Cal vs Texas Game 1

Texas returns back home after the extra inning win over Texas State, to face the California #12 Bears in another four game set against a PAC 12 team.

The Bears are 5-3 on the year, losing two out of three to Duke on the road and a home game to Michigan. They lost a doubleheader at Duke that started at 8 am., kind of strange for a starting time.

The Bears have dominant pitcher in Daulton Jefferies, who will start on Friday.

The game is on LHN and audio on texassports.com.

Line-ups coming.

 

Cal line-up:

Aaron Knapp-----CF
Mitchell Kranson-3B
Devin Pearson----DH
Brenden Farney---1B
Brett Cumberland--C
Nick Halamandaris-LF
Brian Celsi----------RF
Robbie Tenerowicz-2B
Preston Gran Pre---SS
Jeff Bain--------------P

Texas starters:

 

Freshman right hander Nolan Kingham, will get the start for Texas in the opener of the series. He has done well in his early season outings so far for the Horns.

Looks like another nice night for baseball at the Disch, for the first of four games against the Cal Bears.

Kingham is through warming up and gets the sign to begin play.

Leading off for the Bears is Aaron Knap, the centerfielder, he bats from the left side.
A ground ball to first and Clemens takes it to the bag, for the 3U first out.

Third baseman Mitchell Kranson bats also lefty, with one away.
He lines a high fast ball through the box, for a single and the first runner of the game.

Devin Pearson, the first righty hitter, the DH, with one on and one out.
A sharp one hopper off Kingham goes to Clemens and another 3U is two outs, the runner second.
Kingham is shaken up and is being looked at.
He takes some pitches to see if he can continue and says he can.

The first baseman is Brenden Farney, batting lefty, two down and a man on.
A ground ball that Boswell has goes 6-3 to retire the side.

Cal makes some noise, but doesn't do any damage score wise, but Kingham may be hurt and may tighten up between innning.
Texas to bat for the first time.

 

Jeff Bain, a big righty gets the start for Cal, who is a regular starter.

Zane Gurwitz, as he usually does leads off batting righty, playing in centerfield.
Chopper to short and the 6-3 is a lead out.

Joe Baker will move up to the two slot tonight, playing second, one down.
He lines a single to right, then rounds the bag and slips down and the throw from right goes behind him at first, the 9-3 play is a second out.

So Bret Boswell will bat lefty, the shorstop, with two down.
He swings through a head high fast ball and K's to retire the side.

Both teams with a hit in the first, but no runs scored, after one.

 

Kingham will come back for the second inning after being struck on the leg with a hard hit one hopper, in the first. Hopefully he is ok.

The Cal catcher is lefty hitting, but a switch hitter, in Brett Cumberland.
He grounds one through the right side of the infied, for a lead single.

Lefty hitter Nick Halamandaris play left field, with one on.
He flies to center and it's one down.

Another lefty hitter is the Cal right fielder Brian Celsi, with one out and one on.
The count runs full and he walks to put two on.

Robbie Tenerowicz bats righty, with two on and one down, he plays at second base.
A taylor made DP grounder to short goes 6-4-3, relay had to dug by Clemens, to retire the side.

Bottom of two and 0-0.

 

Bain retakes the hill for Cal in the second.

Tres Barrera leads off batting from the right side, tonight he is catching for the Horns.
A line shot on one hop goes to right for a lead single.

Michael Cantu bats righty, with one on.
He squares and he lays the bunt down, the sac goes 3-4.

One on and one down for the lefty hitter, Ben Kennedy, he's in left field tonight.
A ground ball to first and the 3U is two gone and Barrera to third.

Kody Clemens bast lefty and plays third, with a man at third and two gone.
It takes a hit to put the Horns ahead or a Cal miscue.
A ground ball up the middle doesn have enough steam to get through, the 6-3 out will retire the side.

Runner stranded and after two play, no runs to discuss.

 

Kingham continues on, as the Cal third starts.

The shortstop Preston Grand Pre (zoom zoom) leads off for the Bears, batting in the righty side of the box.
A ground ball sneaks through the middle of the infield and it's another lead hit.

