Thornhill’s gem leads No. 8/9 Texas to 4-0 victory, series sweep of Baylor

Sunday, April 6

Austin, Texas

2:30 p.m.

University of Texas

26-7, 6-3

Baylor

15-16, 4-7

Baylor

Texas Longhorns

Tres Barrera's 2-run double broke the game open in the 7th

Thornhill’s gem leads No. 8/9 Texas to 4-0 victory, series sweep of Baylor

04.06.2014 | Baseball

Box Score

Thornhill went eight shutout innings, surrendering just two hits; now has a 0.73 ERA this year

Quotes

AUSTIN, Texas – For the second straight day the Texas baseball team received a dominant pitching performance, with Nathan Thornhill tossing eight shutout innings, and the No. 8/9 Longhorns completed a series sweep of Baylor with a 4-0 victory Sunday afternoon at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

Texas (26-7, 6-3 Big 12) picked up its 11th win in the last 12 games, with Thornhill continuing a fantastic start to his senior season. The Cedar Park native picked up his career-high fifth win and lowered his ERA from 0.88 to 0.73, best in the Big 12.

Thornhill had perhaps his best outing all season, surrendering just two hits and facing two over the minimum in eight innings of work. He retired the side in order in the first, second, fifth and eighth innings, and got great defensive play behind him throughout.

Thornhill outdueled Baylor (15-16, 4-7 Big 12) starter Dillon Newman (3-2), who was saddled with the loss after allowing one run on three hits in six innings. Newman kept Texas hitless – and off the scoreboard – through the first four frames.

Texas broke though in the fifth, when Kacy Clemens led off with an infield single. After Zane Gurwitz moved the runner into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt, Brooks Marlow brought him in with a single up the middle to give Texas a 1-0 lead.

After Newman was lifted after six innings, Texas took advantage of Baylor's bullpen in the seventh to break the game open. Gurwitz led off the inning with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and Ben Johnson followed by bunting for a base hit. The Bears intentionally walked Mark Payton to load the bases and bring up Tres Barrera, who doubled to the gap in right center to score two runs.

The Horns loaded the bases again when Shaw drew a walk, and brought in the third run of the inning on a RBI groundout by C.J Hinojosa.

That would be all Thornhill would need, who has allowed just four earned runs all year and went eight innings in a start for the third time this season.

Texas, which is fielding at a .981 clip this season, got good defense throughout. Gurwitz made a slick, backhanded grab towards the third-base line to save a double in the first inning. Barrera threw out a runner trying to steal second to end the third, and another in the sixth. Payton had a highlight-reel play to end the sixth when he charged hard and made a diving grab in shallow center field.

Next up for the Longhorns is a Tuesday matchup with No. 12/18 Rice at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. The Longhorns will go for the season sweep at 7 p.m.