The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
14-8, 3-1
K-State
11-10, 0-1
No. 14 Baseball rallies for 5-3 win over K-State in game one of doubleheader
03.21.2015 | Baseball
Three eighth-inning runs from the Horns proved to be the difference
AUSTIN, Texas — The No. 14 Baseball team smashed four hits and scored three runs to overcome a 3-2 deficit in the bottom of the eighth inning, and held on for a 5-3 victory over Kansas State in game one of a doubleheader from UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
Lead-off doubles from Bret Boswell and Michael Cantu in the eighth tied the game and ignited the rally for Texas (14-8, 3-1 Big 12), while a single from Kacy Clemens ended with pinch runner Taylor Stell scoring the go-ahead run.
Ty Culbreth entered from the bullpen with runners on first and second and no outs in the ninth, but retired three straight Wildcats to preserve the win and earn his third save of the season.
Texas starter Parker French (2-1, 1.69 ERA) tossed six plus innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on seven hits and two walks while striking out four. Kirby Bellow earned the victory for the Horns by working out of trouble for French in the seventh and retiring the side in the top of the eighth.
Brandon Courville (0-1) took the loss for Kansas State (11-10, 0-1 Big 12) after giving up two runs in his two innings of work in relief.
Boswell led Texas at the plate, going 2-for-2 with two walks, along with his double and game-tying run to start the rally in the bottom of the eighth. Cantu had an RBI walk to go with his RBI double, and Tres Barrera doubled, drove in a run and scored.
Brooks Marlow had two base hits in the game and Collin Shaw drove in his 20th run of the year. Clemens' single in the eighth inning was his first base knock of the season in his third official at bat. It marked the first start of the season at first base for Clemens, who is slated to start on the mound in the series finale Sunday.
Kansas State struck first in their first at bat of the day. A fielding error, bunt and a walk put runners on first and second with one down for Steve Serratore, who promptly singled down the left field line to make it 1-0, but French then induced a double play to escape further damage.
Texas bounced back with two runs in the bottom half to take a 2-1 lead. A two-out RBI double from Barrera to score Ben Johnson (walk) tied it up at one, and a bases-loaded walk from Cantu to score Barrera gave Texas its first lead. In the inning, Kansas State starter Nate Griep (2.27 ERA) walked three and allowed two hits, but escaped with just the two runs thanks to a lineout to second from Clemens with the bags still juiced.
With one out and a runner on second in the top of the third, a single to left field looked like it might tie the score, but Johnson fired a bullet to the plate just in time to get Cater Yagi coming home.
The Wildcats did tie it up in the sixth however, thanks to a two-out double from Danny Krause and an RBI single up the middle by Tyler Moore. French then forced a groundout to leave it a 2-2 after five and a half.
In the seventh, Kansas State took advantage of a Texas miscue to jump back in the lead. After a leadoff walk and a passed ball, a bunt was thrown away by French, making the score 3-2 and ending his day on the hill. With a runner on second and none away, Bellow entered and got three consecutive groundouts to escape the jam with just a run in.
The Longhorns rallied for three runs in the eighth to take a 5-3 lead. Back-to-back doubles from Boswell and Cantu to open the frame tied the score at three apiece, and a single to right from Clemens gave Texas the lead when the right fielder had trouble fielding it, allowing the go-ahead run to score. Following a sacrifice bunt and a pop out, Shaw delivered a two-out RBI single to right to push advantage to 5-3.
In the ninth it took three Longhorn pitchers, but Culbreth entered and retired all three batters he faced to close out the series-opening victory.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Bellow, Kirby (2-1)
L: Courville, Brandon (0-1)
S: Culbreth, Ty (3)
Batting:
2B: Krause, Danny 1
RBI: Serratore, Steve 1 ; Moore, Tyler 1
SH: Dalrymple, Clayton 1 ; Wodtke, Jake 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Yagi, Carter 1 ; Krause, Danny 1 ; Wolfe, Tyler 1
CS: Krause, Danny 1
Batting:
2B: Barrera, Tres 1 ; Boswell, Bret 1 ; Cantu, Michael 1
RBI: Shaw, Collin 1 ; Barrera, Tres 1 ; Cantu, Michael 2
SH: Shaw, Collin 1 ; Gurwitz, Zane 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Johnson, Ben 1 ; Barrera, Tres 1 ; Boswell, Bret 1 ; Stell, Taylor 1 ; Clemens, Kacy 1
SB: Hinojosa, C.J 1
