Not sure if I'm up for recording every at-bat today, but I thought I'd at least get the thread started. We're less than a half hour from the first pitch.
For those who didn't catch Alan Trubow's twitter on Statesman.com, Brandon Belt will DH today, which puts Clark at first. Hernandez will start in left field in Shepherd's stead.
Starting lineup for The University of Texas at Austin Longhorns (42-13-1), who are technically the visitors for this regional pairing: Travis Tucker, 2B Brandon Belt, DH Michael Torres, 3B Cameron Rupp, C Brandon Loy, SS Preston Clark, 1B Kevin Keyes, RF Connor Rowe, CF David Hernandez, LF Chance Ruffin will take the mound. EDIT: Rupp, not Rubb.
Tucker with an up-the-middle base hit that's just far enough for a leadoff single. Belt gets a standing O as he digs in. Belt lays down a textbook bunt and advances Tucker to second. One out. Torres up. Torres chops one to the mound and is out at first. Tucker advances to third. Two out. Rupp up. Rupp strikes out on a check swing. Ugh. Boston College to bat in the bottom of the first ...
Starting lineup for the Boston College Eagles (34-24): Robbie Anston, CF Matt Hamlet, 2B Tony Sanchez, C Mickey Wiswall, 3B Mike Belfiore, DH Barry Butera, SS Andrew Lawrence, LF Mike Sudol, RF John Spatola, 1B Pat Dean is on the mound for the Eagles.
Grounder to Loy, who scoops it in stride and makes the throw to first in time for out No.1. Liner to short, who leaps to his right and somehow snags it, robbing Hamlet of at least a single. Two outs. High fly to Hernandez in left field, who waits under it for about five seconds before making the catch. We're done with one. No score. To the top of the second ...
Loy leads off the inning with grounder to third. Throw is in time for out No.1. Off-the-wall gapper to right nets Clark a stand-up double. One on, one out. Keyes BLASTS one over the State Farm sign in left field for a two-run homer. Texas leads, 2-0. Rowe with a single to right. One on, one out. Hernandez up. Hernandez skies one foul that is caught by the first baseman for out No.2. Back to the top of the order--Tucker up. Tucker with a grounder to second and is out at first. B.C. coulda turned that for two if needed. For those who didn't see it, Keyes' round-tripper was gone the moment it left his bat. "Well hit" would be putting it mildly. Nice to see the 'Horns hitting the Eagles' ace, especially as Moreland is complimenting his stuff. On to the bottom of the second, with Texas up, 2-0 ...
Nice start. GemStateJim, I hope you'll be providing updates tonight. Unfortunately, I will be glued to my cell phone rather than watching it on the internet.
PLEASE keep the updates coming. Our internet video is stuck and I can't get K & C via internet radio for a backup. m/
Wiswall with a drive to center that Rowe settles under and catches for out No.1. Belfiore with a well-hit ball off the end of his bat but it goes right to Hernandez. Two outs on three pitches for Texas. Butera grounds to short. Loy makes the throw to first for the third out and one of the fastest innings I've ever seen--three outs on four pitches.
OK, I've got video again. Belt starts the top of the third with a groundout to second. Torrid Torres reaches first on a single to right. Rupp up. Rupp Ks for the second time of the day. One on, two out. Loy up. Loy lines an 0-2 pitch to center. Runners at first and second, two out. Clark with a fielder's choice to third. Loy out at second and the inning is over. On to the bottom of the third, with Texas up, 2-0. Elsewhere, Way said LSU leads Baylor, 1-0, in the top of the third.
Lawrence fouls off a payoff pitch, then lifts another to right that Keyes runs down near the warning track and squeezes for the first out. Sudol with a first-pitch groundout to second. Two gone. Spatola blasts an initial offering from Chance that leaves the field ... foul. A couple of pitches later, Spatola checks his swing but not before breaking the plane for strike No.3 and the third out of the inning. Chance perfect so far as Texas heads to the top of the fourth up 2-0 ...
Keyes opens the inning with a first-pitch, off-the-wall double to right. Rowe up. Connor shows bunt and does so, tapping a 2-0 pitch right back to the pitcher. Keyes can't advance and Rowe is narrowly thrown out at first. Board ate my edit. Hernandez grounds out to short. Once again, Keyes can't advance and David is out at first. Two gone. Tucker grounds to short for out No.3. That's only two runs for Texas on seven hits, including a homer and two doubles. If you're an Eagles fan, you've got to be pleased as punch to only be down by a couple right now. Incidentally, if you go to a baseball game, folks, keep your head up and your eye on the ball. Sheesh.
feed is getting worse. First time I've watched and listened to this thing, Video was better for aggy game, this thing is missing out on both video and audio.
Anston grounds out to second for the first out. Hamlet sees a dagger before him and walks to first on four balls (though two were very, very close). So ends Chance's perfect game. Sanchez's deep fly to Rowe nets out No.2. Wiswall breaks up Ruffin's no-no with a single to left. Runners at first and second, two outs. Belfiore belts a single to right. Keyes scoops it up and throws to home ... but the ball heads toward Round Rock. Hamlet scores and the runners advance on the error. Both are in scoring position with two outs. Butera grounds to short. Loy makes the throw to first for the third out but not before the Eagles do some damage. To the top of the fifth with Texas' lead trimmed to 2-1 ...
Need some patient hitting right. Need to get this guys pitch count up. One thing I hate is when hitting against a breaking ball guy, we don't move up in the box.
Belt to get the UT offense started in the fifth. Dean sits down Big Brandon with a called strike outside. Musta just painted the corner. Torrid Torres with a liner directly to short. Two away. Rupp up. Rupp strikes out swinging, his third K of the day. That's what we used to call "The Sheet." One more and he'll have "The Golden Sombrero." Get yer head in the game, Cam. Texas leads, 2-1, and we're headed to the bottom of the fifth ...
