No. 8 Baseball drops game two of doubleheader to San Diego. 6-1

Sunday, March 1

Austin, Texas

2:05 p.m.

University of Texas

8-4

San Diego

4-6

San Diego

Texas

No. 8 Baseball drops game two of doubleheader to San Diego. 6-1

03.01.2015 | Baseball

Box Score

Six-run ninth inning from the Toreros the difference in the game

AUSTIN, Texas — The No. 8 Texas Baseball team surrendered six runs in the ninth inning to San Diego and dropped game two of a doubleheader, 6-1, Sunday afternoon at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

The game had been a pitcher's duel for the first eight innings, with the teams combining for just seven hits before the decisive ninth inning.

Texas (8-4) starter Josh Sawyer worked four scoreless frames, allowing just three hits and a walk, while striking out three. Sawyer was relieved by Kacy Clemens, who worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings himself. Kyle Johnston (0-1) took the loss for the Horns, allowing one earned run in one inning of action.

The Toreros (4-6) rallied for six runs (four earned) in the final frame, doing it off of four Longhorn pitchers. Three hits, two walks and a Texas throwing error in the inning gave them a commanding 6-0 lead and the eventual doubleheader sweep.

San Diego starting pitcher PJ Conlon (1.59 ERA, .153 opp. avg.) tossed six shutout innings, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out five Texas batters before giving way to the bullpen. Jacob Hill (2-1) earned the win for the Toreros by tossing a scoreless bottom of the eighth.

The Longhorn offense couldn't get much of anything going all day, but Ben Johnson provided a highlight with a 2-for-3 effort that included a triple, a walk and a sacrifice fly, and Tres Barrera went 1-for-2 with two walks in the game.

Both teams battled to a scoreless tie through eight innings, but in the ninth, the San Diego offense came alive for the decisive six-run inning.

The Toreros scored first on a bases-loaded ground out to second base by John Grimsley, off of reliever Ty Culbreth, breaking the 0-0 tie. USD then tacked on three more runs on a bases-loaded bunt single by Kyle Holder and a two-RBI base hit up the middle from Colton Waltner.

An RBI single from Jesse Jenner and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Aidan Stinnett bumped the lead to 6-0 at the end of the frame.

Johnston, Culbreth, Kirby Bellow and Connor Mayes all saw action on the mound in the ninth inning for the Horns, and the four earned runs were the first surrendered by the bullpen in 37 2/3 innings, dating back to the sixth inning against UTSA on February 17.

The Horns battled back for a run in their half of the ninth via a Johnson sacrifice fly to score pinch runner Taylor Stell, but one run was all they could pull together as San Diego closed out the 6-1 victory.

Texas returns to action with a four game set at Stanford beginning at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 5.

QUOTES

Head Coach Augie Garrido

On if this is the first time the team has shown a lack of discipline: I think we had six innings in the second game at Rice where we were that flat. We had another four innings I guess in the mid-game, Pan American this week, and that's been about it. The rest we've been highly competitive. Maybe we just spent too much time in the locker room, you know canceling, those things are hard to figure. But the truth of the matter is that I firmly believe it was about discipline to the fundamentals of the game, and the fundamentals of the game are basically the weapons of war. They are the weapons you use to get the outs on time, they are the weapons you use to not give them extra bases and offensively you have to use all four of the games. There is the hitting game, the bunting game, the bat control game and the base-running game. It all got back to wanting to get a hit and they again tried and when they tried they failed, because you always do. Lack of discipline, they couldn't stay with their plan, they couldn't stay with their hitting routine. That's not easy to do.

On trying too hard: Oh no question, it was about getting the runs in. When it was most obvious, some of our best hitters swung at every pitch outside the strike-zone with a runner in scoring position. What is that? Lack of discipline, can't stay with the plan. It's hard, it's hard to do.

On learning from the loss: We didn't apply the discipline to the fundamentals of the game and that is a common problem. You didn't create that; the champion is the one that overcomes that. First of all, you have to make them aware of it, secondly you have to put them in situations in practice, force them to practice at a level that is highly competitive and get them to perform in an environment that you create that simulates as accurately as you can to a game. Because the ones that want to correct that, they aren't feeling great about themselves right now. It happened, they didn't want it to happen, they don't want it to happen again. I have to count on that and I do count on that. There is leadership in that locker room. There are great kids in that locker room. They will turn it around.

