The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
40-18
Rice
42-19
Baseball edges Rice, 3-2, in 11 innings to move to regional championship game
06.01.2014 | Baseball
Brooks Marlow matches a career high with four hits including the game winner; John Curtiss throws four perfect innings in relief to earn the win.
HOUSTON -- Brooks Marlow broke a 2-2 tie in the top of the 11th inning with a single up the middle scoring Zane Gurwitz and the No. 2 seed Texas Longhorns defeated No. 1 seed Rice, 3-2, to take control of the Houston Regional.
Texas (40-18) moves to 2-0 in regional play and will meet the winner of the Rice vs. Texas A&M game Sunday night at 7 p.m.
In an 11-inning marathon that did not end until 1:12 a.m., the Longhorns got excellent pitching from starter Parker French and reliever John Curtiss who retired all 12 Owls that he faced. French threw 6 2/3 strong innings, yielding just two runs and striking out six. Curtiss took command of the game as soon as he entered in the top of the eighth inning, striking out four in his four innings of work.
The offense managed 14 hits, clawing their way back from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits before finally taking the lead in the top of the 11th inning. Marlow had four hits, which tied a career high, with the fourth serving as the game winner in the top of the 11th.
Mark Payton made it 97 straight games on base by going 2-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored. Tres Barrera and Gurwitz each had two hits, including a double by Barrera to score Payton in the sixth to tie the score at one, and a leadoff double by Gurwitz in the 11th that led to him scoring the game winning run. Collin Shaw also added two hits, while Madison Carter had a single to extend his hitting streak to 12 games.
For the majority of the game, French dueled with Rice starter Blake Fox, who went seven innings and allowed two runs on nine hits in a no decision. A sophomore, Fox entered the game with a perfect 18-0 record in his career.
Rice took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a RBI single from John Clay Reeves, but French bore down to prevent further damage. With runners on the corners and one out, French struck out Ford Stainback and got Connor Teykl to fly out to center to end the inning, stranding two.
French dealt after allowing the run in the second inning, striking out four of five batters during one stretch in the third and fourth innings.
After French ended the fourth with a strikeout, the Longhorns seemed to have gained some momentum when Shaw led off the fifth with a single to right field. A sacrifice bunt moved Shaw into scoring position, but two straight fly outs left him stranded at third base.
An inning later, the Longhorns tied it up 1-1. Payton ripped a one-out double to the gap in left-center field and Barrera drove him in with another double off the wall in left center. Texas had the opportunity for more, but Fox got Carter to pop up and after intentionally walking C.J Hinojosa, struck out Shaw to end the inning.
Rice retook the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Shane Hoelscher led off the inning with a single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and scored on a RBI double by Skyler Ewing.
In the eighth, Texas got the tying run. Payton led off the inning with a double to left field, prompting Rice to go to the bullpen for Trevor Teykl. Barrera followed with a liner up the middle, but Payton had to hold at third after waiting to see the ball go through. After Carter struck out for the first out, Hinojosa lifted a pitch to right field just deep enough for Payton to tag up and score, tying it at 2-2.
Neither team was able to score in the ninth, sending the game to extra innings. The 10th was also scoreless, with Curtiss and Rice reliever Jon Duplantier shutting down both sides.
In the 11th, Zane Gurwitz hit a two-strike double to right center just out of reach of the centerfielder. Marlow then wasted little time driving him in, lining a 1-0 offering up the middle and giving the Horns a 3-2 advantage.
The bottom of the 11th for Curtiss went just as the previous three innings, retiring all three Owls in order, including a strikeout to end the game.
The win moves Curtiss to 2-2 on the season, and lowers his ERA to 2.01. Texas is now 5-0 in extra-inning games this year.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Curtiss, John (2-2)
L: Jon Duplantier (2-3)
Batting:
2B: Marlow, Brooks 1 ; Payton, Mark 2 ; Barrera, Tres 1 ; Gurwitz, Zane 1
RBI: Marlow, Brooks 1 ; Barrera, Tres 1 ; Hinojosa, C.J 1
SH: Clemens, Kacy 1
SF: Hinojosa, C.J 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Payton, Mark 2 ; Gurwitz, Zane 1
SB: Payton, Mark 1
HBP: Shaw, Collin 1
PO: Johnson, Ben 1
Batting:
2B: Skyler Ewing 1
RBI: Skyler Ewing 1 ; John Clay Reeves 1
SH: Michael Aquino 1 ; Leon Byrd 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Shane Hoelscher 1 ; Skyler Ewing 1
SB: Michael Aquino 1
