Well game two has had the wind knocked out of it with the results of the first game. Still it has to be played, so here we are. It's still Texas baseball and we are still going to talk about and do the games. Line-ups next:
Kyle Johnston gets the start for Texas, the righty with command problems, at times, but excellent stuff. Leading off for Kansas is the righty hitting Joe Moroney, playing right field. A ground ball to second and the 4-3, is one away. Third baseman is Ryan Pidhaichuk, batting lefty, with an out. He K's swinging through the heater, two outs. Matt McLaughlin will bat righty, with two gone, the shortstop. Grounder to short and the 6-3 retires the side in order. Kansas down in order and the Horns come up for their first swings.
Kansas starts Blake Wieman, a lefty with a record of 1-3. Leading off for Texas is Travis Jones, the left fielder. He drives one deep to left center and over the centerfieder, for a lead double. Joe Baker, gets a start at shortstop, he bats righty, with a man on second. He takes a fast ball over the inside corner, the K is one out. The catcher is Tres Barrera, batting righty, with one on and one away. A liner goes down the third base line, for another double, the run scores. Texas leads 1-0. Kacy Clemens bats lefty, with one on and one away. A full count reached and he walks on a high fast ball, two on. Righty hitter is second baseman Zane Gurwitz, batting righty, with two on and one away. A long fly ball to left center and it's gone, a three run homer. Texas leads 4-0. Kody Clemens bats lefty, with one away, he plays short. He takes a fast ball for a called strike three, the K is two down. Cantu, the DH bats righty, with two gone. A full count and he walks, for a runner. Pitching coach out, but leaves him in. Right fielder is Patrick Mathis, batting lefty, with a man on and two away. He K's swinging to end the frame, Wieman strikes out the side, but allows four runs, the homer the big blow, by Gurwitz. Texas leads 4-0, after an inning.
Johnston pitches the second with the lead, for the Horns. Michael Tinsley, the Kansas catcher, leads off, batting lefty. Colbey Wright, the second baseman bats righty, with an out. He is hit by a pitch, for a runner. Devin Foyle, a lefty hitter, plays left field, with one on and an out. Runner goes and he is nailed at second, for two down, the play goes 2-6. A full count and a fly ball to right will end the inning. Bottom of two and Texas leads 4-0.
Weiman back for the second, after being roughed up in the first. Texas leads off with righty hitting Rand, the centerfielder, at the bottom of the order. A fly ball to right center is one away. Top of the order is Jones, batting righty, with an out. He doubled his first trip. A full count worked and he K's swinging through a fast ball, two down. Baker bats righty, with two outs. A fly ball to left center and the left fielder just drops it. The E-7 puts him on second. Barrera bats righty, with two outs and a man on. A full count and he walks to put two aboard. Kacy Clemens bats lefty, with two on and two outs. Another full count and the runners go and a ground ball goes through the left side, for a single, another run scores. Texas leads 5-0. Righty hitter is Gurwitz, with two on and two outs. A ground ball to first goes 3U, the inning over./ Texas gets an unearned run and leads 5-0, after two.
Johnston back for his third inning of work. Kansas leads with their centerfielder, Joven Afenir, batting lefty. Two hopper to short goes 6-3, for one down. Righty hitter is first baseman Marcus Wheeler, with an out. He walks for a runner. T.J. Martin is the DH, batting righty, with a man on and one out. He swings through a curve and the K is two outs. Righty hitter is Moroney, the top of the order, with two gone and one on. A full count and the runner is off, a fly ball to center will end the frame. Bottom of three and Texas ahead 5-0.
Weiman will pitch the third for the Jayhawks. The Longhorns lead off with Kody Clemens, batting lefty. A high pop by the plate and four Jayhawks go for it and finally the pitcher reaches out at the last moment and makes the grab, one down, not how it was supposed to go, but an out. Cantu bats righty, with one away. A high drive to left center and it's two down. Lefty hitting Mathis bats, with two gone. A squibber on the right side and the first baseman has it and jumps and kind of flips the ball toward first, but nobody there, it goes as an infield hit. Rand bats righty, with a man on and two gone. A liner to right is a single that puts two on. Top of the order is Jones batting righty, with two aboard. A ground ball goes into left field, the single scores yet another run. Texas leads 6-0. Coach out and he leaves him in. Baker bats righty with two on and and two outs. He K's again, this time swinging, to end the inning. Horns add one more and lead 6-0, after three played.
