Happy Good Friday, but it's was a pretty good Thursday, for Texas. Now comes game two and TCU will do doubt make every attempt to even the series tonight. They are still a very good top ten team, that has been excellent in every phase of the game. Yesterday they made four errors, that really hurt them, that was the difference in the game. Again I would think another fairly low scoring game favors the Horns. Today it looks whatever wind there wind there is, will going from right to left field, that could help fly balls to left. TCU has three or four guys with very good power. Texas pitching hung eight zero frames yesterday and it kept the game close, before Mathis hit what turned out to be the deciding blow, in the fifth. Hoping for similar results tonight to win the series, but it's probably going to be tough. The game is on LHN and ESPN3, the audio on texassports.com Going for the line-ups.
Ty Culbreth, the veteran lefty, gets the ball for the Horns. Will probably need another quality start from him, for Texas get another win. He completes his warm ups and gets the sign, game two gets underway. The right fielder is Austen Wade, leading off and batting left handed. One hop back to Culbreth, the 1-3 is the first out. Righty hitting Cam Warner, bats with an out, as the Frog second baseman. A grounder to short and a low throw is scooped by Clemens at first, the 6-3 is two away. Evan Skoug, the catcher, bats lefty, with two outs. He of all the Frog runs last night, on the three run homer. He pops up to short and the side down in order. Good start for Culbreth, Texas comes to bat, for the first time.
Right hander Brian Howard, 6' 9" righty, gets the start for TCU, with a 2.37 era. Travis Jones leads off for the Horns, batting righty, he plays left field. A check swing grounder to first goes 3-1, for the first out. Lefty hitting shorstop is Kody Clemens, with an out. First pitch fly ball to center is two quick outs. The third baseman is Tres Barrera, batting righty, two gone. A fly ball to left and on six pitches, the Horns down also in order. An inning played, nothing for either side.
Culbreth back out for the Frog second frame. The large pitcher from last night and DH today is Luken Baker, leading off. He is a scary looking hitter, lots of power. A hopper up the middle is cut off by Clemens and the 6-3 is one away. Josh Watson bats righty, as a switch hitter, with one down, he is the left fielder. He swings through a high heater and the first K of the game is two gone. Third baseman is Elliot Barzilli, batting righty, with two outs. He leads this team in hitting so far this season. He lines one into the gap in right center, to the wall, a triple, for the first runner of the game. Lefty hitter is Connor Wanhanen, the first baseman, freshman of the year, in the Big 12 last season. He has a man on third and two outs. A ground ball to second goes 4-3, to end the inning. Culbreth leaves the runner at third, so still no runs, bottom of two.
Howard back on the bump, for TCU, in the second. Patrick Mathis leads off for the Horns, batting lefty, and plays right field. A high pop to right and the second baseman and right fielder play who has it and neither does, it drops for a single. TCU still looking shaky in the field. First baseman Kacy Clemens, bats lefty, with a man on. He bunts and the 2-3 sac is good. The Texas DH is Brady Harlan batting lefty, with a man on second and one out. He takes a curve ball over, for a called strike three, for two gone. Michael Cantu bats righty, as the catcher, with still one on and two outs. He has been struggling at the plate, need a big two out hit, to give the Horns the early lead. He also K's, this one swinging on a fast ball, to retire the side. Texas gets a runner in scoring position, but leaves him there, still 0-0, after two.
Culbreth back for his third inning of work. The centerfielder for the Frogs is Dane Steinhagen, leading off and batting right handed. A big hook, is taken on the outside corner, for a called K, one down. The nine hole hitter is the shortstop is Mason Hesse, batting righty, with two gone. Merrill the shortstop last night made two big errors, may be why he is on the bench in this game. A fly ball to right, will be the second out. Wade bats lefty, at the top of the order, with two down. The count goes full and he walks, on a low curve ball, for a two out runner. Righty hitter, Warner bats with a man on and two gone. Wade is a threat to go, especially with two outs. A ground ball behind the bag at third, Barrera has it on a slide, the former catcher has a gun and the throw is in time, on the 5-3, to end the frame, nice play. Bottom of three and still nothing in the run department.
