Keyes, Rupp and Maitland up for Texas in the 9th. If the 'Horns wish to avoid playing tomorrow, they'll need five to walk away or four to stay and play. Keyes falls behind but catches up and then works the count full. The payoff pitch is well outside for ball four. Keyes takes first, Rupp up. Rupp takes ball one. Ball two. Fouch can't seem to find the plate. Next pitch is grooved for strike one. Rupp lines the next offering into right. Keyes holds on second. Shepherd up, no outs. Augie pinches Jordan Etier for Rupp, which means Clark is gonna move to catcher, which means we lose our DH if this game goes beyond the 9th, right? Shepherd gets ahead, 2-1, before chopping one up the middle. Moore charges but the ball goes under his glove. I don't think he would've been able to make the play at first had he fielded it cleanly. Bases juiced, no outs, Hernandez up. Hernandez grounds out to second but Keyes scores to trim Army's margin to three, 10-7. Top of the order up, two RISP, one out. Three straight balls put Tucker ahead, 3-0. The next pitch misses outside and Tucker goes to first to load the bases. Loy represents the winning run at the plate with one out. LOY SENDS ONE TO THE WALL!!!! IT BOUNCES OFF THE TOP TO CLEAR THE BASES AND KNOT THE SCORE AT 10!!!!!!!!!!!! The winning run is on second with one out. Torres up, Belt on deck. Loy missed the slam by mere feet. HOLY COW!!!!!!!!! Army convenes on the mound. A pitching change is imminent. Most likely, we'll see first baseman McKague in to try and stop the bleeding ... make that hemorhaging. Indeed, McKague is relieving Fouch. What a chance for Torres, after going 1-for-12 yesterday and 0-for-3 so far today and missing several opportunities to get a hit with RISP. C'mon MICHAEL! LET's DO THIS!!!!!!!!! Torres takes a breaking ball for strike one. Pitch out doesn't work--Loy is glued to second. McKague misses outside for ball two. Torres watches another breaking ball for strike two. Next pitch runs high to fill the count, 3-2. Payoff pitch is outside and Torres gets a free pass. Belt up, two on, one out. Belt takes ball one. Ball two. McKague looks rattled; he didn't get much of a warmup. BIG SWING AND MISS on the 2-0 pitch for strike No.1. ANOTHER SWING AND MISS and the count is even. Belt takes outside to work the count full. Here's the payoff pitch ... it's OUTSIDE. BALL FOUR. BASES ARE LOADED AND PRESTON CLARK IS UP. Clark swings on the first pitch ... AND IMMEDIATELY THROWS UP HIS ARMS CUZ HE KNOWS IT'S OUTTA HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ************!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Preston Clark wins it with a grand slam down the leftfield line. Texas scores eight in the bottom of the ninth. Final score: Texas 14, Army 10.
You've gotta be kidding me with the bunting argument. Always a handful of dolts who pull this out every year. "Why is Augie so stubborn? The game has passed him by. Nobody plays small ball anymore." Yet his teams consistently win championships - including a couple of national titles in Austin. This team is in this hole because they haven't pitched worth dick, and they haven't hit the ball - with no outs, with one out, with two outs. Gotta credit Army for playing the game with enormous nads today, and you gotta hope this Texas lineup finds some tomorrow. The bunting is not the problem. It's the puckered buttholes from the boys in orange - something that has been an issue for a few years now.
LSBR absolutely no one is saying the game has passed Augie by, just that tonight he has stubbornly stuck to a strategy that clearly isnt working. he is the best in the game but that doesnt mean he cant have an off night and no question he has tonight. Still very interesting out ther. Tying run at plate.
LSBR - bunting with 2 strikes is inexcusable when you are down 3. May have not been called by Augie, but I assume he has a hand in everything that is done.
