411 on the Forty: Texas baseball drops 3 of 4, softball climbs to No. 1

By Riley Zayas

Baseball drops three of four
Facing four strong teams, two of which were ranked in the top 15 and one of which is viewed as a Southeastern Conference heavyweight in five days, the Texas baseball team kept all four games close but dropped two of three in the Shriners Hospital for Children Classic and then lost its first home game of the year Tuesday. The round robin tournament, which was played at Minute Maid Park in Houston, featured then-No. 11 LSU, then-No. 6 Arkansas, Missouri as well as the Longhorns.

In the first game Friday evening, Texas [s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level2)](20-3) held LSU to just four runs, as the Horns’ three pitchers stuck out a combined 12 batters. But the Texas bats weren’t popping, as the Longhorns were held to a mere four hits in a 4-3 loss. UT scored a pair of runs in the third, the first of which came one a homer to left by catcher D.J. Petrinsky, to tie it up a 2-2. Petrinksy later drove in the Longhorns’ third and final run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning, which brought shortstop Trey Faltine across the plate.

The Horns bounced back Saturday to defeat Arkansas, 8-7. The biggest inning of the game came in the second, when Texas went on a six-run tear to take an 8-0 lead and knock Arkansas starter Patrick Winlander out of the game. After putting up two in the first, right fielder Douglas Hodo III got a hit right up the middle, scoring Petrinksy from third. When Austin Todd followed reached on a fielder’s choice, catcher Silas Android, whose bat has come alive as of late, raced home from third. Next it was Hodo crossing the plate on an Eric Kennedy sac fly to put Texas up, 5-0. First baseman Zach Zubia showed his power for the first time this season, swatting a two-run homer in the next at-bat. To cap it all off, freshman third baseman Cam Williams crossed the plate on a throwing error to give Texas what would prove to be an insurmountable lead.

Texas starter Ty Madden picked up his third win of the season, lasting six innings, and firing seven strikeouts while giving up three runs.

Texas dropped its second game in three days to Missouri, 9-8. In fact, each of their three games over the weekend were decided by a single run before Tuesday’s the two-run margin in Tuesday’s loss to Arizona.

The two teams combined for 23 hits — Texas had 10, Missouri had 13 — but the difference in the game was the five UT errors and the Longhorns’ lack of cluch hitting. After Todd singled up the middle for a single, bringing Andre Duplantier home and sending Hodo to third, Texas was trailing, 9-8, but senior center fielder Duke Ellis struck out swinging to end the game, and result in Texas’ second loss in Houston.

Tuesday night’s home duel against Arizona kicked off a nine-game homestand, and featured perhaps the Longhorns’ most challenging non-conference opponent. Arizona pulled away early and handed the Horns their first home loss of the season, 8-6. Texas starter Owen Meaney was knocked out of the game after facing just five batters in the first and giving up a run. Trailing, 8-2, Texas started a rally in the seventh, scoring four runs to cut into the six-run deficit. Williams brought in two runs on a single to right and then crossed the plate one at-bat later when Kennedy singled to right field. It was not enough, though, as UT’s 11 hits could not overcome the four hits and eight walks given up by the pitchers early.

Up next, Texas hosts Cal State Fullerton in a three-game series this weekend.

Horns Illustrated Game Ball: For his six hits and six RBI in the past three ballgames, Zubia earns this week’s game ball. One of those six hits was a key homer in the win over Arkansas, and he had multi-hit games against both Arkansas and Arizona.

Softball goes 3-1 at Judi Garman Classic, climbs to No. 1
Coming off a huge road win at No. 1 UCLA and then a neutral-site win over No. 2 Washington, the Texas softball team was rewarded with the No. 1 ranking in the latest Softball America Poll, which was released Tuesday.

After knocking off the Bruins Thursday, the Longhorns came back the next day to take down Washington, 8-6

During that four-game, round-robin classic, the Horns took down No. 2 Washington, 8-6, before losing to Fresno State, 4-3 and then rallying to top No. 11 Michigan, 1-0. Texas took down the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country on back-to-back nights, a demonstration of how dangerous this squad could be, come NCAA Tournament time.

Texas beat Washington thanks to a five-run first inning and the pitching of Courtney Day. Janae Jefferson started the big first inning by crossing the plate on a wild pitch to put Texas up, 1-0, early. Third baseman Mary Iakopo singled to put runners in scoring position as Lauren Burke scored, and first baseman Coleen Sullivan drew a walk two at-bats later to load the bases. Two of the three runners ending the inning with Texas in complete control, up 5-0. From the time the Huskies’ first batter stepped to the plate until the last one was retired, Shealyn O’Leary, Day and Miranda Elish kept Washington in check from the circle, allowing just two runs for the remainder of the ballgame after the Huskies put up four in the second.

Saturday’s first game gave way to UT’s first loss at the classic, a 4-3 setback against Fresno State. The Bulldogs ended a seventh inning rally by Texas that was started on a homer by Day, and escaped with a victory.

The Longhorns bounced back Saturday afternoon with their win over Michigan. As can be gathered from the final score, it was a pitcher’s duel all game, with both starters firing complete games. O’Leary started for the Horns on her way to a 5-0 record this season in the circle, striking out six batters and allowing just four hits.

In the finale on Sunday morning, the squad followed the baseball team’s winning ways against Boise State, defeating the Broncos in a 6-2 win. Burke’s double in the third brought home Jefferson to give the Horns the early lead, and Texas never looked back. They followed up a two-run Boise State fourth by scoring three of their own in the bottom half of that inning to hold the lead for good. Then in the fifth, Day and Iakopo both were responsible for runs being scored, as Day hit a sac fly to right, and Iakopo grounded out, but allowed Burke to score in the process.

The Longhorns will try to defend their high ranking when they return the Forty for the Longhorn Invitational, which will feature Liberty, New Mexico and Texas Southern. UT’s first opponent will be Liberty, at 4 p.m. Friday.

Horns Illustrated Game Ball: As a result of her consistency at the plate and flawless fielding, Lauren Burke has earned this week’s game ball. The Euguene, Oregon native had three multi-hit games over the week, including three against Washington. She also had 13 putouts over five games. Final batting stats for the week; eight hits, four runs, six RBI.

No. 6 women’s tennis earns a critical win heading into Big 12 action
Ranked No. 6 in the country, the No. 6 women’s tennis team beat No. 15 Michigan at home, 4-2, Tuesday. Marta Perez Mur earned a three-set win over Michigan’s Bella Lorenzini, while Anna and Bianca Turati once again teamed up to win in doubles action to pick up the critical doubles point for the Horns.

The Longhorns kick off Big 12 play Friday in Austin against the West Virginia Mountaineers.
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