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Matt Cotcher, in
Texas Baseball 17 April 2015 · 1 views
FINAL (14 innings): Texas 3 – Kansas 2
For the third consecutive weekend, the Texas Longhorn baseball team found themselves playing an extra inning game in a Big 12 series opener. Two weeks ago the Horns lost to Oklahoma State, 6-3, in 18 innings. Last week Texas lost to OU, 3-2, in twelve innings. On Friday night, the team reversed their fortune and beat the Kansas Jayhawks, 3-2, in fourteen innings.
In a well-played game by both clubs, KU struck first with a run in the bottom of the fourth frame off starting pitcher Parker French. The Longhorns responded to the deficit by posting two runs in the top half of the next inning.
After a pair of quick outs in the top of the fifth, Zane Gurwitz singled, Ben Johnson walked, and then Collin Shaw was hit by Kansas starter Ben Krauth. CJ Hinojosa’s double to left field scored both Gurwitz and Johnson, staking Texas to a 2-1 lead.
The one-run margin held until the home half of the eighth frame largely due to a solid outing from French. The Longhorns’ senior starter threw 6.0 innings, only allowing the one run, scattering four hits while striking out five Jayhawks.
The Texas bullpen could not hold the lead though, as Kansas scored a run on a fielder’s choice groundout with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning. The two teams went on to play with the score tied at two runs apiece for five frames.
Ty Marlow (Texas) and Stephen Villines (Kansas) were both excellent in relief in the late inning affair. Marlow earned his first win of the season after pitching 3.1 innings, while Villines was saddled with the loss despite striking out eight batters in his 5.0 innings.
The Longhorns broke the tie in the top of the fourteenth frame when Brooks Marlow scored on an infield hit by Johnson. With one away in the bottom of the fourteenth, Jon Malmin entered in relief of Ty Marlow. Malmin retired the next two hitters, earning his second save of the year.
POST GAME
Augie Garrido
On the team’s spirit: “The entire team played with a lot of energy and just fought their way through it. It's pretty amazing the way you feel when you have the one run that separated the teams rather than the other way around. It's been a while since that happened. I'm really proud of them. They stayed committed for all 14 innings and finally executed to a level where we scored the run and won the game.We’ve been talking about starting over but haven’t been able to get it done."
On using a lineup that was successful early in the year: “That was part of the idea, was starting over. We've been talking about starting over and we haven't been able to get that done. The players had their own team meeting and their spirit was a big part of this victory tonight. There were really no let downs for the entire 14 innings tonight. I'm really proud of the commitment they made to each other and to the team, and how they acted on it during this game.â€