Texas wasted no time setting the tone in the Austin Regional opener, rolling past Holy Cross 19-1 on Friday afternoon at UFCU Disch-Falk Field behind a historic performance from freshman Anthony Pack Jr.
Pack delivered a postseason performance that will be remembered in Austin for a long time, going yard three times in three at-bats. He became the first Longhorn in program history to hit three home runs in an NCAA Tournament game and just the ninth player overall to accomplish the feat. His third blast in the fifth inning also marked his 10th home run of the season and pushed his RBI total to 50.
The top-seeded Longhorns (41-13) advance to the winners’ bracket, where they’ll face Tarleton State on Saturday evening.
Texas’ offense was relentless from start to finish, scoring in all eight trips to the plate and piling up 21 hits. The Longhorns matched a program record with six home runs and tied their largest postseason margin of victory, equaling a 20-2 win over Quinnipiac back in 2005.
Pack wasn’t alone in the power surge. Aiden Robbins added two home runs of his own, including a two-run shot in the fifth that gave him 21 on the season—good for one of the top single-season marks in program history. Jayden Duplantier added to the fireworks with a grand slam in the sixth as Texas blew the game wide open.
Perhaps most impressive was the situational hitting. Fourteen of Texas’ 19 runs came with two outs, a sign of just how locked in the lineup was throughout the afternoon.
Seven of the nine starters recorded multiple hits, with Pack, Carson Tinney, Adrian Rodriguez, and Ashton Larson each finishing with three-hit performances.
On the mound, Texas pitching kept Holy Cross quiet all day. Starter Luke Harrison was efficient in four scoreless innings, striking out seven while throwing just 50 pitches. Cody Howard picked up the win in relief with two shutout innings, and the Longhorns held the Crusaders scoreless until the ninth.
Holy Cross starter Jaden Wywoda took the loss after surrendering eight runs on 11 hits over 4 2/3 innings.
Texas now turns its attention to Saturday with a chance to take firm control of the regional when they face Tarleton State at 6:00 pm.
