Wichita State vs Texas (Recap added)

[Matt Cotcher]

Correct me if I'm wrong but trying to steal third with two outs, best hitter at the plate, and runner already in scoring position....bad idea.

Other side of the coin is that the team is struggling to score runs and hit the ball - including Johnson.

You need to force the issue and make them make plays or see if they'll help you score.

 

[utisdabomb12]

Mayes in a jam here, we need this win. 

 

[streettopeschel]

Other side of the coin is that the team is struggling to score runs and hit the ball - including Johnson.

You need to force the issue and make them make plays or see if they'll help you score.

never make the first or third out at third.

 

[Matt Cotcher]

T8th

Tinkham, single to LF

Hilliard, single to RF, runner to 2B

Farris, Sac bunt goes 1-3, runners advance to 2B & 3B with 1 out

Troutwine, Mayes just misses the first two, so they issue the intentional to load the bases and look for the force play, 1 out

Arens, F7 for out #2, no advance

Vickers, 3-1 groundie gets Mayes out of trouble!

Going to B8th and looking for insurance, Texas leads 5-4.

 

[Matt Cotcher]

never make the first or third out at third.

Never lose 7 in a row & strike out 76 times in those 7 games.

 

[utisdabomb12]

Huge battle back there by Mayes. Needed that bad. 

 

[utisdabomb12]

Damn ump that ball was above his head. 

 

[utisdabomb12]

Huge game for the Freshman. 

 

[Matt Cotcher]

B8th

Cantu, single through hole into LF - nice bounce back after a dismal night at the plate

Shaw, Sac bunt advances Cantu, 1-3

Clemens, E6 on throw the pulls 1 baseman off bag, runners at 1B & 3B with 1 out

Gurwitz,K swinging after a solid AB with full count and several fouled pitches, 2 outs with runners at corners

Baker, RBI single up the middle scores Cantu, Clemens to 2B, 2 outs

WSU to the pen with Horns up 6-4.

 

[tejasrulz]

A shortstop that can hit! Isn't that illegal? 

 

[streettopeschel]

Never lose 7 in a row & strike out 76 times in those 7 games.

regardless, it wasn't a good play and it wasn't close. It happens.

 

[Matt Cotcher]

B8th cont'd (Reagan Biechler in to pitch for the Shockers)

Marlow, 4-3 for third out

Texas tacks on a run to make a 2-run cushion with WSU coming up in the T9th.

 

[Matt Cotcher]

T9th (Ty Culbreth on for the save)

Burns, 4-3 for out #1

Mucha, K swinging for #2

Kihle, 5-3

Horns win 6-4!

I'm headed down for post-game.

 

[utisdabomb12]

A much needed win for Texas. 

 

[streettopeschel]

Our long national nightmare is over.

 

[Johnstark23]

Our long national nightmare is over.

Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty, we are Free at last!

 

[MikeV73]

Other side of the coin is that the team is struggling to score runs and hit the ball - including Johnson.

You need to force the issue and make them make plays or see if they'll help you score.

Or let Johnson try and single in an insurance run, beats leading off the 8th with nobody on base. That tidbit of coaching wisdom is from my early days as a whiffle ball slugger in my backyard.

 

[joeywa]

Must've been champagne or Shiner in the post game celebration.  Long wait for the recap. 

Nice job Matt.  Appreciate the work from the bullpen tonight.  Just got home-nice evening.  See y'all on Saturday sometime. 

 

[Matt Cotcher]

submitted Today, 12:13 AM in Texas Longhorns Baseball By Matt Cotcher   

 @mlcotcher
 
FINAL: Texas 6 – Wichita State 4

When a team is riding a 7-game losing streak, things don’t come easily – such is baseball. That proved true on Tuesday night, as Wichita State forced Texas to fight for a 6-4 win.

With the streak looming large, Texas scored five runs over the first four innings, striking for a pair of scores in each of the first two frames. Veterans did most of the early damage with Ben Johnson, CJ Hinojosa, Brooks Marlow and Tres Barrera all collecting RBI’s in the first or second inning.

The stars of the night; however, were a pair of freshmen – Joe Baker and Connor Mayes. Baker dazzled defensively, showing tremendous range and a capable arm. The true freshman from McKinney also went 3-4 at the plate with two runs, an RBI, and a walk.

Mayes entered in relief in the top of the sixth inning with the Longhorns clinging to a 5-4 lead and proceeded to throw 2.1 scoreless innings, striking out two Shockers. It wasn’t all smooth sailing for Mayes - he worked out of a bases loaded situation in the top of the eighth frame by getting a crucial flyout and a ground ball to first (where he covered on the play).

Ty Culbreth pitched a clean ninth inning, earning his fourth save of the year. Jake McKenzie, the first arm out of the bullpen, earned his first victory as a Longhorn (1-0), helping Texas improve to 18-15.

POST GAME

Augie Garrido

On the breaking the losing streak: â€œObviously the big thing was the win. It was important to see the team much more relaxed than they have been during this stretch. I think being at home helped. I think the conversations they had among themselves helped each other, they talked about getting back to team baseball and they did that. A lot of guys made a lot of contributions in a lot of different ways, probably none more important than Connor Mayes in the 8th inning but Joe Baker was terrific both offensively and defensively. Brooks Marlow had a good night offensively. The thing I noticed is their pitch selection was much better, they are seeing the ball and swinging at fewer balls because of the count.”

Brooks Marlow

On if Coach Garrido asked the players to take more of a leadership role: â€œYeah, that's what it is. The players are kind of taking over the ship because we are the ones who are playing, coaches can only do so much and its just us guys coming together and having that great energy and feeding off each other and that's what we did tonight.”

On the the locker room’s mentality: â€œHard work, all these guys are hard workers, like Joe coming in a tough spot playing shortstop and C.J. moving to third. Joe is playing so hard right now and he is getting the job done. The next thing is getting behind Parker French Friday night and being ready to go.”

Joe Baker

On breaking the losing streak: â€œDefinitely, I think we really showed what kind of team we are today. The weekends before that, that's not what kind of team we are. I mean, we can win ball games, we can go out and compete and today we showed that.”

On different players making big plays: â€œI think that just kind of shows what kind of team we are, if one guy goes down one guy has got to fill in, that's my job. We just pick each other up, no matter what Coach says where to go we just do our job and get out there and compete.”

On his contribution: â€œIt was good to get out there, but the best part of the day was just getting that win. I mean, we really needed that, the weekends before that haven't been going our way. Finally got that first win out of the way, get that streak ended; it's a good win today.”

On the team’s veteran players: â€œWell, the senior leaders, they were here in the bad season and so they have been there before and they know that you do not want to have your season end early in May. They have been telling us to get out there and compete like we know we can and so tonight we did that and I think it will be good step in the right direction of winning.” 

 

[dillohorn]

UT baseball should never lose 7 in a row.