The rubber game of the series, that Texas absolutely can't lose. There is rain all around, it's not if it's going to rain, just how much and how often. Everything though will be done to get this game in today, Tomorrow is not an option, with the weather just getting worse. Going for he line-ups.
Kansas starters: Joe Moroney------CF Ryan Pidhaichuk--3B Ryan McLaughlin--SS Michael Tinsley----RF ColBy Wright-------2B Devin Foyle---------LF Marcus Wheeler----1B TJ Martin------------DH Tanner Gragg-------C Jackson Goddard---P
Ty Culbreth, the ace of the staff this year, gets the ball today for Texas, with a 6-2 record. He is a lefty. Light rain is falling and there will be rain on and off all game, will there be heavy rain or lightning, thatr could stop it is the question. There could be delays because they will do all they can to get this game in. Leading off for the Jayhawks is again Joe Moroney, the cennterfielder, batting right handed. He lines a single to center, for a lead runner. Ryan Pidhaichuk, the third baseman, bats lefty, with a man on. He bunts and the sac goes 1-3, for one away. Runner on second for righy hitting Matt McLaughlin, the shortstop, with an out. A ground ball to short and the 6-3 is out two, the runner to third. Michael Tinsley will bat lefty, man on third, two outs. Their best hitter grounds to third and the 5-3 out will end the inning. Lead single, but nothing for the Jayhawks, Texas comes to bat.
Jackson Goddard will start on the mound today, for Kansas, a freshman righty hander. Leading off for Texas is Travis Jones, batting right handed and playing left field. A full count and he walks, for a lead runner. Kody Clemens bats lefty, with a man on, playing third base. He bunts and the sac goes 1-3, one away. Man on second and one away for Tres Barrera, who is behind the plate today, batting righty. Another full count and he walks on a high fast ball, to put two on. Kacy Clemens is up batting lefty, the first baseman, with two aboard and one away. He grounds a single to right and the throw home is just late, as Barrera moves to third, a run scores. Texas leads 1-0. Pitching coach out and now returns. Right fielder is Patrick Mathis, batting lefty, with runners on the corners, one out. A wild pitch will score another run. Texas leads 2-0. Mathis back in the box. Grounder to second goes 4-3, two away, runner to third. Second baseman is Zane Gurwitz, with a man on third and two down. Grounder behind the bag on third and the long throw is wide and an infield hit is scored, another run. Texas leads 3-0. Joe Baker plays short and bats righty, with one on and two away. He bunts and the third baseman has it and then throw wild to first and by the first baseman. The E-5 puts two on. Michael Cantu bats righty, the DH, with two on and two outs. The rain gets even harder now. Cantu walks to load the bases. Bottom of the order is Ty Rand, the centerfielder, with the bases loaded, two away. The righty batter K's swinging, to end the frame. The entire order gets a bat and Texas scores three, two of them earned. They lead 3-0, after one.
Culbreth back out for the second, with the lead. Kansas leads off with Colby Wright, batting righty and playing second base. He lines a single to left, for a lead runner. Devin Foyle bats righty, with a man on, playing left field. He drive a pitch off the wall in left center, for a double, to put two on. First baseman is Marcus Wheeler, the first baseman, with two on. He bats right handed and K's swinging on a low fast ball, Barrera with the tag, one out. Righty hitter is the DH, TJ Martin, with two on and one away. Ground ball to short goes 6-3, two away, the run scores. Texas leads 3-1. The Kansas catcher is Tanner Gragg, batting righty, man on third and two outs. A fly ball to right and that retires the side. Kansas gets on the board, Texas leads 3-1, bottom of the second.
Need a W in this one... how many innings of play with the lead to we need to get that if rain cuts it short? 6 ?
New pitcher for the Jayhawks is Hayden Edwards, a tall skinny right hander. Leading off for the Horns again is the top of the order in Jones, batting righty. A fly ball to center is one down. Kody Clemens bats lefty, with one gone. Full count and he K's swinging, on a fast ball, two gone. Barrera bats righty, two outs. A grounder to short and the 6-3 will set Texas down in order. Texas leads 3-1, after two.
