The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
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No. 6 Baseball’s comeback bid falls short at No. 13 Rice, 10-9
02.14.2015 | Baseball
Longhorns twice cut lead to one run, but fall in game one of doubleheader
HOUSTON – The No. 6 Texas baseball team dropped the first game of a doubleheader with No. 13 Rice, 10-9, Saturday afternoon at Reckling Park.
The Longhorns fell behind early after Rice struck for six runs in the first inning, and were unable to complete a comeback despite cutting the deficit to 6-5 in the third, and then 10-9 in the ninth.
Trailing 10-8 and down to their final two outs in the ninth, Texas put the tying run in scoring position when Tres Barrera drew a walk and scored on a deep double by Bret Boswell. Rice pitcher Matt Ditman, however, recorded back-to-back strikeouts to close the door.
Kacy Clemens (0-1), making his first collegiate appearance on the mound, took the loss. The sophomore gave up eight runs on eight hits in three innings of work.
Rice's Blake Fox (1-0) picked up the win despite being tagged for seven runs on eight hits in six innings of work. Fox, a junior lefty, improved his career record to 19-0.
Ben Johnson led Texas offensively by going 4-for-5 with three runs and three RBIs. Boswell had a two-hit day and drove in a pair.
Rice batted around in the first, using seven hits to jump out to a 6-1 lead. Owls catcher John Clay Reeves delivered a three-run homer in the rally while Tristan Gray and Kirby Taylor had run-scoring singles. Rice also got runs on a sac fly by Leon Byrd and a RBI groundout by John Williamson.
Behind Johnson, the Longhorns battled back. The junior hit a three-run homer that just cleared the left field fence in the third, cutting the deficit to 6-4. An inning later, C.J Hinojosa drew a leadoff walk and scored after a pair of sacrifice bunts, making it 6-5.
Clemens settled down after the first, retiring eight of nine during one stretch including the side in order in the third. But Rice padded its lead in the fourth, when a leadoff walk and single led Texas to make a move to the bullpen for Jon Malmin. The Owls then tacked on two runs on a single and a fielder's choice, making it 8-5.
After Rice added another run in the fifth, Texas cut into the deficit in the sixth. Boswell led off the frame with an infield single, Zane Gurwitz followed with a double and both scored on a groundout and sacrifice fly.
The Longhorns trailed 10-7 going to the eighth, when Collin Shaw drove in Johnson with a double to make it 10-8. Shaw was stranded on second base, though, keeping Rice's lead at two runs.
Ditman (1), who pitched three innings and allowed two runs on three hits while striking out seven, was credited with a save.
Malmin (three innings, five hits, one run) and Kirby Bellow (two innings, two hits, one run) made their season debuts for Texas.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Blake Fox (1-0)
L: Clemens, Kacy (0-1)
S: Matt Ditman (1)
Batting:
2B: Shaw, Collin 1 ; Boswell, Bret 1 ; Gurwitz, Zane 1
HR: Johnson, Ben 1
RBI: Johnson, Ben 3 ; Shaw, Collin 1 ; Hinojosa, C.J 1 ; Boswell, Bret 2 ; Cantu, Michael 1 ; Stell, Taylor 1
SH: Shaw, Collin 1 ; Marlow, Brooks 1 ; Boswell, Bret 1
SF: Hinojosa, C.J 1 ; Stell, Taylor 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Johnson, Ben 3 ; Hinojosa, C.J 1 ; Barrera, Tres 1 ; Boswell, Bret 1 ; Gurwitz, Zane 1 ; Cantu, Michael 1 ; Stell, Taylor 1
HBP: Gurwitz, Zane 1
PO: Gurwitz, Zane 1
Batting:
2B: Ryan Chandler 1 ; Kirby Taylor 1
3B: Connor Teykl 1
HR: John Clay Reeves 1
RBI: Ryan Chandler 1 ; Ford Stainback 2 ; Leon Byrd 1 ; John Clay Reeves 2 ; Connor Teykl 1 ; Tristan Gray 1 ; Kirby Taylor 1 ; John Williamson 1
SH: Ryan Chandler 1 ; John Williamson 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ryan Chandler 2 ; Ford Stainback 1 ; John Clay Reeves 1 ; Connor Teykl 1 ; Tristan Gray 1 ; Charlie Warren 2 ; Kirby Taylor 1 ; John Williamson 1
SB: Leon Byrd 1