Top of the order is Knapp batting lefty, with one man on.
He slap a little liner that gets by Boswell, who was shaded up the middle, the single puts two on.

Kranson bats lefty, with two on.
Skip comes out to talk to Kingham and set the defense, as theird seemed to be some confusion.
He lays the bunt down and it goes 1-4, a good sac/.

Pearson bats righty, with runners on second and third, with one down.
Infield back, so a ground ball will score a run.
He grounds a single through the left side and it scores the first run of the game.

Cal leads 1-0.

Runners on the corners for lefty hitting Farney, with one out.
A high fast ball is grounded through on the right side, it plates another run.

Cal leads 2-0.

Lefty hitter is Cumberland with still two on and one gone.
Kingham struggling with his command of the breaking ball.
So they are sitting on his fast ball.
This time a fast ball is liner on one hop to Boswell and another 6-4-3 will end the inning, second DP for Texas.

Cal get on the board first and leads 2-0, bottom of the third.

 

Bain will pitch for the first time, with a lead, as the Texas third begins.

Kacy Clemens leads off batting lefty and playing first base.
Another high fast ball and another K swinging is one down.

Jake McKenzie bats righty in the nine hole, with one out, playing in right field.
A ground ball to second is a quick 4-3, second out.

Top of the order is Gurwitz batting righty, two gone.
A ground ball to short and the 6-3 retires the side in order.

Three played and Cal leads 2-0.

 

Kingham still out there as the fourth starts. Looking for his curve ball.

Leading off for the Bears is Halamandaris batting lefty.
A ground ball to first is another 3U, one away.

Celsi bats lefty, with one down.
The count runs full and he just serves a little grounder through on the left side for a single.
These Cal guys look good at the plate.

Tenerowicz bats righty with one ond and one down.
He lines a single to lefty, to put two on.

Grand Pre bats righty with two on and one down.
He bunts and Kingham has it and the 1-3 is two away.
They give him a sac on the bunt, it looked like he was bunting for a hit.

Knapp bats lefty and with two on in scoring position and two down.
Big at bat for Kingham and the Horns here.
The leadoff hitter for Cal is set down on a big change, he takes it for the K, that retires the side, it keeps Texas and most likely Kingham in the game.

Bottom of four and Cal ahead 2-0.

 

Bain remains on for the Horn fourth, he has given up only a couple of singles.

Baker leads off batting righty for Texas.
He rips a high fast ball down the line in left and this time he manages to stay upright, with a stand up double. He's 2-2.

Boswell bats lefty, with a man on second.
A ground ball to first and the 3U, is one away, as Baker goes to third. Productive at bat.

Barrera bats righty, man on third, one down.
Infield back, need contact to score the run, at least.
The count runs full and a one hopper to third, Baker goes and is out at home by ten feet. The 5-2 play is the second out, going on contact I guess, but he had no chance there.

Cantu bats with one on and now two outs.
A high fly ball to center will end the threat.

Texas gets a man to third and one out, but doesn't score.
Cal still in the lead 2-0, after playing four complete.

 

SMH...Don't have much of a chance when your best hitter can't run the bases.

 

Kingham is gone and he did pretty well considering he had only one pitch really and took a shot off the knee.

He gives way to lefty Jon Malmin, another lefty, who has worked a lot this season. Cal has many lefty hitters in the line-up, so he comes in

Leading off is one of those lefties in Kranson.
He sends the ninth single of the game for Cal up the middle, for a lead runner.

Pearson bats righty, with a man on.
A wild pitch in the dirt and by Barrera sends the runner to second.
The count goes full and the pitch hits the batter, who had his elbow very close to the strike zone. It's ruled it wasn't and the HBP will put two on. He leaned straight in on that pitch.

Farney bats lefty with two men on.
He squares and takes a strike, does it again and takes what should have been called another strike.
Then he lays down the bunt and the sac goes 5-3.

Cumberland a switch hitter bats now righty, against Malmin, one down and two on.
Infield comes in.
He grounds a ball by the drawn in infield to center and it scores two.

Cal leads 4-0.

A pinch hitter is Dennis Karas batting right handed, with one on, two in, and one out.
He slaps a grounder by a diving Clemens and the single will put runners on the corners.

