On Saturday, the Longhorns looked to tip the Red River baseball series in their favor with a second consecutive win over Oklahoma. However, the Sooners were able to wake up their bats late in the seventh inning against Texas relief pitcher Aaron Nixon, who allowed two inherited runners to score after spelling Tristan Steven’s day. Following continued struggles from Texas’s bullpen later in the game, the Longhorns ultimately suffered a 4-2 loss to the Sooners.
Although Texas entered the bottom of the seventh inning with a 1-0 lead, the Sooners had truly been the better team up to that point on Saturday, forcing Longhorns redshirt senior Tristan Stevens to escape several jams. However, Stevens himself had a solid night on the mound, exiting the game with six strikeouts before picking up two earned runs on his tab after Nixon’s entry into the game.
In stark contrast from Steven’s more than serviceable outing, Texas’s batters had a forgettable day at the plate, other than redshirt sophomore catcher Silas Ardoin’s pair of solo home runs. It is worth noting that Ardoin’s second home run sparked some hope for the team in the ninth inning, but two Longhorns were eventually left in scoring position to end the game. On Saturday, the Longhorns struck out 13 times, only amassing a total of six hits, including freshman outfielder’s Ace’s Whitehead’s first collegiate hit.
On Sunday, the Longhorns will look to win the series against Oklahoma with first pitch scheduled for 12 P.M. (CT) in a game which will once again be nationally televised, this time on ESPN.
Game Stats:
- P: Tristan Stevens; L, 6.1 IP, 6Ks, 2 BB, 2 ER
- Catcher: Silas Ardoin; 2-4, 2 HRs, 2 RBI
- P: Aaron Nixon; 2 BB, 2 R, 1 ER
