French wills Baseball past No. 21 Texas Tech, 3-0

Friday, May 1

Austin, Texas

6 p.m.

University of Texas

24-22, 9-10

Texas Tech

27-20, 10-9

Texas Tech

Texas

French wills Baseball past No. 21 Texas Tech, 3-0

05.01.2015 | Baseball

Box Score

The senior matched a season-high seven strikeouts over 7 2/3 scoreless frames

AUSTIN, Texas — Senior right-handed pitcher Parker French was dominant on the hill for the Longhorns over 7 2/3 innings, and the offense struck for three runs in the fifth to win game one of the three-game series over No. 21 Texas Tech, 3-0 Friday night at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

In the final regular season start of his career at home, French (3-3, 2.34) was masterful for Texas (24-22, 9-10 Big 12), tossing 7 2/3 innings with a season-high matching seven strikeouts, while allowing seven hits and three walks.

The senior gutted his way out of multiple jams early in the game, including a bases-loaded threat with one out in the top of the second, before surrendering just a single and a walk to the final 10 batters he faced. Of the seven hits allowed by French in the contest, none went for extra bases.

Connor Mayes earned his second save of the season by pitching a scoreless ninth inning, while striking out two and allowing just a single to seal the victory.

At the plate for the Longhorns, Zane Gurwitz and Bret Boswell each recorded two hits, and Michael Cantu contributed an RBI single and a walk. Joe Baker went 1-for-3 with a sacrifice fly and Collin Shaw hit his Big 12 leading 17th double and scored a run.

Starting pitcher Ryan Moseley (4-5) took the loss for the Red Raiders, who dropped to 27-20 and 10-9 in the Big 12.

After three-up, three-down first innings from both sides, Tech loaded the bases with one out in the second inning courtesy of a walk and two singles. However, French then got a strikeout looking and a groundout to shortstop to end the early threat.

The Red Raiders continued to put pressure on French over the next three frames by getting two runners aboard in each inning, yet each time, the senior was able to steer out of trouble and keep Tech off the scoreboard.

The Longhorns finally broke the tie with three runs in the bottom of the fifth. After Shaw (double) and Ben Johnson (hit by pitch) reached to begin the frame, Gurwitz executed a perfect bunt down the third baseline that he beat out for a single, and when the throw sailed off line, Shaw came around to score the game's first run.

Following another hit by pitch, Cantu hit an infield single to shortstop to score Johnson and after a force out at the plate, a Baker sacrifice fly brought home Tres Barrera to cap the scoring at 3-0. It would be all the run support the Horns would manage on the night, but it proved to be all that was needed.

French cruised through the next two frames, needing only 19 pitches to record six outs. In the top of the eighth he retired the first batter on a strikeout to match his season high seventh punch out, and then he induced a fly out to center before a walk ended his night after 7 2/3 innings. The senior left to a standing ovation from the Longhorn crowd.

Following a pitching change and then a walk, Ty Marlow entered from the bullpen and forced a fly out to right field to end the inning. In the ninth, Mayes picked up the save by allowing just a two-out single before a fly out to center field ended the ballgame.

The teams meet again Saturday at 2 p.m. in game two of the best of three series from UFCU Disch-Falk Field with Texas trying to nab the series victory.

QUOTES

Head coach Augie Garrido

Opening Statement: My spotlight goes to Parker French and the pitching performance that he gave us. The big inning was the bases loaded [one] out [second inning] and getting out of that one with a zero. It was huge.

Getting our three runs, [We did so by] being opportunistic and getting the three runs. Joe Baker had an RBI with two strikes and had a good at bat to get the third run in, and it was a good rally. It was a legitimate rally. I thought the players played with their heads up. We talked about, "Are they down?" I didn't see that. I didn't see that at all. I've continued to say that they have the right spirit and that they have the right attitude because I really believe that they do. If they can start hitting with runners in scoring position, then we could beat anybody in America.

On the team being opportunistic in tonight's game: That's right. I think the difference is that they executed. [Zane] Gurwitz's bunt put some pressure on them, and they threw the ball away because it was a pressure situation. If they hadn't [had] such a really good game, especially at shortstop, there would have been some other runs. That kid has amazing range.

