The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
27-14
New Orleans
17-23
Late surge sends No. 21 Baseball to 8-6 win over New Orleans
04.20.2018 | Baseball
The Longhorns fell behind early but stellar defense and timely homers lifted Texas to the Friday night win.
Box Score | Postgame Quotes
AUSTIN, Texas—Behind early, No. 21 Texas Baseball stormed back on two occasions to take an 8-6 win over visiting New Orleans on Friday night at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
The Privateers got to Texas (27-14) starter Nolan Kingham for three runs in the opening frame, putting the Longhorns in an early hole. UNO (17-23) added another in the fifth off the right-hander but the Texas offense came alive in the bottom of the frame.
With one out, Masen Hibbeler singled up the middle before Kody Clemens launched his Big 12-leading 13th home run of the season to make it a 4-2 ballgame. Zach Zubia, who extended his reached base safely streak to 40 games, was then hit with a pitch before David Hamilton drew a walk. After Ryan Reynolds reached on an error to load the bases, DJ Petrinsky singled to pull Texas to within one. Duke Ellis followed with an RBI fielder's choice and it was tied, 4-4, after five complete.
Clemens scored from first on a throwing error to give Texas its first lead of the night in the sixth, but New Orleans answered back with a pair of runs in the seventh to regain the lead at 6-5.
Texas used three hit by pitches and a Hibbeler RBI walk to tie things once again in the bottom of the seventh.
With the game knotted at 6-6 in the top of the eighth, New Orleans loaded the bases with no outs. Left-hander Josh Sawyer (1-0) entered in relief and struck out the first batter he faced. He then induced a 1-2-3 double play to escape the jam and keep it tied.
In the home half of the eighth, Zubia led things off with his ninth long ball of the season to put the Longhorns on top for good, 7-6. Texas added one more in the eighth thanks to another Ellis RBI groundout before Andy McGuire (6) entered in the ninth and recorded a 1-2-3 inning for his sixth save of the year.
The win was the first for Sawyer since April 21, 2015, a span of almost exactly three years. Hamilton stole his Big 12-leading 24th base of the season in the game while Hibbeler and Zubia each added two hits apiece.
Texas and New Orleans return to action tomorrow afternoon with a 2:30 p.m. game.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Sawyer, Josh (1-0)
L: Barr, J. (4-3)
S: McGuire, Andy (6)
Batting:
2B: Veillon, O. 1 ; Morrill, D. 1
3B: Magee, O. 1
HR: Veillon, O. 1
RBI: Morrill, C. 1 ; Magee, O. 2 ; Bratton, B. 1 ; Veillon, O. 2
SH: Willis, D. 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Morrill, C. 1 ; Magee, O. 1 ; Bratton, B. 1 ; Veillon, O. 1 ; Morrill, D. 1 ; Willis, D. 1
CS: Howard, P. 1
HBP: Crabtree,S. 1
Batting:
2B: Hibbeler, Masen 1
HR: Clemens, Kody 1 ; Zubia, Zach 1
RBI: Hibbeler, Masen 1 ; Clemens, Kody 2 ; Zubia, Zach 1 ; Petrinsky, DJ 1 ; Ellis, Duke 2
SH: Petrinsky, DJ 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Hibbeler, Masen 1 ; Clemens, Kody 2 ; Zubia, Zach 2 ; Hamilton, David 2 ; Reynolds, Ryan 1
SB: Hamilton, David 1
CS: Hibbeler, Masen 1
HBP: Zubia, Zach 1 ; Reynolds, Ryan 2 ; Petrinsky, DJ 1 ; McKenzie, Jake 1
PO: Hibbeler, Masen 1