Howard take a few big strides that puts him back on the hill for TCU, in the third. Zane Gurwitz bats righty, leading off and plays second base. A ground ball to second and the 4-3, in one down. The center fielder is Ty Rand, in the nine slot, batting righty, one out. He swings through a fast ball, the K is two quick outs. Top of the order is Jones batting righty, two outs. The first full count for Howard and a cutting fast ball nips the outside corner, for another K, this one looking, to retire the side in order. Three played and no runs.
Culbreth tries to hold serve for the Horns, as the Frog fourth is already here. Skoug, the power hitting lefty leads off, for TCU, their catcher. He drives a ball to center, but Rand has it, for a first pitch out. The DH is Baker, another power hitter, bating righty, one out. A sharp one hopper back to the mound, the 1-3 is two down rapidly. Righty hitting Watson bats with two down. Another fairly deep fly ball to center, is the side down in order. Bottom of four, looking for a first run.
Now Howard tries to keep the game with a run, as the Texas fourth is here. Kody Clemens leads off, batting left handed, for the Horns. A low curve in the dirt is swung on and missed, the 2-3 put out is yet another K. One down for Barrera batting righty, with an out. Another curve ball is taken for the latest K, it looked low, but it's in the books, two down. Mathis bats lefty, with two gone. He is a Texas power threat. He works a full count and hits a fast ball off the fists, that makes it to center and lands as a single. Two out runner for Kacy Clemens, batting lefty. The high heater is cut on and missed, for the seventh strike out for Howard, who strikes out the side. Four in the books now, not a run in sight.
Culbreth back out and the Frog fifth begins. Barzilli bats righty, leading off, for TCU, with a triple in the game. A full count and he walks, for a lead runner. Lefty hitting Wanhanen bats, with a man on. A ground ball to second, to the left of Gurwitz, the only play to first, for a 4-3 out, runner to second. Steinhagen bats righty, a man on second, one out. Slow hopper to short and the 6-3 moves the runner to third, two down. Nine hole hitter Hesse, bats righty, man on third, two gone. Ground ball to second and the 4-3 will end the threat. Lead walk is taken care off, halfway through the second game of the series, no tallies.
Howard back out for the Frogs, as the Horn fifth starts. The Texas DH leads off in Harlan, batting lefty. First pitch grounder to short is scooped at first, for a 6-3 out. Cantu bats righty, with an out, still struggling. A roller to short and the 6-3 again is two sudden outs. Righty hitting Gurwitz tries to start something, with two down. A fly ball to right center is the side down in order again. Five gone and both teams search for a run.
Culbreth back for the sixth, trying to keep the zero string alive. Top of the order is Wade, leading off batting lefty. Big inning for Ty, lots of big hitters coming this inning. A ground ball to second is a 4-3 out one. Warners bats righty, with an out. A liner gets through the right side, for a single. That brings power hitting Skoug, the TCU slugger, batting lefty, one on. He lines the first pitch to right, it's down in the corner, for a double. That puts two on and brings out Skip. Runners on second and third, one away, for the big hitting Baker. He bats righty, with the infield in. Now they put him on, to load the bases. This brings Watson, batting righty, with the bases loaded and one down. The double play is set up and the force at home. A ground ball to short and the relay by Gurwitz is dug out by Clemens at first, the 6-4-3 double play gets Texas out of the big jam. Culbreth escapes again and still no runs, bottom of the sixth.