Skip out and Malmin is done, pitching change.
​

 

Another lefy hurler for Texas is senior Travis Duke.

He faces lefty hitter Celsi, with runners on the corners and one down, trying to keep the Bears from blowing the game wide open.
One pitch is a grounder to short and the third 6-4-3 DP gets Texas out of the jam.

Damage done and the second time Cal scores two in an inning and now lead 4-0, halfway through this opening game.

 

Bain with even more runs to work with, tries to qualify for the win, as the Texas fifth begins. Jeffery Mitchell goes to right field for Cal

Kennedy leads off for the Horns, batting lefty.
A ground ball to short goes 4-3, one away.

Kody Clemens bats lefty, one down.
The count goes full and ball four is swung on and missed on another high fast ball, it's two down.

Kacy Clemens bats lefty, two gone.
He ground to second and the 4-3 retires the side in order.

Five played and Cal in command 4-0.

 

Duke stays in to pitch the sixth.

Cal leads off with Tenerowicz, batting righty.
He works the count full and a fast ball foul tipped into Barrera's mitt is a swinging K.

One down and Grand Pre bats righty at the bottom of the order, with an out.
The lates of several grounders to first goes 3U, two down.

Knapp brings the top of the order again for Cal batting lefty, two down.
A liner goes right to Boswell and that retires the side for the first time in order.

Duke looks solid so far, but it will take some offense for Texas to get back in this one.

Cal leads 4-0, bottom of six.

 

Bain keeps throwing for Cal in the Texas sixth.

The Horns lead off with the nine hole hitter McKenzie, batting righty.
He works the count full and then swings right through a fast ball, another K, one out.

Top of the order and it's Gurwitz, batting righty, one down.
Ground ball to short and the 6-3 is two away.

Baker bats righty with two down, he's 2-2, but had an adventure on the base paths tonight.
Yet another full count and a ground ball to short is a 6-3 that means nine straight batters down for Bain.

Texas goes in order again and it's still Cal 4-0, six in the books.

 

Thanks NBhorn your great as usual.Just wish this team could hit.

 

Maybe we should have tried that 8 am start thing, too...

 

Sophomore Eric Dunbar comes in for Duke, saving his arm for later action in the series. Dunbar is a right hander.

Kranson leads off for the Bears batting lefty.
He sends a soft liner to left that's an easy one down, for Kennedy.

Pearson bats righty, with one away.
He is plunked by a fast ball to put a runner on.

Farney bats righty, with one on and one down.
A grounder to second and the 4-6-3 DP, the fourth tonight for Texas ends the inning.

Stretch time in Austin and the fans hope for some offense, as Cal leads 4-0.

 

Bain stays in, having kept the Horns at bay all night mostly, for the seventh.

Leading off for Texas is lefty hitting Boswell.
He K's swinging on the breaking pitch, one out.

Barrera bats righty, he and Baker have all the hits for Texas, his a single.
He bats with one away and walks on a high and away heater, to end the long streak of outs for Bain.

Cantu bats righty with one on and one down.
Another full count and Bain is looking to be finally running out of gas.
Another walk may it look even more that way, it puts two on.

Coach is out and that is all for Bain, he was good, but he is done.

Pitching change.

 

Right hander Keaton Siomkin comes in for the Bears, maybe this is the weak spot for Cal.

He faces the left handed hitting Kennnedy, with two on and one down.
A ground ball to second and the second baseman tries to tag Cantu, misses and the throw to first is late. He had a chance for the DP if he goes to second, it's a FC.

Big chance for Texas now.
The base loaded for lefty hitting Kody Clemens, the bases loaded and one down.
This time a ground ball goes to third and without any hesitation the play goes 5-4-3 for a DP that ends the inning.

Cal gave Texas a chance with the bad fielding play, but then they get it right and the Horns still aren't on the scoreboard, that was a killer.

Cal leads still 4-0, after seven.

 

Dunbar still pitches for the Horns in the eighth.

Cumberland the switch hitter, leads off batting now lefty again.
A little pop in front of the second base bag is caught by Baker, one away.

Jeffery Mitchell bats right, in his first appearance after going into lefty field, one away.
He grouns behind the bag at first and Clemens backhands it and feeds Dunbar for a nice 3-1 play, two gone.

