No. 23 Baseball outlasts No. 7 Stanford, 8-6, in series opener

Thursday, March 8

Austin, Texas

6:30 p.m.

University of Texas

9-4

Stanford

11-2

Stanford

Texas

No. 23 Baseball outlasts No. 7 Stanford, 8-6, in series opener

03.08.2018 | Baseball

Box Score

The Longhorns got out in front early, pounding out 12 hits in the Thursday night series opener.

Box Score | Postgame Quotes

AUSTIN, Texas—No. 23 Texas Baseball scored a run in each of the first five innings and used a three-run seventh to overtake No. 7 Stanford in Thursday night's series opener at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

Texas (9-4) got on the board in the first thanks in large part to David Hamilton's speed. After Hamilton walked to lead things off, he stole second, moved to third on a fly out, and scored on a Kody Clemens groundball to put Texas up, 1-0.

In the second, Ryan Reynolds—who would come up with a huge two-out knock in the seventh—singled and DJ Petrinsky drove him home with a double to left-center to make it 2-0 in favor of the Longhorns.

Four different Longhorns amassed two hits in the ballgame, including Clemens, who launched his fourth home run of the year in the third inning to put Texas up, 3-0.

The Longhorns picked up another run in the fourth when Duke Ellis drove in Tate Shaw to make it 4-0, but the Cardinal answered back in the top of the fifth off Nico O'Donnell.

O'Donnell, who kept Stanford (11-2) off the board for the first four frames, ran into trouble in the fifth thanks to a leadoff single and the two-run homer that followed. The freshman then walked the next batter before Josh Sawyer entered in relief. Sawyer picked up a pair of Ks and a groundout to end the Stanford threat.

After Clemens doubled to the wall in the bottom of the fifth, Zach Zubia singled to plate him and push the Texas lead to 5-2.

The Cardinal picked up two more in the sixth of Sawyer to make it a 5-4 ballgame and tied things up in the seventh off Bryce Elder (3-1).

The game was not tied for long, however, as Texas responded in the bottom of the frame.

Masen Hibbeler drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on a groundout. With two away, Ryan Reynolds' nine-pitch at-bat ended with a single through the left side to put Texas back on top, 6-5. Petrinsky then followed with his second double of the game and Stanford went back to the bullpen.

Austin Todd, who has not played since February 24 at LSU due to a bruised thumb, pinch-hit for Shaw and lined a 1-1 pitch past the diving second baseman to plate two and give Texas an 8-5 advantage.

Stanford would add one in the eighth of Chase Shugart (1), but the right-hander closed the door for the six-out save, his first save of the season.

The two teams continue the series on Friday night with a 6:30 p.m. contest at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.