So now Howard is on the hill again, he is on the no run clock now. Rand leads off batting righty, in the nine hole, leading off, for the Horns. He hits a little blooper off the end of the bat, that drops in right center, a lead single. Top of the order is Jones again, batting righty, a speedster on first, in Rand. He squared and a pitch hits him on the hand, but ruled he was leaning in and he stays at the plate. Rand goes and he outruns the baseball, to beat a good throw, stolen base. The count runs full, as he didn't bunt and a ground ball will get through the right side, Rand has to stop at third. Coach out for a visit, but Howard remains. Kody Clemens bats lefty, with runners on the corners. Lots of options here to score, Texas needs to make one of them successful. A ground ball to second goes 4-6-3, the double play scores a run. Not the best option, but it's a run. Texas leads 1-0. Barrera bats righty, with two gone. A high drive to left center, it gets out, for a homer. Wish we could have got that an at bat earlier. The first homer off Howard this year. Texas leads 2-0. Lefty hitting Mathis bats, with two outs. A full count and a curve ball gets him looking, to end the inning. Texas gets two and now leads 2-0, after six.
Culbreth comes out for the seventh, with the lead, might be his last inning. Leading off for the Frogs is Barzilli, the leading hitter for TCU, batting righty. He lines a single to center, for a lead runner, for his second hit. Wanhanen bats lefty, with a man on. A high hard one is swung on and missed, a big out one. Here comes Skip and he wants a righty. Nice outing for Culbreth, the starters have done a great job this year. Pitching change.
Right handed freshman Chase Shugart, comes in for Texas. Horns trying to use the same combo that got the win last night. Get to Sawyer and Mayes for the eighth and ninth. He faces righty hitter Steinhagen, with a man on and one out. A full count and a comebacker and the play goes 1-6, for a force, could have been a double play, but the throw to second was high, two outs. Hesse bats righty, in the nine hole, with a man on and two outs. A wild pitch moves the runner to second. A ground ball to second goes 4-3, to end the inning. Shugart does the job again and Texas leads 2-0, as they stretch in Austin.
Howard stays in the game, for the seventh. Kacy Clemens leads off, batting lefty, for the Horns. Another big curve and another called strike three, Howard has pitched well, just not perfect, one out. The Texas DH is lefty hitter Harlan, with an out. A fly ball to center is two down. Cantu bats righty, with two outs. A high pop and the second baseman has it, to retire the side in order. Seven played and Texas leads 2-0.
As expected lefty Josh Sawyer will come in to pitch the eighth, for Texas, then hopefully Mayes, in the ninth, for the save. Top of the order is Wade, leading off for TCU, battting lefty. Still some very good hitters to wade through, for the Texas hurlers. He K's on three pitches, the last a hard breaking slider, swung on and missed, one out. Warner bats righty, one gone. He K's on that slider again, swinging, two down. Lefty power hitter is Skoug, with two gone. The slider again and another swinging K, to retire the side in order, he K's the side. Sawyer was just dominating, Texas leads 2-0, bottom of eight.
Howard back out, any other night his performance would be good enough for a win, maybe not tonight. Gurwitz leads off batting righty, leading off for the Horns. Pop up to second and it's a first out. Nine hole hitter Rand bats righty, with an out. Grounder to third is a quick 5-3 second out. Top of the order is Jones batting righty, two down. Howard's hundreth pitch is rolled to second and the 4-3 retires the side in order. Great performance for Howard, but not good enough we hope, to the ninth, Texas ahead 2-0.
Again as expected it's right handed sophomore, Connor Mayes on in his new closer role. Leading off for the Frogs is the big slugger, Baker, batting righty. A full count and a fast ball is taken for a fourth consecutive K, one big out. Watson bats lefty, with an out. A squibber past Mayes, charged hard by Gurwitz, barehands and throws, for the 1-4-3 sparkling second out. Barzilli bats righty, the last hope is their leading hitter, with two outs, he has two hits in the game. A high fly ball to center and that ends the game, the side down in order. Texas wins the game 2-0, the first shutout of TCU this season. Texas wins the series! Back in a bit.
