The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
24-13, 11-3
Oklahoma
25-13, 8-3
Comeback effort lifts Baseball to series win over No. 16 Oklahoma
04.15.2018 | Baseball
The Longhorns fell behind, 3-0, in the first, but scored five unanswered to clinch the Big 12 series victory.
NORMAN, Okla.—Paced by Kody Clemens' career-high four-hit night and a late home run off the bat of Zach Zubia, Texas Baseball rebounded from an early deficit to defeat No. 16 Oklahoma, 5-3, on Saturday night at L. Dale Mitchell Park to clinch the Big 12 Conference series victory.
The Longhorns (24-13, 10-3 Big 12) fell behind in the first when Oklahoma scored three runs on three hits, a walk, and an error off starter Chase Shugart, who would settle in after the opening frame.
With Shugart limiting the Sooners, the Texas offense got going in the top of the fourth. Clemens, who finished with a career-high four hits on the night, doubled to lead off the inning. Zach Zubia then drew a walk and with one out, Ryan Reynolds walked to load the bases. With two away in the inning, right fielder Duke Ellis drove a 2-1 pitch down the left field line for a double to pull Texas back within one at 3-2.
Trailing by one in the fifth, Clemens blasted his Big 12-leading 11th home run of the season to tie the ballgame at 3-3. The home run was Clemens' second of the series and his third hit of the night.
With Shugart exiting after five strong innings, right-hander Nolan Kingham (5-2) entered in relief and kept the Sooners off the board.
The teams exchanged zeroes in the sixth and seventh frames before Zubia delivered the decisive blow.
After Clemens led off the eighth with a single, his fourth hit of the game, Zubia launched the 0-1 offering from Levi Prater (2-2) over the right field wall to put Texas up 5-3.
With a two-run lead, Kingham finished with a scoreless eighth and ninth to seal the series win for the Longhorns.
Clemens finished a triple shy of the cycle, Ellis added two hits and two RBI in the game and Zubia extended his reached base safely streak to 36 games. Shugart allowed three runs (one earned) in his five innings while Kingham got the win, throwing four shutout frames and striking out six.
The Longhorns and Sooners return to L. Dale Mitchell Park for the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Kingham, Nolan (5-2)
L: Prater, L. (2-2)
Batting:
2B: Clemens, Kody 1 ; Reynolds, Ryan 1 ; Ellis, Duke 1
HR: Clemens, Kody 1 ; Zubia, Zach 1
RBI: Clemens, Kody 1 ; Zubia, Zach 2 ; Ellis, Duke 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Clemens, Kody 3 ; Zubia, Zach 2
CS: Shaw, Tate 1
Batting:
2B: Zaragoza, B. 1
RBI: Walker, S. 1 ; Lindsly, B. 1 ; Mendenhall 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Harris, C. 1 ; Zaragoza, B. 1 ; Murray, K. 1
HBP: Ware, B. 2
