Baseball wins game one of Super Regional, 4-2, over Houston

Friday, June 6

Austin, Texas

3 p.m.

University of Texas

42-19

University of Houston

48-17

Texas Longhorns

Houston Cougars

Nathan Thornhill

Baseball wins game one of Super Regional, 4-2, over Houston

06.06.2014 | Baseball

Box Score

Mark Payton hits a two-run home run; Nathan Thornhill throws seven strong innings

Quotes | Photo Gallery

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas struck for four runs in the first five innings, while receiving yet another excellent outing from pitcher Nathan Thornhill, en route to a 4-2 victory over Houston in game one of the Austin Super Regional on Friday.

The two teams will meet again tomorrow at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN with Houston trying to force a decisive game three and Texas attempting to clinch its 35th College World Series appearance.

UT center fielder Mark Payton got the scoring started with a two-run home run in the top of the first inning, and the offense added runs in the fourth and fifth innings to give Texas a 4-0 advantage. Payton collected two more hits on the day, and extended his streak of reaching base to an even 100 games. Catcher Tres Barrera added the other RBI of the game for Texas with a two-out single up the middle in the fifth inning. Shortstop C.J Hinojosa recorded two hits, and designated hitter Madison Carter hit a double that extended his hitting streak to 15 games.

As a team, the Longhorns pounded out 11 hits and every player reached base safely. Texas scored in the first inning for the third time in NCAA Tournament play, and has gone on to win all three of those games.

The four runs the offense provided were enough for Thornhill, who had yet another excellent outing in picking up his eighth win of the season. He yielded only two earned runs in the fifth inning, but was otherwise dominant. He threw seven strong frames, surrendering just seven singles and a walk, while striking out three Cougars.

Pitcher John Curtiss came on in place of Thornhill in the top of the eighth inning and went on to retire six of the seven batters he faced en route to earning his ninth save of the season. He surrendered just a lone single in the top of the ninth and has now thrown six scoreless innings with just the one base runner in NCAA play thus far.

Second baseman Brooks Marlow singled on a line drive up the middle to lead off the game. After left fielder Ben Johnson hit into a fielder's choice that put out Marlow at second, Payton stepped to the plate. He worked an eight-pitch at bat, crushing the final pitch into the bullpen in right field for his second home run of the year, putting the Horns up 2-0.

The Longhorns added to their lead in the top of the fourth. With one out, Carter drew a full-count walk, and Hinojosa followed with a single through the left side, putting runners on first and second. A Houston throwing error to first on a potential double play allowed Carter to come around and score, bringing the Texas lead to 3-0.

Texas would add another run in the top of the fifth. With two outs and Johnson on second base after a walk and a steal, Barrera delivered an RBI single up the middle, making the score 4-0 Texas. Carter then doubled to right-center, putting runners on second and third, forcing Houston to go to their bullpen for pitcher Bubba Maxwell, who then got Hinojosa to pop out to center field to end the threat.

Thornhill faced just one over the minimum in the first four innings, but three straight singles got the Cougars on the board in the bottom of the fifth. The last of which came off the bat of second baseman Josh Vidales, as it deflected off the first base bag into right field, allowing designated hitter Justin Montemayor to score from second and put runners on first and third. Thornhill then caught a comebacker to the mound and started a 1-6-3 double play, but third baseman Connor Hollis came in to score on the play, cutting the lead to 4-2 Texas.

In the bottom of the sixth with one out, a runner on first and Houston's leading hitter first baseman Casey Grayson at the plate, Thornhill induced his third double play of the game to get out of the jam. It marked the fourth time this season the Longhorns have turned three double plays in one game.
Texas would allow just three base runners over the final three frames, preserving the 4-2 win. The victory brought Thornhill's record to 8-2, and his ERA to 1.57 on the season.