The series decider gets an earlier start at 12:30 pm. It will tell is the series will be split or if Texas wins it 3-1. Texas looks to keep the offense rolling, while maintaining the almost expected exellent pitching. Stanford hopes to cut down on the defensive mistakes both mental and physical, wake up some very cold bats, and get their pitching back to a high level again, though their pen could be running low, at this point. Time to go get the line-ups.
Hey @NBHorn7 whatever you did in game 1 don't do that thing again. Do the thing from games 2 and 3 where we hit the ball. You know what I mean.
Right hander Connor Mayes, the sophomore, gets the ball today, looking to keep the pitching at a high level. Switch hitting Tommy Edman, playing shortstop, leads off again for the Cardinal against him, from the left side. He is hitless for the series and still no leadoff hitter has a hit against Texas pitching this season. He walks and a lead runner for the Cardinal. Third baseman Mikey Dikroeger, plays third base and bats lefty, with one on. Runner goes and steals the bag on a slow curve ball, beating the Barrera throw. A full count now and a runner on second for Diekroeger. A big curve ball breaks across for a called strike three, one down. Maybe that will settle him down. Alex Dunlap bats righty as the DH, one on and one down. Another full count and another wall on a low fastball, to put two on. Quinn Brodey bats lefty, he plays left field today, two aboard and one gone. Another big curve and he swings through it, the second K is the second out. Second baseman Nico Hoerner, bats righty, with still two on and now two away. A little chopper up the third base line and Clemens field, but has no play, the infield hit loads the bases. Matt Winaker bats lefty, plays first base, he has the bases loaded and two gone. A flair to right center off the fists and it falls for a two run single. Stanford leads 2-0. The right fielder Brandon Wullf bat righty with two on and two outs. A balk is called and that was a bad call, as Mayes did come to a stop, but it's another run. Stanford leads 3-0. Wullf grounds a ball up the middle and Baker backhands it and an nice 4-3 will finally end the frame. Stanford has a big inning, they didn't hit anything hard, but score three, they lead 3-0, Texas comes to bat.
Right hander Brett Hanewich gets the ball for Stanford in the game. Zane Gurwitz leads off batting righty and playing centerfield. He grounds to short and the 6-3 is one down. Bret Boswell bats lefty, with one away, playing shortstop. He also goes 6-3 and it's two outs quickly. The second baseman is Joe Baker, with two gone. He walks on four pitches and it's the Horn's first base runner. Tres Barrera bats righty and is the Texas catcher, with one on and two away. A passed ball sends Baker to second. A little bleeder down the third base line, that the third baseman lets roll and it's dies on the third base line, for an infield hit. That puts runners on the corners and two outs for DH Kaleb Denny. A chance for the Horns to respond. That doesn't happen as swing and a miss on a curve will retire the side. Two stranded and after one Stanford leads 3-0.
Mayes back out and tries to find his command as control problems got him in trouble last inning. Jack Klein the Cardinal centerfielder, leads off batting righty. A fly ball to right is the first out. Nine hole hitter is lefty hitting catcher Bryce Carter, with one out. A fister back to Mayes and the 1-3 play makes it two gone. Top of the order is Edman batting lefty, with two away. A gruond ball to first, the 3U will retire the side in order. Mayes settles down and to the bottom of two Stanford leads 3-0.
Hanewich comes out for his second inning on the mound. Kody Clemens will lead off batting lefty, the third baseman for Texas. A little fly ball to center is an easy first out. Kacy Clemens at first in the game, bats lefty with one down. A long shot to right center is off the wall, a standup double. The left fieder is Travis Jones, batting righty, with a man on second and one down. A ground ball to short goes 6-3, for two away, runner to third. Right fielder Jake McKenzie bats in the nine hole, with one on and two away, from the right side. He also grounds to short and another 6-3 will retire the side. Another stranded and it remains Stanford 3-0, after two.
Mayes back out for his third innning of work. Diekroeger leads off batting lefty. A liner to center for a single puts a lead runner on. Dunlap bats righty, with one on, as the DH. He K's swinging on the hard breaking slider, one down. Brodey bats lefty, with one on and one away. A fly ball to center is two away. Hoerner bats righty with one on and now two down. A ground ball to short and the 6-4 force will end the inning. To the bottom of three and it stays Standford ahead 3-0. Yes, Mathis injured his hamstring and will be out from 3-4 weeks reportedly.
Hanewich keeps rolling along and will come back in the third, for the Cardinal. Top of the order is Gurwitz, batting righty. He is hit by fast ball squarely in the back, for a lead runner. Boswell bats lefty, with a man on. He squares and then swings away and pops it up the it drifts over to the third baseman, one away. Baker bats righty, with one on and one down. Gurwitz goes on the hit and run and gets hung up on the swing and miss, but Stanford botches another defensive play and he gets back to first. Baker singles throught the hole on the left side to put two on. Barrera bats righty as the possible tying run, with two on and one away. He flies to left center and it's two gone. Denny bats righty, the DH has two on and two outs. He K's swinging on the big hook, the frame ends. Texas strands two more and Stanford still 3-0, after three. Ty Rand broke his hand, he was hit by a pitch.
