Texas Longhorns Baseball – Complete Game Leads Texas Over Oklahoma 8-1
(Via University of Texas Athletics Department)
Texas Longhorns Baseball – Nathan Thornhill pitched a complete game and Texas cranked out 15 hits including seven for extra bases, and the No. 7/7 Longhorns completed a series sweep of NR/26 Oklahoma with an 8-1 win Sunday afternoon.
Thornhill allowed just one run on five hits in his third career complete game – accomplishing the feat despite a two-hour rain delay in the middle of the fifth inning. His six strikeouts, meanwhile, were a season high and one shy of his career high.
Consider this: Nathan Thornhill tossed a complete game on just 93 pitches - despite a TWO-hour rain delay in the middle of the game.
— Texas Baseball (@Texas_Baseball) April 14, 2014
For the second straight day every Longhorn in the lineup recorded at least one hit, with Mark Payton leading the way by doubling three times. Zane Gurwitz added a pair of doubles, while Brooks Marlow led off the game with a home run and Tres Barreraand Kacy Clemens had two-hit days.
Texas, which swept Baylor last weekend, completed back-to-back Big 12 series sweeps for the first time since 2010, when it swept five in a row. The Longhorns (29-8, 9-3 Big 12) have won 14 of their last 16 games and extended an impressive streak in Norman, where they have won 10 in a row dating back to 2008.
Texas dominated in every facet Sunday, with Thornhill tossing a complete game on just 93 pitches, the offense cruising and the defense playing error free. The Longhorns turned one double play in the game and got an incredible, full-extension diving catch from Collin Shaw in right-center field in the seventh inning.
Thornhill, meanwhile, improved to 6-0 and saw his ERA move up from 0.73 to 0.78. The senior has allowed just five runs in 58 innings this season, with opponents hitting.168 against him.
Marlow gave Texas a run in the first inning for the third time in the series with his home run to lead off the game, a shot to straightaway center field that was carried by gusting wind.
Oklahoma got its only run in the third, when a RBI single by Hector Lorenzana snapped a streak of 23 1/3 consecutive scoreless innings from Thornhill.
The Longhorns came right back to take the lead the next half inning, scoring three runs to go ahead 4-1. Consecutive singles by Madison Carter andKacy Clemens gave Texas runners on the corners, and a passed ball brought home the first run. Zane Gurwitz followed with a pop-up that Oklahoma second baseman Keach Ballard lost in the wind, resulting in a double to put runners on second and third. Marlow drove in the second run of the inning with a groundout to first base, and the third run came in when Payton reached on a throwing error by Ballard.
The Longhorns hit .310 and scored 25 runs in sweep of Oklahoma. Texas averaging 6.3 runs/game in last 16 games; 13-0 when scoring 6 or more
— Texas Baseball (@Texas_Baseball) April 14, 2014
After the delay, Thornhill returned to the mound and worked a quick 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth inning, and the Longhorns added to their lead in the sixth when Ben Johnson drove in Marlow with a triple down the right field line.
Texas didn't slow down, adding two runs in the eighth on a RBI double from Payton and a RBI single from Barrera, then another in the ninth on a bases loaded fielder's choice from Johnson.
The Longhorns now return home for a 10-game homestand that opens Tuesday at 6 p.m. when UT-Arlington visits UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
Notes
- Texas scored 25 runs and hit .310 as a team in the series. Every Longhorn starter scored at least two runs and six had three or more RBI.
- Texas scored in the first inning in all three games vs. Oklahoma and is 16-1 this season when it does that.
- The Longhorns have won 10 straight against Oklahoma in Norman and lead the all-time series 143-53-2.
- Texas' bullpen pitched 6 1/3 scoreless innings on the weekend as the Longhorns improved to 23-0 when leading after six innings.
- The Longhorns are 13-0 when scoring six runs or more and are averaging 6.3 per game in the last 16 games. In that stretch, Texas is hitting .303 as a team with Barrera (.385), Gurwitz (.373), Carter (.344) and Johnson (.317) leading the way.
- Thornhill picked up his 16th career win and is now the Big 12 active career leader in wins, one ahead of teammate Dillon Peters.
- Mark Payton extended his national-best reached-base streak to 76 games.
- In its last nine Big 12 games (8-1 record), Texas is hitting .311 with a 2.25 ERA. Texas has scored 60 runs in those games and is 12-14 on stolen bases, with Collin Shaw (5-7) leading the way.
- The last time Texas recorded back-to-back Big 12 sweeps was in 2010 (swept five series in a row).
(Via University of Texas Athletics Department)
