingsworth followed by retiring all six batters faced in two innings, while Travis Duke and Morgan Cooper combined to work the eighth. John Curtiss earned his third save of the year with a 1-2-3 ninth.
After Johnson's home run, the Longhorns increased their lead to 3-0 with two runs in the second inning. Shaw was hit by a pitch and scored on a single by Johnson, and Brooks Marlow followed by narrowly missing a home run with a shot high off the wall in right center. Marlow settled for a run-scoring triple.
Texas State tied it up with three runs in the third. The Bobcats loaded the bases on two singles and a walk, prompting the Longhorns to go to the bullpen for Culbreth. A walk brought in the first run, and a Texas error and single to left brought in two more. Culbreth, though, avoided further damage with a strikeout and groundout to end the inning with the bases loaded.
Texas retook the lead the next half inning, when Barrera tripled off the wall in straightaway center, then scored on Johnson's sac fly.
The score remained 4-3 until the ninth, when the Longhorns padded their lead on the rally started by Barrera.
Texas opens conference play Friday at 6 p.m. vs. Kansas at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
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Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Culbreth, Ty (1-0)
L: Bein, Dylan (0-2)
S: Curtiss, John (3)
Batting:
3B: Marlow, Brooks 1 ; Barrera, Tres 1
HR: Johnson, Ben 1
RBI: Johnson, Ben 3 ; Marlow, Brooks 1 ; Shaw, Collin 1
SH: Carter, Madison 1
SF: Johnson, Ben 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Johnson, Ben 2 ; Barrera, Tres 1 ; Hall, Weston 1 ; Shaw, Collin 2
SB: Shaw, Collin 1
CS: Shaw, Collin 1
HBP: Shaw, Collin 1
PO: Shaw, Collin 1
Batting:
RBI: Targun, Colby 1 ; Hill, Tanner 1 ; Studdard, Granger 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Mattlage, Garrett 1 ; Paiz, David 1 ; Pearson, Tyler 1