Culbreth pitches the third, for Horns. Top of the order is Moroney, batting righty, to lead off for the Jayhawks. He singled his first trip. A foul pop is caught by Clemens on the right side, one out. Pidaichuk bats lefty, with one gone. He swings through a straight change, for two down, on the K. Righty hitter is McLaughlin, with two outs. He fouls out to Clemens also, by the dugout, the side down in order. Bottom of three and Texas ahead 3-1.
TCU just completed the sweep of OU. Dang, a sweep of Kansas this weekend would have been timely. Tech (11-1 in conference) and TCU (9-3) play each other two weeks from now in Ft. Worth.
Edwards out for the third for Kansas, on the mound. Kacy Clemens leads off, for Texas, batting lefty. A liner to left center in the gap, is a lead double, scooting on the water. Lefty hitter is Mathis, with a man on second. Rain is really hard now. A full count and he walks, to put two on. Pitching coach out, the rain lets up some again, he leaves him in. Gurwitz bats righty, with two on. A pitch goes right through the catcher's glove, a passed ball will move the runners up. Now a wild pitch will score a run. Texas leads 4-1. Runner on third for Gurwitz. Another wild pitch scores another run. Texas leads 5-1. Gurwitz walks, for a runner. This is ugly baseball in ugly conditions. Baker bats with one on, righty. He grounds a taylor made DP ball to short and it goes right under the shortstop, the E-6, will put runners on the corners. Righty hitting Cantu will bat with runners on the corners. He K's looking on a fast ball, on he outside corner, one down. Rand bats righty, at the bottom of the order, two on and one down. Another wild pitch, scores another run, really ugly baseball. Texas leads 6-1. Rand singles to right to put two on. Top of the order is Jones, batting righty, with runners on the corners, one out. He bunts and the safety squeez works, the play goes 3-1, another run in. Texas leads 7-1. Kody Clemens bats lefty, with a a man on and two down. A fly ball to left will end the frame. Texas adds four more, with a lot of help by Kansas, they lead now 7-1, after three.
Culbreth back out and need a quick inning to get this game in. The field is being tended to, with all the water, diamond dry on the mound and batter's box. Tinsley leads off, batting lefty, for Kansas. A liner to right center is a single, shows why Tinsley is their best player, can really hit. Wright bats righty, with a man on. He is gone on a fly ball to center, one away. Righty hitter is Foyle, with a man on and one down. Rain really picks up again. Good thing they got the diamond dry down. A full count and he walks to put two on. Wheeler bats righty, with two on and one away. A double steal attempt, the throw to second gets him 2-6, for two down, odd play down six runs. A single to lined to center is another run for the Jayhawks. Texas leads 7-2. Martin bats righty, with a man on and two outs. Grounder to short goes 6-3, end of the inning. Bottom of four and Texas leads 7-2.
Another hurler in for Kansas is Blake Goldsberry, a freshman righty. New catcher, they needed one, is John Remick. Barrera leads off batting righty, for the Horns. He lines a single to left, a lead runner. Lefty hitter is Kacy Clemens, with a man aboard. He walks to put two on. Mathis bats lefty, with two on. He sends a drive over the centerfielder's head, it on hops the wall, but a single somehow, a run scores. Texas leads 8-2. Gurwitz bats righty, with runners on the corners. A grounder to second goes 4-6-3, the double plays scores a run. Texas leads 9-2. Baker bats righty, with two outs. A grounder to third goes 5-3, to end the inning. Kansas looks to be out of pitching and catching, Texas leads 9-2, after four played.
Culbreth back out for the fifth, he looks to add another victory to his Big 12 leading win count. Kansas leads off with the new catcher John Remick, batting righty. A comebacker is booted by Culbreth, for an E-1, a lead runner. Top of the order is Moroney, batting righty, one on. A fly ball to right center and the catch is made for one away. Pidaichuk bats lefty, with one aboard, with an out. A little fisted pop to Baker is two gone. McLaughlin bats righty, with one aboard and two down. A hydroplaning grounder goes off the glove of Clemens and into right field, the single puts two on. Lefty hitting slugger is Tinsley, with two on and two outs. A grounder to short goes 6-4, the force makes the game official and ends the inning. Texas leads 9-2, halfway through the finale of the series, bring on the rain.
