Looks like the bad weather will arrive later now and the midweek game could be gotten in ahead of it. It's another game against Texas State, which Texas has a long winning streak against. It's an opportunity for the Horns to creep closer to the .500 mark, before the series the weeken series against OSU. The game is on LHN and the audion on texassports.com. Line-ups on the way.
Connor Mayes, the right handed sophomore will get the start tonight. He has become the midweek starter since Josh Sawyer went down to injury, for the second time. Leading off for the 22-19 Texas State Bobcats is Jonathan Ortega, the second baseman, batting right handed. The wind is blowing out toward left field, as it does when the weather warms up, unless a storm front blows through. Storms are expected later tonight in Austin. Ortega steps in and we get underway. A grounder to short and Baker has it and throws wide, not handled by Clemens. The E-6 means a lead runner. Ryan Newman bats righty, as the DH, with a man on. A fly ball to left and the runner is deked at second and doesn't get back in time the 7-6-3 is a double play, two down. Tanner Hill, the power hitting righty hitter, plays first base with two gone. A liner to left and the wind takes it over Rand and off the wall, a double, for a runner. The left fielder is Granger Studdard, batting lefty, with a man on and two outs. A full count is reached and he K's on the overhand curve ball, to end the frame. A hit and and error, but nothing across for the Bobcats, Texas comes to bat.
Jeremy Hallonquist, a tall right hander, starts for Texas State. Leading off for Texas is the DH, Travis Jones, batting right handed. A grounder to third goes 5-3, for the first out. Kody Clemens bats lefty, the Horn third baseman, with an out. He swings through a change and the K is two down. The catcher is Tres Barrera, batting righty, with two outs. A full count worked and he walks on a low outside fast ball, for the first Texas runner. Kacy Clemens bats lefty and plays first base, with one on and two gone. He slaps a liner over third and it goes down the left field line, the double puts two on. The shortstop is Joe Baker, batting righty, with two on and two outs. A grounder through on the left side is a two rbi single, the throw home is wide and that allows Baker to go to second. Texas leads 2-0. Patrick Mathis bats lefty, with a man on second and two away. Another full count and a fly ball to center will retire the side. Texas strikes for two and leads 2-0, after an inning.
Mayes back out for his second inning of work, with the lead. Bobcats lead off with Jaylen Hubbard, the third baseman, batting from the right side. A fly ball to right cente and it's one down. Dylan Paul is the right fielder, batting also from the right side, with an out. He K's swinging on a fast ball, two down. The shortstop is Luke Sherley, batting righty, with two outs. A grounder to short and this time the throw is on target, the 6-3 is the third out. Bobcats down in order and Texas leads 2-0, bottom of two.
Hollanquist will come back and work the second for the Bobcats. Second baseman Zane Gurwitz, batting righty, leading off for the Horns. Grounded up the middle and the shortstop has on the shorthop and the 6-3 is a lead out. Ty Rand will bat righty, he plays left field, with an out. He K's looking at a slider that catches the outside corner, two away. Bottom of the order is Jake McKenzie, batting righty and playing second base. A ground ball off the glove of the third baseman on a dive, is an infield hit, for a runner. Top of the order is Jones, batting righty, with a man on. He swings through a low and outside slider and the K will end the inning. Texas down in order, after two full, they lead 2-0.
Mayes returns for the Bobcat third. Texas State leads off with their catcher, Jared Huber, batting right handed. He walks, to put a lead runner on. Bottom of the order is Jacob Almendarez, the centerfielder, with a man on, batting righty. He slaps a high curve to right, for a single, two on. Top of the order is Ortega, batting righty, with two on. He squares and fouls off two attempts to bunt. A little squibber and Mayes has it on the right side and the 1-3 acts like a sac bunt, one down as the runners move up. Newman bats lefty, with two on and two outs. Infield stays back. The count runs full and a liner to right is a single and it ties the game. Game tied at 2-2. Righty hitter is Hill, with one on and one down. A fly ball to right and it's two away. Studdard bats lefty, with a man on and two outs. A ground ball to second and the 4-3, ends the inning. Bottom of the third and tied 2-2.
