The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
44-20
Louisville
50-17
Baseball defeats Louisville 4-1 in CWS elimination game
06.16.2014 | Baseball
Parker French throws 7 1/3 strong innings; offense uses productive outs to score runs
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OMAHA, Neb. - Parker French tossed 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball and the Texas offense found different ways to score to propel the Longhorns to a 4-1 victory over Louisville in the first elimination game of the College World Series on Monday afternoon.
The Longhorns (44-20) will next play Wednesday at 7 p.m. against the loser of Monday night's Vanderbilt-UC Irvine game.
French (7-5, 2.37) was brilliant all afternoon in earning his seventh win of the season. He spun seven scoreless innings before surrendering a run in the eighth. French finished the day allowing the lone run on four hits, three walks and a hit batsman while striking out three Cardinals (50-17). The run in the eighth snapped a 14 2/3 scoreless inning streak for French, dating back to May 31 against Rice.
Left-hander Travis Duke finished it off in relief, retiring all five batters he faced, two via strikeout. In the bottom of the eighth he allowed just one inherited runner to score after entering the game with runners on second and third with one out. Duke picked up the first save of his career and lowered his season ERA to 0.32 over 28 1/3 innings.
Louisville's Anthony Kidston, who came in with a 14-0 career record including 9-0 this season, suffered the first loss of his career. The sophomore right hander went eight innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits while striking out five and walking one.
The Texas offense had seven hits on the day, but it was it's use of productive outs that generated the run scoring. The four runs came in to score on two sacrifice flies, an errant throw and an RBI ground out to the shortstop. On the day, the Longhorns had four total sacrifices, two bunts and two sacrifice flies.
Center fielder Mark Payton went 1-for-3 with a walk and a run scored, while third baseman Zane Gurwitz was 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Left fielder Ben Johnson added a hit and an RBI, while second baseman Brooks Marlow and first baseman Kacy Clemens each had an RBI. Right fielder Collin Shaw added two hits, giving him four in two games in Omaha.
Texas scored it's first three runs with one run in the third, fourth and fifth innings.
Gurwitz led off the top of the third by smashing a double down the left field line, and moved to third base on a fielder's choice to the pitcher by Marlow. Johnson followed with a sacrifice fly to left field that was just deep enough to score Gurwitz from third, giving Texas a 1-0 lead.
In the fourth, shortstop C.J Hinojosa and Shaw both singled to left field to begin the inning, and were advanced to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by designated hitter Madison Carter. Then, with a 1-2 count, Clemens delivered an RBI ground ball to the shortstop that resulted in an error and made the score 2-0.
The Longhorns extended their lead to 3-0 in the top of the fifth on a botched double play attempt that allowed Payton to score from second base. With one out in the inning Payton drew a four pitch walk and catcher Tres Barrera reached on a fielding error. Hinojosa followed with a ground ball to the shortstop, but the Cardinals could not complete the double play as the throw to first sailed high and Payton came around to score.
Louisville scored its lone run in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Cardinals put runners on second and third with one out after a walk, hit by pitch and a sac bunt, which forced French from the game. Duke entered from the bullpen for Texas and limited the damage by inducing an RBI groundout to second and got a strikeout swinging to end the inning with just one run across.
The Longhorns would get the run back in the next half inning. Carter led off with a single through the left side off Cardinals closer Nick Burdi. Clemens then reached on a fielder's choice, and an errant throw allowed Carter to safely reach second. From there, productive outs from Gurwitz on a sacrifice bunt and Marlow on a sacrifice fly to right field allowed Carter to cross the plate, pushing the lead to 4-1.
Duke handled it from there, retiring the side in order in the ninth inning.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: French, Parker (7-5)
L: Kidston (9-1)
S: Duke, Travis (1)
Batting:
2B: Gurwitz, Zane 1
RBI: Marlow, Brooks 1 ; Johnson, Ben 1 ; Clemens, Kacy 1
SH: Carter, Madison 1 ; Gurwitz, Zane 1
SF: Marlow, Brooks 1 ; Johnson, Ben 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Payton, Mark 1 ; Hinojosa, C.J 1 ; Carter, Madison 1 ; Gurwitz, Zane 1
Batting:
RBI: Sturgeon 1
SH: Gibson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Whiting 1
SB: Solak 1
HBP: Lucas 1
