Baseball picks up first win of the season, 5-4, over No. 23 Rice

Saturday, February 18

Austin, Texas

3 p.m.

University of Texas

1-1

Rice

1-1

Rice

Texas

Baseball picks up first win of the season, 5-4, over No. 23 Rice

02.18.2017 | Baseball

Box Score

Travis Jones threw out the potential tying run at the plate to end the ballgame and give David Pierce his first win at Texas.

AUSTIN, Texas—With the potential tying run on the way home for Rice, junior left fielder Travis Jones threw a laser to the plate to end the ballgame and give Texas its first win of the season, a 5-4 victory in game one of Saturday's double header at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

The win, the first of Head Coach David Pierce's Longhorns career, came after a solid outing from starting pitcher Kyle Johnston. Johnston (1-0) went six innings, allowing one run on seven hits and one walk while fanning six in his first outing of the season. The junior righthander exited the game after six innings, with the Longhorns leading it 5-1.

Rice picked up the first run of the ballgame off Johnston in the second inning, but Texas rebounded for two in the bottom of the third and three in the sixth. Kody Clemens led the way with a pair of RBI, while Austin Todd and David Hamilton each picked up their first hit and first RBI of their collegiate careers. Jones, the late inning hero, also picked up an RBI.

While Johnston left with a four-run lead, the Owls clawed their way back in the seventh and final frame. With Texas still ahead 5-4, sophomore transfer Beau O'Hara (1) entered in relief of Chase Shugart. The next Owl singled to left field but when the runner attempted to score, Jones gunned him down at the dish for the final out of the ballgame.

Game two of the doubleheader is scheduled for a 6:45 p.m. CT first pitch.