Johnston comes out for the fourth, for the Horns. Jayhawks send Pidhaichuk up to lead off, batting lefty. He walks, for a lead runner. Righty hitter is McLaughlin, with a man on. A 2-1 count brings a visit by Skip, to maybe talk about mechanics or just say challenge the batters, with a 6-0 lead. A fly ball to center is one away. Tinsley bats lefty, with a man aboard and one gone. A fly ball to center and Rand lost the ball, it goes over his head, ruled a double, the first hit for Kansas, but could haved been caught. Wright bats righty, with two on and one away. A shallow fly ball to ceneter is two outs, runners hold. Foyle bats lefty, with two on and two outs. A full count and is little roller to second and charged by Gurwitz and the 4-3 will retire the side. Johnston escapes the jama and Texas still leads 6-0, bottom of four.
Kansas brings in a right hander in Tyler Davis, to pitch the Horn fourth. Barrera leads off for the Horns, batting righty. He deposits a fast ball over the second fence behind the left field fence, for a long homer. Texas leads 7-0. Kacy Clemens bats lefty, with a run in. A high pop down the left field line and two Jayhawks collide, but the shortstop still makes the catch, one down. Righty hitter is Gurwitz, with one out. He has a homer tonight. He K's swinging over a slow change, for two gone. Kody Clemens bats lefty, with two down. A liner to the gap in left center and it's a double. Cantu bats righty, with a man on second and two outs. A wild pitch sends the runner to third. A fly ball to right and that ends the frame. Barrera with the long homer adds one more and Texas leads 7-0, after four.
Johnston pitches the fifth, looking for a win, by becoming the pitcher of record. Leading off for Kansas is Afenir, batting lefty. He walks, for a lead runner. Wheeler bats righty, with a man on. He takes a fast ball on the outside corner, for K, one away. DH is Martin, batting righty, with one out and one one. A fly ball to right is two outs. Moroney bats righty, the top of the order again, two down, one on. Another fast ball on the outside corner, again taken, the K will end the frame. Halfway through game two of the DH and Texas leads 7-0.
Davis will stay on and pitch the fifth, for Kansas. Tommy Mirabelli comes in to play third, for the Jayhawks. Mathis leads off batting lefty, for Texas. A fly ball to center is one away. Rand bats righty, with an out. He takes a called strike three, on a fast ball, two outs. Top of the order is Jones, batting righty, two down. A liner to right is a single, his third hit of the game. Baker bats righy, with two gone and one on. He swings through a fast ball, to end the inning. After five Texas leads 7-0.
Pidhaichuk leads off batting lefty. He walks, for a runner. McLaughlin bats righty, with a man on. A grounder to second goes 4-6-3, a double play. Tinsley bats lefty, with two outs. He singles to center. Wright up righty, with one on and one out. He lines a single to center and the throw to third is high and the runner goes to second, on the E-7. Foyle up lefty, two on and two down. He doubles to right center and two runs scores. Texas leads 7-2. That's all for Johnston, pitched pretty well though.
Travis Duke pitches again in this second game, the senior lefty, for Texas. Afenir bats lefty against him, with a man on and two outsl He K's looking at a fast ball, on the inside corner, to end the frame. Kansas gets on the board, but Texas leads 7-2, bottom of six.
Davis still around for the sixth, for Kansas. Barrera leads off for Texas, batting righty. He homered his last at bat. A foul pop behind the plate and the catcher has for the first out. Kacy Clemens bats lefty, with an out. A full count and grounder to second goes 4-3, for the second out. Righty hitting Gurwitz up batting righty, with two gone. He singles up the middle, for a runner. Kody Clemens bats lefty, with one on and two outs. He grounds to short and the 6-3 will end the inning. Texas leads 7-2, after six.
Duke stays in to pitch the seventh, for the Horns. Kansas leads off with Tommy Mirabelli, who came in to play third base. He bats lefty and ground ball to Baker goes 6-3, for one down. Righty hitter is Martin, the DH, with an out. The nine hole hitter works a full count and another grounder to short goes 6-3, as Clemens digs out the low throw, two gone. Top of the order is again Moroney, batting righty. A liner goes over Clemens and down the right field line, for a double. Pidaichuk will bat lefty, with a man on and two outs. A full count and a fly ball to left will end the frame. Stretch time in the second game of two, Texas leads 7-2.
