Eliminated

FINAL: Dallas Baptist 8 – Texas 1

The Texas baseball team ended their season today with an 8-1 loss to Dallas Baptist. The loss was the Horns’ second in the Dallas Regional, a double elimination tournament in the NCAA Championship.

After a narrow loss to Oregon State on Friday, Texas was never much of a threat to DBU on Sunday. Much of the credit to Texas’ performance belongs to the Patriots’ starting pitcher, Cory Taylor.

Taylor pitched a complete game gem, keeping Longhorn batters off balance throughout the afternoon. Scattering three hits and three walks, Taylor struck out nine hitters and only allowed one earned run en route to winning his seventh game of the season (7-1).

After two scoreless frames, Dallas Baptist wrested control of the game with a four-run effort in the top of the third inning. Although Drew Turbin’s RBI double broke the scoring seal, the three-run homerun to right field by Justin Wall proved to be the death knell for UT.

With a four-run lead and Taylor mowing down the Longhorn lineup, the rest of the contest was academic. DBU tacked on a single run in the fifth, two more in the sixth and plated their final score in the eighth.

Texas’ lone run was scored in the home half of the sixth. Joe Baker was hit by a pitch and scored on an RBI single by Tres Barrera.

Ty Culbreth, Connor Mayes, and Kyle Johnston all logged at least two innings of work, but the Patriots’ offense hit anyone that Texas put on the mound. Culbreth (4-5), Texas’ starter, took the loss after surrendering all four of Dallas Baptist’s runs in the third inning.

An unexpected four-game rampage through the Big 12 tournament earned Texas a berth in the NCAA tournament field. Although disheartening, their ensuing 0-2 performance should serve as solid experience for a core group of returnees in the 2016 season.