Horns Baseball strikes early, rolls by Incarnate Word 7-1

By Steve Habel/Senior Editor

AUSTIN – Tres Barrera had two hits including a long solo homer and reached base for the 17^th consecutive game as the 16^th-ranked Longhorns struck early and rolled to 7-1 victory over Incarnate Word on Tuesday at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

Ben Johnson, Bret Boswell and Michael Cantu also had two hits apiece as the Longhorns (11-6) won for the third straight outing and remained perfect (3-0) in midweek games this season.

Texas used six pitchers (Tyler Schimpf, Jon Malmin, Will McKenzie, Travis Duke Andy McGuire and Ty Marlow) and [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)]allowed two runs or less for the eighth time in 17 games this season. The Longhorns gave up just one extra-base hit and missed a fourth shutout of the year when Incarnate Word (7-10) scored with two out in the ninth.

Barrera, Texas’ second-leading hitter at .350, has been on base at least once in every game this season.

Texas was ultra-aggressive at the plate in the first inning as the first two batters, Johnson and Collin Shaw, swung at the first pitch they saw and recorded hits. Johnson legged out a slow bouncer to third base that was thrown into right field for a two-base error and scored from third when Shaw doubled down the right field line for a 1-0 Longhorns lead.

“I am just trying to do all I can to make things happen at the leadoff spot,” said Johnson, who’s first at-bat single gave him six straight hits dating back to the final game of the Stanford series and leads UT with a .440 batting average. “Most of my hits have come early in the count and I’m looking for a particular pitch and I’m pretty locked in.”

The Horns added a run in the second as Bret Boswell doubled and scored on a safety squeeze by Zane Gurwitz.

Texas then pushed across three runs in the third, all with two outs, as a two-run double by Boswell plated Brooks Marlow and Barrera and a Cantu single brought home Boswell.

Barrera and Marlow contributed more fireworks in the seventh as they hit back-to-back solo home runs. It was the fourth of the year for Barrera and second for Marlow. It was the first time since May 9, 2010 at Kansas State that Texas hit back-to-back home runs in a game.

“Five of our runs tonight came with two outs and that means we are being productive when we really need to be,” Texas coach Augie Garrido said. “I like the fact that we are swinging at the pitches we need to be swinging at and not at the bad ones – as we continue to get better we will be even more disciplined at the plate.”

The Longhorns return to action Friday when they open Big 12 Conference play against West Virginia in the first of a three-game series at Disch-Falk Field.

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