On Parker French battling tonight: I think he put another positive paragraph added onto his legacy here at The University of Texas in this game today. He's done a lot of great things academically and athletically here. He's a very special person on the academic side of it as well as the athletic side of it. Tonight was very special in a time where his team needed him most and his university needed him most.

Senior RHP Parker French

On if pitching in his final home game could have gone any better: I mean maybe a few more leadoff men getting out, but other than that it was really good. It was awesome, a dream come true, blessing, all of those cliches. It was fun just to really go out and compete one last time here at [UFCU Disch-Falk Field] for all of these fans and for my family.

On demonstrating to the fans and the team that he was going to fight until the end: That's just in my character, it's in all of these guys' characters. As long as there's a chance, we're not going to give up, we're not going to give in. I just want to thank my teammates. I think they understood the magnitude of this being my last start here and maybe the last time I pitch on this field, and they backed me one hundred percent. They're very supportive, and I'm just really honored by that and honored by the fans' support out here. It's very humbling.

On throwing a career-high number of pitches: I felt good. I felt like I had something left the whole time. I feel like with how I work in the offseason, I prepare myself to be able to throw 100 plus pitches. I did have to lobby for the seventh inning and luckily that was the quickest inning of the night, so I looked really smart on that one (laughs). In the eighth, Skip [Johnson] was kind of like how do you feel? I was like I feel the same as the last inning. I might as well keep doing it, so that was fun. I really enjoyed that. I really enjoyed getting a couple of extra innings there.

On lobbying for more pitching time: I just kind of reminded him that we have a little bit of a break with finals. I went with logic first, and then just told him that I really wanted this. I wanted this moment, and I wasn't ready to stop competing. I guess that worked, thankfully.

On his curtain call tonight: Well I've always thought it's unfair that only hitters get curtain calls (laughs), so that's the first thing I'll say about that. I told some of the guys that was one of the coolest moments of my life. Very emotional, but it was just awesome. It just shows the kind of support and love from the fans, and from my family as well who was here tonight. It was just awesome. It was how you want to go out. I'm extremely blessed and thankful.

On his emotions through today knowing this would be his last start at home: I was good today. I think it was my mom that was the most worked up out of all of us. I just knew that you can't think about all of the outside things in the game of baseball. You just have to compete one inning at a time, and I was just ready to go compete as hard as I could. I knew there was going to be ups and downs and there was going to be jams, and you've just got to compete through it all. That's really what I was thinking about all day while I was going to get breakfast with friends, or going to buy my mom's birthday gift, was let's go compete tonight.

NOTES

- Parker French moved into sole possession of first place on Texas' career starts list with his 51st. He moved out of a tie with Greg Swindell and trails just Justin Simmons (66), Richard Wortham (66), Cole Green (59) and Kirk Dressendorfer (57).

- Friday's win was the 20th of French's career. He ranks third among active career Big 12 leaders in that category.

- French has pitched well in four career starts vs. Texas Tech, going 2-0 with a 1.08 ERA in 25 innings pitched.

- The shutout victory was Texas' fourth this season and first since recording three in a row against Minnesota (Feb. 21-22).

- Bret Boswell went 2-for-4 on the day marking his 14th multi-hit game of the season, which ranks second on the team behind Ben Johnson (22). Zane Gurwitz also turned in his seventh multi-hit game this year with a 2-for-4 performance. The sophomore is hitting .308 (12-of-39) over the last nine games.

- In the last nine games, the Texas offense is hitting .312 led by Johnson (.378), Tres Barrera (.375), Michael Cantu (.342) and C.J Hinojosa (.333). Barrera had his eight-game hitting streak snapped with an 0-for-2 day at the plate, though he did reach base (HBP) and scored a run.

- With the hit by pitch today, Barrera has now reached base in 43 of 46 games this season, including nine games in a row.

- Collin Shaw, who came in to today's game tied for the Big 12 lead with 16 doubles, recorded his 17th of the season with one in the bottom of the fifth that started a three-run inning.

- Connor Mayes was credited with his second save of the season by pitching a scoreless ninth. His 2.12 ERA is tops among Big 12 freshmen.

- Texas batters were hit by a pitch five times in Friday's game, including Ben Johnson getting hit three times. That exceeded the previous season high of four set against Minnesota (Feb. 21) and Prairie View A&M (April 28).