The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
8-12
Tulane
13-7
Baseball comes up short against Tulane, falls in series finale
03.20.2016 | Baseball
With the loss, the Longhorns dropped their third straight weekend series.
AUSTIN, Texas—A pair of unearned runs proved costly for the Texas baseball team as it fell 5-3 to visiting Tulane on Sunday afternoon at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
Starter Kyle Johnston, who returned to the mound after tossing two innings on Friday night, cruised through most of his outing, registering eight punch-outs and allowing just two walks and two hits. His only crooked number on the scoreboard came in the third inning, when defensive miscues allowed Tulane to scratch across a pair of unearned runs.
After Johnston issued a one-out walk, the next Green Wave batter reached on a fielding error by Texas second baseman Jake McKenzie. Two batters later and with two outs in the frame, Tulane picked up its first run of the game on an error by shortstop Bret Boswell. The Green Wave's Lex Kaplan then followed with a run-scoring base knock to give Tulane a 2-0 lead.
Johnston answered by sitting down the next seven in order before exiting after five solid innings of work.
In the bottom of the sixth, Texas cut the deficit to one run when, after a Boswell two-out single, Patrick Mathis doubled over the right fielder's head in a nine-pitch at-bat.
The following inning, it was Zane Gurwitz who came through for the Longhorns. Michael Cantu doubled to shallow left field and, again with two outs, Gurwitz ripped the first pitch he saw into right to plate the Texas catcher and tie the game, 2-2.
Longhorns reliever Travis Duke (1-1) opened the top of the eighth with a walk before that runner moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. Chase Shugart then entered in relief and allowed an infield single to third, giving the Green Wave runners on the corners with one out.
Kaplan then laid down a bunt that went for a single and gave Tulane a 3-2 advantage. Shugart struck out the next batter before issuing back-to-back walks to force home the fourth Green Wave run.
Tulane added one more run on three straight singles in the ninth before Texas was left with its final three outs.
Cantu, who went down 0-2 to start the frame, worked a walk to give the Longhorns their leadoff baserunner. Tyler Rand pinch-ran for Cantu and Brady Harlan followed with a single up the middle to put Longhorns on first and third. Gurwitz followed with a sacrifice fly to cut the lead to 5-3, but Tulane's Dan Rankin got back-to-back strikeouts to close out the game and give his team the series victory.
Texas returns to UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Tuesday night as it hosts UTSA at 6 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Simms (4-0)
L: Duke, Travis (1-1)
S: Rankin (1)
Batting:
RBI: Rowland 1 ; L. Kaplan 2 ; Alemais 1
SH: Witherspoon 1 ; Braud 1
Base Running:
RUNS: C. Edwards 1 ; J. Rogers 2 ; Witherspoon 1 ; Rowland 1
Batting:
2B: Mathis, Patrick 1 ; Cantu, Michael 1
RBI: Mathis, Patrick 1 ; Gurwitz, Zane 2
SF: Gurwitz, Zane 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Boswell, Bret 1 ; Cantu, Michael 1 ; Rand, Tyler 1
HBP: Barrera, Tres 1