Celsi bat righty with two down.
A liner to left right at Kennedy is the third out to retire the side in order.

The bottom of the eighth comes and Cal ahead 4-0.

 

Siomkin will remain on the bump for Cal in the eighth.

Kacy Clemens leads off batting lefty, for the Horns.
A hanging curve ball is torpedoed to right and it glances off the foul/fair pole I think, for a homer. It was that close, I think it just nicked it.

Cal leads 4-1

The shutout is gone and makes that last inning look even more important now.

McKenzie bats righty, at the bottom of the order.
He K's looking on the curve ball and it's one down.

Gurwitz back up, in the leadoff spot, one down.
He's hitless on the night and he stays that way by swining on a pitch at his shoetops, two away.

Baker bats righty with two down.
A ground ball to second and the 4-3 retires the side.

Clemens breaks up the shutout, then Texas goes down, it's Cal leading 4-1, to the ninth.

 

Dunbar will try to pitch the ninth and save arms for Texas.

Leading off for Cal is Tenerowicz, batting righty, in the eight hole.
A one hopper back to Dunbar goes 1-3, one down.

Nine hole hitter Grand Pre bats righty, one out.
He K's swinging on the slow change, two gone.

Knapp bats lefty, at the top of the Cal order, with two gone.
A fly ball to center and the side is down in order.

Dunbar has a nice outing, but Texas needs at least three in the bottom of the ninth to keep the game going. Cal leads 4-1.

 

Dominated...

 

New pitcher for Cal, Erik Martinez, looks to close out the game and get a save, as the Texas ninth comes.

Boswell will lead off for Texas, batting lefty, the heart of the Horn order is due.
He K's, swinging through a fast ball and it's one down.
Texas still striking out at high rate.

Barrera bats righty, with one gone.
Ditto for Tres, on the heater, the K is two down.

Cantu tries to keep the game alive, batting righty, two away.
He tries to at least put a ball in play against Martinez.
He does both by lining a single up the middle, for a two out runner.
Tate Shaw in to run for Cantu.

Kennedy tries to keep things going, batting lefty with two gone and one on.
A ground ball to second and the 4-3 ends the game.

Cal wins the opening game 4-1.

Need a break, back in a bit.

 

It's like Ground Hog Day, the movie.

 

Cal can hit and if you don't put them off balance with some good breaking pitches, they will wear you out.

Kingham didn't have command of his curve ball and Cal took advantage. To his credit the freshman battled and though he gave up several hits, he hung in there and kept the game close.

Malmin gave up a couple of more, but Duke and Dunbar shut down Cal the rest of the way.

Texas had a couple of chances to get back in the game, but didn't.
The one that will haunt them is when Bain finally tired and walked two hitters, then a mental mistake by Cal loads the bases.
But a first pitch double play ball ended that threat and any real chance for the Horns to get back in the contest.

Kacy Clemens did break up the shutout, with a blow just nicking the foul pole in right, but that was the only offense for Texas.

Cal had eleven singles in the game, no extra base hit, but that was plenty. They take good at bats and show a lot of discipline at the plate. They have a lot of seniors in the starting line-up and it shows.

The bad news is that Cal has one of the best pitchers in the country going tomorrow night in Daulton Jefferies. There will be plenty of big league scouts on hand.

Texas will have to try and find some offense against him, if they are to even the series.

 

You win very few games in which your offense can score only one run.

 

Yeah, it's frustrating to make contact only to have it go right to a defensive player.

If you measure by hits, the team averages .257. If you measure by quality-at-bats, the team is hitting .425. As Augie says, "Games are won with runs - not hits." A line drive right at the third baseman is an out. A line drive just 5 ft to the left of him is a double. That five feet has been a big difference. Both are a QAB.

Regarding last night's game, he said there were too many swing-and-misses. Got to cut those down and get QAB's. He used Zane Gurwitz as an example. Zane went 0-4 with 3 hard ground outs to SS (QAB's) and a strike out swinging. Therefore he had a good game. Those ground balls will eventually start finding the holes.

Now let's go make Mr. Jefferies' draft stock go down.