Hollanquist will go back to the hill, for the Bobacats in the Horn third. Leading off is Kody Clemens, batting lefty. Grounder to short and the 6-3 is a lead out. Barrera bats righty, with an out. He sees his second full count pitch of the game and K's swinging, on the low inside fast ball, two away. Kacy Clemens bats lefty, with two gone. A high fly ball to left and the wind has it and it clears to the Bobcat bullpen, for a homer. Anything to left will get a big boost. Texas leads 3-2. Baker bats righty, with two outs. He is hit by a pitch and reaches, for a runner. Lefty hitting Mathis, with a man on and two gone. He grounds a single through the right side and it's two on, Baker to third. Gurwitz bats righty, with two on and two outs. A liner to center and it drops, for a single, run scores. Texas leads 4-2. Ty Harrington out and he make a pitching change.
The new Bobcat pitcher is Brandon Lewis, a lefty. Ty Rand will bat against him, from the right side, with two on and two outs. He lines to second and it ends the frame. Texas gets the lead back 4-2, after three.
Texas will send Beau Ridgeway, to the mound in the Bobcat fourth, the freshman right hander. Hubbard leads off, from the right side. He K's swinging on a foul tip, one away. Righty hitter is Paul, with one out. A swinging bunt in front of the plate and Barrera has it, the 2-3 is two down. Sherely bats righty, with two gone. He pops up and Kacy Clemens has it, the side down quickly in order. Bottom of four and Texas leads 4-2.
Lewis will come back to work another inning, for the Bobcats. Bottom of the order is McKenzie, batting righty, for the Horns in their half of the fourth. A groundere toward the hole on the left side and the third baseman dives and has it, the 5-3 is a nice play, for one down. Jones, the top of the order, bats righty, with one away. He lines a single to left center, the first hit before two outs made. One on and one away for Kody Clemens, batting lefty. A passed ball will send Jones to second. A wild pitch and then a throw into left field will score the run, on the E-2. Texas leads 5-2. Clemens walks, for another runner. Pitching coach out, then goes back to the dugout. Barrera bats righty, with one on and one out. He takes a fast ball down the middle, the K is two outs. Kacy Clemens bats lefty, with two outs and one on. A chop back to the mound goes 1-3, the side down. Texas adds an unearned run and now leads 5-2, after four.
Ridgeway wil pitch another inning, as the fifth begins. Leading off for the Bobcats is the catcher Huber, batting right handed. He can't check his swing and K's on a fast ball on the outside corner, one down. Almendarez will bat righty, with one away. A grounder up the middle to Baker and the 6-3 is two away. Top of the order is Ortega, batting righty, two outs. A pop on the right side of the infield and Clemens has it, the side down in order again. Halfway through the midweek game and Texas leads 5-2.
Lewis pitches again in the fifth, for Texas State. Texas leads with Baker, batting righty. A high fly to shallow left center is one away. Mathis bats lefty, with one gone. He walks, for a runner. Gurwitz bats righty, with one on and one out. A liner goes by the third baseman and down the line, in left field, is a double, to put two aboard. Here comes Ty and another pitching change is made.
The latest hurler for Texas State is a right hander, in Joe Powell, with a record of 0-1. Rand will face him, with runners on second and third, with an out, batting righty. A fly ball to left center will be a SF, two gone. Texas leads 6-2. McKenzie bats righty, at the bottom of the order, two outs and a man on second. Another wild pitch moves the runner to third. He walks to put two aboard. The top of the order again, in Jones, batting righty, with runners on the corners, two gone. Grounder to second and the 4-3 will retire the side. Texas adds another run and leads 6-2, after five played
Ridgeway is back out again, as the Bobcat sixth starts. Leading off is is the lefty hitting DH, Newman. A grounder goes into right field, for a lead single. Hill bats righty, with a man on. He K's swinging, on a fast ball, one away. Lefty hitter is Studdard, with a man on and one away. A liner to center is a single, to put two aboard. Hubbard bats righty, with two on and one away. A liner to second and the runner off first, so it goes as a 4U-3 double play and the side retired. To the bottom of the sixth and Texas ahead 6-2.
Powell pitches the Texas sixth, for the Bobcats. Kody Clemens bats lefty, leading off. A liner to left and it's one away. Barrera bats righty, with one out. He takes a fast ball on the inside corner, his third K of the night is two down. Kacy Clemens bats lefty, with two outs. He has a couple of hits in the contest. A fly ball to center and the side down in order. Six played and Texas leads 6-2.