Davis stays on the hill, for Kansas, in the seventh. Texas sends Cantu up to lead off, batting right handed. A first pitch fly ball to right is one down. Mathis bats lefty with one away. He also flies out to right, two down. Rand bats righty, with two outs. A fly ball sinking in left center and the centerfielder has it, on a dive, to end the inning. Texas goes in order, to the eighth, Texas leads 7-2.
Freshman right hander Blake Wellman, in to pitch the eighth, for the Horns. McLaughlin leads off, batting right handed. A flair to right center, drops for a single. Tinsley bats lefty, with a man on. He K's swinging on a slow change, one down. Wright bats righty, with a man on and one out. He singles through the right side of the infield, to put two on. Foyle bats lefty, with two on and one down. He pops to shallow left and Baker has it for two away. Skip out and a change is made.
Freshman lefty is Nick Kennedy, in to pitch for Texas. He faces lefty hitting Afenir, with two on and two gone. A grounder to short goes 6-3, to retire the side. Bottom of eight and Texas leads 7-2.
Davis, who has pitched well still is on the bump, for the Jayhawks, in the eighth. Texas leads off with righty hitting Jones, at the top of the order. He has three hits on the night. He is hit by a pitch inside and the ump with the he didn't try to get out of the way ruling, he stays in the box. He walks of four pitches to reach anyway, a lead runner. Baker bats righty, with a man on. He bunts and the sac goes 1-3, one away. Barrera bats righty, with a man on second and one out. A liner to left is a single and the run scores. Texas leads 8-2. Kacy Clemens bats lefty, with a man on and one down. A grounder up the middle is a single, to put two aboard. Two on and one away for Gurwitz, batting righty. A fly ball to right is two outs. Kody Clemens bats lefty, with two on and two outs. A grounder to first goes 3-1, to retire the side. The Horns add another and lead 8-2, to the ninth.
Kennedy stays in and tries to close out the game for Texas. Kansas leads off with Mirabelli, batting lefty. He walks for a lead runner. Martin bats righty, with a man on. A high pop down the line in right and it drops between Mathis and Gurwitz, ruled a single, but should have been caught. Two on for righty hitting Moroney, the top of the order. He walks to load the bases. Kennedy is done, pitching change.
Freshman righty is Chase Shugart, in for the Horns. He faces Pidhaichuk, with the bases loaded, batting lefty. He lines one in the gap in left center, the double scores two. Texas leads 8-4. McLaughlin bats righty, with two on. A grounder to short goes 6-3, one away, run scores. Texas leads 8-5. Tinsley bats lefty, with a man on, one away. A full count and a single to center will score another run. Texas leads 8-6. One on and one out for Wright, batting righty. The count goes full and ground ball to third goes 5-4-3, the double play ends the game. Texas wins the second game 8-6, to split the doubleheader, back in a bit, my hands hurt after 17 and a half innings of baseball.
Texas gets the split, but all that does is take two more games off the schedule, without gaining any ground on the .500 mark. Texas is 15-20 with now seventeen games to play, after tomorrow's game, if played, there will be better teams to play in the future. Hard to see how this team finishes in second place in the Big 12, if that is what it takes for a regional bid, without winning the Tournament again.
Yeah, i wonder more and more on how we took 2of3 from TCU. BTW, we had a 3 game winning streak after beating TCU the first two games. Back in the distant past when it looked like this team might do something ...
How we won the TCU series....We have a couple of very good pitchers as does TCU. We put the ball in play against TCU in two of the three games...As seen, TCU's defense is suspect when you hit the ball hard and make them play defense. Their pitching usually prevents assaults on their defense. We happen to do that in a couple of games. Much like the OU football game, I think we surprised them. They were rolling and we were floundering....shock and awe got us through the first two games. Now reality sets in and they saw they were not as good as they thought they were, and we were not as bad as they thought we were. Adjustments were made and we stand where we are. The simple truth is this team has potential. We may continue to flounder and not make post-season play, or we could catch fire and things start clicking all at once and do what we did last year.....It is a head scratcher. At times we smack the ball. At times we play good small ball. At times we pitch well. At times we play good defense......If we ever put it together for a dozen games or so we could be really good.