Mayes who has settled down, stays in for the fourth. Leading off for Stanford is the lefty hitting Winaker. He flies to medium center and it's one gone. Wullf is batting righty, with one down. A hot shot off Clemens at third, he picks it off and then throws wildly by his brother at first. It's ruled a hit and an E-5. Klein bats righty, with one on and one down. Another ground ball to third and Standford makes another mental error, as the runner at second is caught too far off and the 5-4 put is made, two away. Carter barts righty with one on and two gone. He flies to left center and Gurwitz has it, to retire the side. Bottom of four now and still 3-0 Stanford.
SMH...Jones never looked at his base coach...Looking at the ball the whole time he was running on his triple to the wall......Disturbing...Does he not trust his base coach ???
Stanford sends Hanewich back to the hill for the Texas fourth. Kody Clemens leads off batting lefty, for the Horns. A fly ball to left center and the centerfielder ranges over for the play, one down. Kacy Clemens bats lefty, with one down. He grounds a single through the right side for a single, his second knock of the contest. Jones bats righty, with one on and one down. He lines an a drive the opposite way that finds the gap in right center. It rolls to the wall and the triple plates the first run for Texas. Stanford leads 3-1. McKenzie bats righty, with a man at third and one down. You need to score this run at least to get back in the game. Here we go agains as an inside curve hits him, but he will stay at bat, ruled he didn't try to get out of the way. Still contact is a run here, the infield back. Full count reached and he is hit by a pitch again, doesn't matter about a rule, as it's ball four. Top of the order is Gurwitz, batting righty, runners on the corners, one down. A taylor made ground ball to second, despite a funny looking short relay to first that landed about twenty feet from the firstbaseman, it goes 4-6-3, the DP ends the inning. Texas gets one, but couldn't get the big inning, so Stanford leads now 3-1, after four.
Mayes still in for Texas in the fifth. Edman leads off batting lefty. He singles up the middle, his first hit of the series. Skip out and Mayes is done, wasn't at his best today, but hung in pretty well. Pitching change.
Travis Duke is the new Horn pitcher, the senior lefty. Diekroeger is up lefty, with one on. A one hopper Duke should have been a DP, but a bad throw by Duke, and the 1-6 force was recorded, lucky to get that. Dunlap bats righty, with one on and one out. A ground ball off Clemens at third and by him. It's a double, to put two on. Brodey up batting lefty, with two on. He chops back to the mound, the runner is out trying to score, it goes 1-2, on a FC. Hoerner bats righty with runners on the corners and two gone. Another comeback goes 1-3 to retire the side. Stanford threatens but nothing across, so halfway through the fianale it's still Stanford leading 3-1.
Hanewich will try to become the pitcher of record and get a possible W. Leading off for Texas is lefty hitting Boswell. He grounds to short, shortstop charges, fields, and throws and gets him by a step, 6-3, one down. Baker bats righty, with one out. He grounds to third, the 5-3 means two gone. Barrera bats righty, with two down. A little comebacker goes 1-3, Horns down quickly in order. Five played and Stanford leads 3-1.
A new pitcher is Nick Kennedy, a freshman lefty, comes in for Texas. Leading off is lefty swinging Winaker. A ball skyed to center is out one. Wullf bats righty, with one down. He smokes a ball to deep lefty center and to the wall. It's a double. Klein will bat righty, a man on second and one away. A two hopper to first and the 3U is two outs, runner to third. Carter bats righty, with two outs and one on. A ground ball off the glove of Kennedy and Baker can't make the play on the rebound, the infield hit scores the run. Stanford leads 4-1. Edman bats righty now as a switch hitter, with a man on and two outs. He hits a long fly ball to left and Jones had room but couldn't find the ball in the sun it seemed, it's off the wall, for a double and another run. Stanford leads 5-1. Diekroeger bats lefty with one on and two in, two out. He flies to left and Jones has this one to end the frame. Stanford stretches the lead, on two runs, it's 5-1 now, to the bottom of the sixth.
Hanewich will hang around for the sixth. Righty DH Denny, will lead off batting righty. He K's once more, this time looking, one down. Kody Clemens bats lefty, one away. Ground ball to second goes 4-3, for two down. Now Kacy Clemens also from the lefty side bats with two outs. Another ground ball, this to first is a 3U out, to retire the side in order. Six gone at the Disch and it's 5-1 Stanford.
Kennedy remains in the game to pitch for the Horns in the seventh. Leading off for the Cardinal is Dunlap, batting righty. A liner to center is a lead single and a lead runner. Brodey will bat lefty, with one on. He squares and lays down a bunt, the sac goes 1-3, runner to second. Skip is out and a change is coming.
Another freshman is righty Blake Wellman, the new Texas hurler. He faces righty hitter Hoerner, with one on and one out. He K's on three pitches, the last a foot outside and low, but he went for it, two gone. Winaker bats lefty, with a man on second and two outs. A drive to right is hauled in at the track and that ends the inning. Stretching in Austin and Stanford ahead 5-1.