Texas will send another freshman right hander to the mound, in Erick Dunbar. Ridgeway out, after three scoreless innings of work. He could get the win, up to the scorekeeper. The Bobcats will lead off with Paul, batting righty. A grounder to third goes 5-3, one out. Righty hitter is Sherely, with one gone. Another grounder goes up the middle, for a single. Huber bats righty, with one on and one down. He takes a slider, that comes back over the outside corneer, the K is two outs. Almendarez bats righty, with one on and two outs. Yet another grounder and this one to short and the flip to second goes 6-4, to end the frame. Stetch time in Austin and Texas leads 6-2.
Texas State sends in Chase Hodson, another righty, with a 3-2 record. Baker leads off, for Texas, batting right handed. He walks on four pitches, for the first lead runner for Texas, in the game. Lefty hitting Mathis, with a man on. Baker goes and beats the throw, stolen base. He takes a fast ball, for a called K, one away. Gurwitz bats righty, with a man on and one gone. He foul tips a high fast ball into the mitt, the K is two down. Rand bats righty, with a man on and two outs. A full count and he K's swinging on a high fast ball, as Hodson strikes out the side. Seven played in complete, Texas leads 6-2.
Dunbar stays in to pitch the Bobcat eighth frame. Texas leads off with Ortega, at the top of the order, batting righty. Two hopper to third and the 5-3 is one down. The DH is Newman, batting lefty, with an out. Another grounder to second and a wide throw is handled by Clemens, the 4-3 is two away. The righty slugger is Hill, with thirteen homers, on the season. He lines a double off the fence in left, his second double of the game, just a good hitter. Studdard bats lefty, with a man second, two gone. A grounder behind first and Clemens has it, goes to the bag, for 3U putout, side retired. Bottom of eight and Texas ahead still 6-2.
Hodson is back to the bump, for the Bobcats, in the eighth. Texas starts off the frame with the bottom of the order, in McKenzie, batting righty. He K's swinging, on a high fast ball, the fourth in a row now for Hodson. Jones is up again, as the top of the order comes back, he bats righty, with an out recorded. A fly ball to center and it's caught, at the edge of the track, two outs, the first non K out, or Hodson. Kody Clemens is up lefty, with two gone. A shallow fly to center this time and it retires the side in order. To the ninth, Texas leads 6-2.
The third straight freshman right hander is Chase Shugart. He comes in a non-save situation, to try and close out the game. Dunbar pitched two scoreless innings. The Bobcats send up Hubbard, batting righty, leading off. Grounder to second goes 4-3, for the first out. A pinch hitter is Nick Perez, batting righty. A full count and a fast ball taken, on the outside corner, the K is two outs. Sherley steps in, batting righty, trying to extend the game. He K's on a hard slider, that ends the game. Texas wins 6-2 and inches closer to the .500 mark, back after the post game.
Great job keeping the surge going. Sets us up nicely for the huge weekend showdown. Snag at least 2 of 3 from OSU and we're back to even and in business heading into the 8-game final stretch. Let's do this, Horns. OSU sucks!
Texas beats Texas State for the 24th straight time. The game was tied 2-2, bottom of the third. Then it was all Texas from there, they score four unanswered runs, the biggest blow, a homer by Kacey Clemens. Three freshman relievers put up six scoreless innings, to close out the game. Texas State has become kind of like the Washington Generals, for the Horns. The Longhorns being the Harlem Globetrotters. Now on to bigger and hopefully better matters. The weekend series against resurgent Oklahoma State, the Cowboys have crept back into the top 25, after taking their series against TCU. That momentum is tempered somewhat, as they lost their return game at Arkansas tonight 7-6. They won an earlier game against the Pigs, at Stillwater. So it's all to play for next weekend at the Disch, starting on Friday night, see ya then.
The implications of this weekend are monumental to the conference race. Tied for 3rd place, Texas and OSU square off to decide who stays in contention. While 1st (TTU) and 2nd place (TCU) battle at the top. By winning our series...either we pull within striking distance of both teams above us (TCU wins series) or claim second place (TTU wins series). Couldn't ask for a more exciting weekend with so much on the line. Our resurgent hitting will be tested by OSU's #1 pitching staff in conference. While our #3 pitching staff looks to suppress OSU's last place hitters.