Senior RHP Parker French

On the loss: Yeah, it wasn't one of the best games we've had as a team collectively. But that's why it's a long season, we learn for the mistakes we made today and build off of them and get ready for next week, Stanford.

On lack of discipline: I think just not being fundamentally sound, not performing the fundamentals at a high rate at least. I guess got undisciplined with that and just didn't do some simple things right.

On lessons learned: I think it teaches a little humility, it humbles you when you come out and don't play so well, especially at home. But also you can't read too much into it; get back at it tomorrow, practice, get better at those fundamental things we weren't good at today and go on with a lot of confidence in Palo Alto and play a really good Stanford baseball team. I think we'll be up for that challenge come Thursday.

On if the weather delays were a factor: No. I mean it's obviously not ideal, but we aren't going to make excuses around here. You know, you just have to deal with it. Its baseball and its outside and its February. So I guess you have to deal with it, Texas weather is bad.

Junior LF Ben Johnson

On the loss: I think like what Coach touched on, a lack of discipline, I think we were swinging at some balls outside of the zone and maybe a little bit of overcompeting, which that's going to happen. We are all really competitive guys and I think we were a little antsy today and some things didn't go our way.

On if the rainouts Friday and Saturday caused them to be antsy: Yeah, that might have been it. But you know, we aren't going to make excuses. That's how it was for both teams, because you know they had to wait two days to play as well. We aren't going to make excuses about that, but we just have to learn from it, move on and get everybody ready for Stanford.

On what caused the lack of discipline: I think their pitchers did a good job today of just mixing pitches with breaking balls and fastballs in and out of the zone. We weren't scoring a lot of runs, getting a lot of hits, and you know sometimes that's going to happen where you just get a little antsy. Yeah everyone wants to get that big hit, you want to be that guy to drive the runners in and it just didn't go our way today.

On the upcoming Stanford game: Well they are always big, they are always good. They're a physical team. Their pitching staff last year was all freshmen so they are going to have a year under their belt, they are going to be really experienced. We are excited to play them, they always give us a big series and going out to Palo Alto is a fun trip.

Notes

- The Longhorn bullpen saw its streak of not allowing an earned run end at 37 2/3 innings with the four earned runs allowed in the top of the ninth of game two of today's doubleheader. However, the relievers still hold a 1.39 ERA (eight earned runs in 51 2/3 innings) on the year.

- Texas had been outscoring opponents 35-2 from the seventh inning on prior to game two today. The Longhorns now hold a 36-8 advantage in those frames.

- The Longhorns had been 2-0 on the season when tied after eight innings (2/15 at Rice, 2/25 vs. UTPA) before losing game two today.

- The Longhorns' series record with San Diego is now evened up at 7-7 after the two wins by the Toreros today. Texas still holds a three game to two advantage at UFCU Disch-Falk field.

- Ben Johnson saw his 11-game hit streak come to an end with an 0-for-3 effort in game one of the doubleheader. Johnson bounced back in game two, going 2-for-3 with a triple and an RBI, and he boasts a .434 batting average on the year.

- After allowing five earned runs in his first career start (Feb. 14 at Rice, game two), Josh Sawyer has now tossed nine consecutive shutout frames in his last two starts, including four scoreless innings in game two today against San Diego. Kacy Clemens has now tossed 7 2/3 scoreless innings since giving up eight runs against Rice on February 14 (game one).

- Collin Shaw's double in game one of today's doubleheader gave him 10 on the season, and 11 extra base hits total including a triple. Coming into the weekend, Shaw led the nation with nine doubles.

- Tres Barrera and Bret Boswell have each reached base safely in all 12 games thus far. Barrera has .481 on-base percentage on the season and Boswell a .453. Barrera holds a 13-game reached base streak dating back to last season.

- Texas has four players hitting over .300 on the year: Ben Johnson (.434), Bret Boswell (.341), Collin Shaw (.340) and Tres Barrera (.333).

- The same four players also all have on-base plus slugging percentages (OPS) higher than .900 for the season: Tres Barrera (1.076), Ben Johnson (1.066), Collin Shaw (1.022) and Bret Boswell (.908).

- Taylor Stell scored his first run since May 17, 2013 in game two of the doubleheader today, when he came across for Texas' only run on a Ben Johnson sacrifice fly. Stell missed the 2014 season due to injury.