Casey Douglas is a new pitcher for Kansas, a righty. Texas leads with Cantu, batting righty. Grounder to third goes 5-3, one down. Rand bats righty, with an out, at the botom of the order. He walks, for a runner. Top of the order is Jones, batting right handed. Rand goes and steals the base with ease. A high drive to left and it's well gone, the homer will score two more. Texas leads 11-2. Kody Clemens bats lefty, with one away. He ground to first and the 3U is two outs. Barrera bats righty, with two gone. A slow grounder to second and the second baseman throw it away at first, another Kansas error, E-4, puts him on. Kacy Clemens bats lefty, with two outs and a runner on. He walks to put two aboard. Lefty batter is Mathis, two on and two outs. A full count and the runners will move and a grounder to second and another bad throw is dug by the first baseman this time to prevent another error, the 4-3 ends the inning. Five played and it's stat padding time, Texas leads 11-2.
Culbreth will work the sixth, for the Horns. Wright leads off, batting right handed for Kansas. A liner to left, is a lead single. Righty hitting Foyle, with a man aboard. He lines a single also to lefty, he has had a good series with the bat. Two on for Wheeler, batting righty. A full count and he walks to load the bases. Martin bats righty, with the bases loaded. A comebacker goes 1-2-3, for a double play, needed that. Two on for righty hitting Remick, with two outs. Grounder to short and the low throw dug by Clemens, the 6-3 ends the inning. Kansas loads the sacks, with no outs, but doesn't score, Texas leads 11-2, bottom of six.
Douglas back to the hill, in the sixth. The Horns lead off with Gurwitz, batting righty. A comebacker on a hop goes 1-3, one away. Baker bats righty, with one away. A high fly foul down the left field line and the left fielder drops it, on the run, it's an E-7, it almost hit him in the face. Another pop up is caught by the shortstop, two down. Cantu bats righty, with two outs. A fly ball to right sets the side down in order. Six gone and Texas ahead 11-2.
Culbreth will probably only go one more, as he starts the seventh. Leading off is righty hitter Moroney, the top of the Jayhawk order. A shallow fly to left is one gone. A pinch hitter is Blake Shinkle, batting righty, with one down. A full count and he takes a fast ball on the inside corner, the K is two down. Righty hitter is McLaughlin, with two outs. He swings through a fast ball, another K will set the side down in order. A few damp and hardy souls still left will stretch in Austin, Texas leads 11-2.
The latest hurler for the Jayhawks is Ryan Ralston, a big right hander. David Kariacou comes in to play third. Horns lead off with the bottom of the order in Rand, batting right handed. He walks on four pitches, for a lead runner. Jones bats righty, with a man on, the top of the order. Another four pitch walk, puts two on. Kody Clemens bats lefty, with two on. A strike is thrown, after ten straight balls. He walks to load the bases. Barrera bats righty, with the bases loaded. The run rule in effect, can end the madness. A full count and such suspense. He fouls off ball four and gets called out a fast ball on the inside corner, one away, the game goes on. Kacy Clemens bats lefty, with the bases full, one out. A 3-0 count this time and a four pitch walk forces in the winning run, thank goodness and how appropriate. Four walks means a 12-2 win, for the Horns, back shortly.
Kansas was out of pitching and facing Ty Culbreth, the leading pitcher for wins in the Big 12. They also put Tinsley in right field today and the catching was bad, to say the least. The rest of the fielding wasn't much better either. It was an ugly day and a pretty ugly game for Kansas, mercifully ended by four walks in the bottom of the seventh, on the run rule. After the midweek game, the schedule gets much harder, with a series in Lubbock, next weekend. Tech has been a buzzsaw this season, especially in Big 12 play, leading with a 11-1 record. We will find out if the Horns will be just playing out the rest of the regular season or not, after that series.
