Baseball uses six-run 11th to overtake Bobcats

Tuesday, March 1

San Marcos, Texas

6 p.m.

University of Texas

5-3

Texas State

5-4

Texas

Texas State

03.01.2016 | Baseball

Box Score

Texas picked up its first extra-inning win of the season, defeating Texas State, 10-4.

Box Score

SAN MARCOS, Texas—On Tuesday night in San Marcos, Texas Baseball used a six-run 11th inning to boost itself to a 10-4 win over Texas State. The extra-inning victory is the Longhorns' first in three tries this season and is Texas' 23rd consecutive win over the Bobcats.

After seeing the Texas lead slip in the eighth, freshman Chase Shugart (1-0) came on to pitch for the Longhorns and worked himself in an out of a bases-loaded jam. Shugart then shut the Bobcats down in the 10th before the Texas offense took over.

Brady Harlan was hit with a pitch and Ben Kennedy added his first career hit, a perfectly-placed bunt single, to put runners on first and second.

The Bobcat pitching then issued consecutive walks to Kody Clemens and Jake McKenzie to force home a run and give Texas a 5-4 edge.

Zane Gurwitz, who finished with a career-high-tying four hits, helped put the game out of reach with an RBI single and Bret Boswell got in on the scoring with a two-RBI double. Gurwitz later crossed the plate after a Bobcat wild pitch and Tres Barrera rounded at the scoring with a sacrifice fly to Texas a 10-4 lead.

Blake Wellmann entered in the bottom of the 11th and allowed two hits but fanned the final batter he faced to seal the win.

Prior to extras, the game saw Morgan Cooper make his second career start and first since 2014). Cooper made quick work of the Bobcats in the opening frame before running into trouble in the second. With two outs, the righthander issued back-to-back walks before a Jared Huber base hit gave Texas State a one-run lead. The Bobcats picked up their second run of the inning on a balk before Cooper fanned the nine-hitter to close out the inning.

Cooper went on to blank Texas State in the third and fourth innings and in the top of the fifth, his teammates roared back to take the lead.

With one out, Kaleb Denny laid down a bunt single and moved to second on a throwing error by the Bobcats third baseman. Clemens followed with a single to put runners on the corners and McKenzie's sacrifice bunt pushed Denny across for the first Texas run. Gurwitz then added an RBI double to plate Clemens and Boswell singled home Gurwitz, giving Texas its first lead of the ballgame.

The Longhorns added to their lead in the sixth when, after Travis Jones singled and stole second, Clemens drove the first pitch to left field for his first career triple, giving Texas a 4-2 advantage.

The Bobcats got one back in the fifth when Tanner Hill hit his third homer of the season and then knotted the game at four-all in the eighth with a solo shot off the bat of Ryan Newman.

Texas State also threatened in the seventh but a fly ball to left fielder Jones led to a 7-2 double play as the sophomore threw out the Bobcats baserunner tagging from third.

The Longhorns return to action on Thursday at 6 p.m. at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in the first of four games against No. 12 California.