By Joey Barrett
In the final Big 12 series between two central Texas rivals, the Texas Longhorns responded in big time fashion, as they took the series over the Baylor Bears. Here’s a recap of everything that went down this weekend at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
Game 1 (Friday): Bears 4 Longhorns 3 (11)
In a game that began as a back-and-forth pitchers' duel, the Bears ended up on top in a 4-3 11-inning ballgame Friday night.
Texas started the scoring in the first inning when Kimble Schuessler, while grounding into a double play, drove in Jared Thomas to make it 1-0, Longhorns. Baylor then tied things up in the second, on a Will Pendergrass double that drove in Daniel Altman, only for Texas to regain the lead in the third on an RBI single by Schuessler.
After the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings passed without either team scoring a run, Baylor took their first lead of the game in the seventh, after a Harrison Caley double scored Tyriq Kemp and a Mason Greer single drove in Caley to make it 4-3, Bears. Texas then tied the game at three in the eighth, after Max Belyeu scored Peyton Powell, despite grounding into an unorthodox 3-6-1 double play.
The game went to extras after a ninth inning where both teams went three up/three down, which also happened in the tenth as well. In the eleventh, Altman put the Bears ahead on an RBI double to make it 4-3 Baylor, which ultimately became the final score after Texas failed to respond in the bottom half.
At the plate, Baylor was led by Jordan Wesley, who had three hits. Altman and Caley had two hits apiece while Greer, Pendergrass, Ty Johnson, and Chase Womack each had a hit of their own. For Texas, Schuessler and Powell each had two hits while Thomas, Jalin Flores, and Dee Kennedy had a hit apiece.
Both starters ended up getting no decisions despite throwing quality starts, with Mason Marriott going six innings for Baylor, while Lebarron Johnson, Jr. went seven for Texas. Ethan Calder got the win for the Bears after throwing four shutout innings in relief, while Gage Boehm took the loss for the Longhorns.
Game 2 (Saturday): Longhorns 10 Bears 2
On Saturday, the Longhorns rode a a complete game by starter Ace Whitehead and big day at the plate by Thomas en route to a 10-2 victory to even up the series.
In the first inning, Texas put up a four spot after an RBI single by Belyeu and a three-run homer by Will Gasparino. The Bears got on the board in the top of the second on a sac fly by Altman that drove in Wesley, but the Longhorns got that run back in the bottom half on Thomas’ first of two home runs on the day, a solo shot, to make the lead 5-1 Texas after two innings.
Baylor would again narrow the deficit to 5-2 in the third on an RBI single by Hunter Teplanszky, but the Longhorns would do all the scoring from there on out, putting a run up in the fourth on an RBI single by Thomas, and a run in the sixth on a Dee Kennedy double that scored Rylan Galvan to increase the Texas lead to 7-2.
In the eighth, Galvan would hit a home run of his own and Thomas hit his second on the day to make it 10-2 Texas, which ultimately became the final score.
Thomas had four hits and drove in four runs on the day, while Belyeu and Galvan had multiple hits (three and two respectively) for Texas. Teplanszky and Johnson had two hits each for Baylor while Jordan and Enzo Apodaca each had a hit, with both being doubles.
Whitehead started and went the distance for the Longhorns where he threw 119 pitches and, in the process, struck out five batters. Collin McKinney started the game for the Bears and took the loss after throwing 2.2 innings.
Game 3 (Sunday): Longhorns 11 Bears 1 (8)
Belyeu’s three home run game led an offensive onslaught by the Longhorns as Texas completed the series win with a dominant run rule 11-1 victory over the Bears on Sunday.
Like on Saturday, the Longhorns opened the scoring in a big way in the first as Powell drove in Thomas and later scored on a wild pitch. Later in the inning, Schuessler hit a two-run homer while Belyeu followed up with a solo shot of his own to complete the Longhorns’ five spot in the first. Belyeu would later homer again in the fourth to make it 5-0 Texas.
In the seventh, Baylor scored their only run of the game by way of a single by Altman that scored Apodaca to cut the deficit to 5-1. The Longhorns would then solidify the run rule victory in the eighth thanks to Belyeu’s third home run of the game, a grand slam at that, and a groundout by Jack O’Dowd that drove in Galvan to end the game.
Schuessler, Thomas, Flores, and Brown each had two hits on the day for Texas along with Belyeu’s three big hits. Baylor logged five hits with Altman being the only Bear recording two hits.
Max Grubbs got the start for the Longhorns and got the win after only giving up one run in seven innings. Mason Green started and got the loss for the Bears. Texas improves to 15-9 overall and 4-2 in Big 12 play, while Baylor drops to 8-13 and 3-6 in Big 12.
What’s Next?
Texas finishes up their ten game homestand as they face the Islanders of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday night in a battle between yours truly’s two alma maters before heading to Manhattan to face Kansas State for a three-game set beginning on Thursday night. Baylor begins a homestand of their own on Tuesday night as they face UTSA and then host Cincinnati for a three-game series that also begins on Thursday.
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