The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Oklahoma
No. 25 Baseball drops 3-2 decision to Oklahoma in 12 innings
04.10.2015 | Baseball
The 12 inning affair marked the eighth extra inning game of the year for the Longhorns
AUSTIN, Texas — The No. 25 Baseball team held a 2-1 lead over Oklahoma with two outs in the seventh inning, but the Sooners came back to deal the Longhorns a 3-2 defeat in 12 innings in front of a season high 6,807 fans at UFCU Disch-Falk Field Friday night.
Oklahoma's Austin O'Brien delivered a RBI single with two down in the 12th which proved to be the difference in the game. The Sooners moved to 23-13 (7-3 Big 12) with the win, and the Longhorns dropped to 18-16 (5-5).
The Sooners had used a unique two out rally to tie it back up in the seventh. Following a single, Texas starter Parker French recorded his third swinging strikeout of the inning, but it came on a ball in the dirt that got by catcher Tres Barrera, allowing the batter to reach first safely. Taylor Alspaugh then promptly delivered an RBI single up the middle to tie the game at two apiece.
Connor Mayes (1-2, 2.14 ERA) took the loss for UT, as he gave up the single to O'Brien in the 12th. French (2.15 ERA) lasted 7 2/3 frames, while surrendering just one earned run (two total) on nine hits and a walk. French, who threw a season-high 120 pitches in the contest, did not record a strikeout until the seventh inning, but finished with four over the final two frames.
Ty Culbreth (1.66 ERA) also saw action on the mound for the Horns, as he worked out of a jam he inherited from French in the eighth inning, and allowed Mayes to work out of one he created in the 10th.
Ralph Garza Jr. (1-1) picked up the win for OU by tossing 1 1/3 perfect innings of relief, including three strikeouts, and Jacob Evans worked a perfect 12th inning with two punch outs to earn his third save of the year.
Craig Aiken led the way for the Sooner offense with two hits (one double) and two runs scored, and Anthony Hermelyn contributed a game-high three base knocks.
For Texas, Michael Cantu had two hits and a run, and Ben Johnson reached base four out of five plate appearances (one hit, two walks and a hit by pitch). Brooks Marlow and Collin Shaw each doubled in the game, but the Longhorns went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.
Texas had the bases loaded with no outs in the first but managed just one run as Tres Barrera hit into a double play and C.J Hinojosa struck out looking.
The Sooners struck back to tie the score in the next half inning when Hinojosa fielded a grounder and threw it over first baseman Kacy Clemens' head and out of play, allowing a runner on second base to score.
In the bottom of the fourth, Texas jumped back out front, 2-1, thanks to a throwing error from OU third baseman Joshua Ake. After back-to-back two-out singles from Cantu and Clemens, Ake fielded a routine grounder from Zane Gurwitz, but his throw to second for the force out sailed wide, allowing Cantu to come home to score.
After Oklahoma tied it in the seventh, the bullpens took turns trading zeros until the top of the 12th inning when a two-out single from O'Brien, who entered the game in the 10th inning as a pinch hitter, drove in Aiken (double) for what proved to be the game-winning run.
The two squads return to action for game two of the three game set Saturday afternoon at 3:30 from UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
Head Coach Augie Garrido
Opening statement: The runs [our defense] put them in position to get to tie the score were a result of not playing fundamentally sound baseball … The lack of runs [on offense] came from the lack of extended rallies, and [lack of] advancing runners into scoring position when we had the lead-off hitter on. It absolutely gets down to the fundamentals of the game and the execution of the plays that will set up - get your lead-off hitter on, advance the lead-off hitter into scoring position and then get a hit and score the run. It all gets back to, if you don't get runs yourself, then you can't cover up the details of the mistakes that you make.
On tweaking efforts: We have other players that can play. [Bret] Boswell can play now, his back is better. At the same time, the coaching staff is trying to be optimistic and help them gain confidence by the way we're practicing. [We want them to gain confidence] with the drills we're doing, the competitiveness that we're putting into the practices and the fun we're putting into the practices. However, tonight was not an extension of the way we've practiced the last two days and the way we competed in the last two days.
Junior outfielder Ben Johnson
On issues that lead to the loss: We didn't execute. We didn't get bunts down that we needed to. We swung at pitches that were out of the zone. We didn't execute, and you're not going to win baseball games that way.
On losing in extra innings for the third straight weekend: Obviously it's not fun, but it's baseball, so I keep grinding through it and just find a way to come out on top and stick with it.
On whether the hitting lineup still has strength: Yeah, absolutely. We show it every day in practice. We showed it in the fall, we've shown it early on, it's just not clicking right now. It could be we're trying too hard. It could be some things just aren't going our way. No one really has the answer, but we've just got to keep sticking with it and get it turned around.
