Baseball blanks Kansas, 4-0, behind strong start from Henley

Saturday, March 17

Austin, Texas

1 p.m.

University of Texas

11-9, 0

Kansas

12-6, 0

Kansas

Texas

Baseball blanks Kansas, 4-0, behind strong start from Henley

03.17.2018 | Baseball

Box Score

Blair Henley went a season-high seven innings and Kody Clemens hit his fifth homer of the year.

Box Score | Postgame Quotes

AUSTIN, Texas—Texas Baseball rode a stellar outing from Blair Henley and timely hitting to a 4-0 shutout win over visiting Kansas on Saturday afternoon at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. With the win, the Longhorns (11-9, 2-0 Big 12) clinched a series victory over the Jayhawks (12-6, 0-2) to open Big 12 Conference play.

With two outs in the bottom of the first, junior Kody Clemens continued his torrid pace at the plate. The Texas second baseman took the 0-2 offering from Taylor Turski (1-3) over the right field wall for his fifth homer of the season, putting the Longhorns up, 1-0.

Though Texas would tack on runs later thanks to a Clemens RBI single, a Ryan Reynolds RBI groundout and a Duke Ellis sacrifice fly, one run would be enough for the combination of Henley (3-1) and Beau Ridgeway (3).

Henley went seven shutout innings, allowing five hits, two walks, and two hit batters while fanning four on the afternoon in what would be his longest outing of the season. The sophomore went out for the eighth, but after hitting the first batter and walking the next, David Pierce called on Beau Ridgeway in relief.

Ridgeway stranded both runners that he inherited, throwing just seven pitches to get his three outs and escape the jam. In the ninth, he allowed one hit but shut the door on the Jayhawks for his third save of the season.

Masen Hibbeler and Clemens each finished with two hits apiece while Reynolds, DJ Petrinsky, and Jake McKenzie all tallied one.

The teams return to UFCU Disch-Falk Field tomorrow for the series finale. Chase Shugart will start on the hill for Texas.