The battle of fourth place is in Morgantown, with Texas with a 1/2 game lead over WVU. There is rain around the ballpark, but not delays so far. Tomorrow's game time has been changed because of potential bad weather. The new starting time is 1 pm central time. I think that WVU offers a free video stream of these games, which I believe will be at this link. WVU vs. Texas (Friday) - WVU Athletics The audio is as always on texassports.com. Looking for line-ups.
Waiting for Texas and WVU to post their line-up. If they don't then use this. West Virginia vs. Texas Texas starters: WVU line-up:
Chad Donato will get the start for WVU, a right hander, with a 2-3 record and an era of 2.99. So far no rain and the wind blows out toward right field, across from left field. Travis Jones leads off for the Horns, as the DH, batting right handed. He takes the big overhand curve ball, for a K, one down. Third baseman is Kody Clemens, batting lefty, with an out. A fly ball to right center is two away. Tres Barrera bats righty, he is catching tonight, two outs. A fly ball to right and the right fielder and second baseman collide and drop the baseball. It's ruled an E-4, to put him on second. First baseman is Kacy Clemens, batting lefty, with a man on and two down. A fly ball to left will end the frame. Texas with a runner, nothing more, WVU comes to bat.
Sophomore right hander is Morgan Cooper, getting the start, for the Horns. WVU leads off with their left fielder, Braden Zarbnisky, batting lefty. He grounds a ball past a drawn in Clemens at third, in because of the bunt thread, it's a lead single and runner. Kyle Davis, the DH, bats righty, with a man on. He takes a curve ball, for a called third strike, the K is one away. The right fielder is Darius Hill, batting lefty, with a man on and one down. He hits a soft liner back to Cooper, he goes to first for a inning ending 1U-3 double play. So WVU also with a runner, but nothing across, after one it's nothing for either side.
Donato is back for the second for WVU. Joe Baker is the shortstop, batting righty, leading off for Texas. Our first full count and a liner over third and caught on a dive, by the third baseman, just a bit off the end of the bat, good play for one down. The right fielder is Patrick Mathis, batting lefty, with an out. A high foul pop, on the left side is caught by the third baseman, two away. Centerfielder is Zane Gurwitz, batting righty, with two outs. A deep drive to right center and the wind helps it get out, for a homer. Texas leads 1-0. The left fielder is Ty Rand, batting righty, with two gone. He swings at curve in the dirt, the 2-3 completes the K, side retired. Texas gets on the board, on the homer by Gurwitz, so 1-0, bottom of the second.
Cooper out for his second inning of work, with the lead. Moutaineers lead off with Ivan Vera, batting right handed, the third baseman. A high pop to second and it's one away. First baseman is lefty hitter, Jackson Cramer, with an out. A full count and he swings through a fast ball, the K is two down. The catcher is Ray Guerrini, batting righty, with two outs. Another full count and he K's swinging at a high fast ball, to end the frame. Two played and Texas leads 1-0.
Donato will return for the Texas third, for WVU. The Horns lead with the bottom of the order in Jake McKenzie, batting righty, he plays second base. Two hopper to third and the 5-3 is one away. Top of the order again in Jones, batting righty, with an out. Grounded to short and the 6-3 means two away. Kody Clemens bats lefty, with two down. He bunts and it is caught on a dive in foul ground by the diving third baseman, side down in order. Bottom of the third and Texas leads 1-0.
Cooper back to the mound, as the WVU third frame starts. Leading off for the Mountaineers is their centerfielder, JC Huth, batting right handed. Grounded over the mound and McKenzie has it and throws against his body low, but not dug by Clemens, it goes as an infield hit, thought Clemens had it. but it came out. Kyle Gray, the second baseman, bats righty, with one on. He bunts it by Cooper, and the flip by McKenzie is late, another infield hit, two aboard. Shortstop is Jimmy Galusky, batting righty, with two aboard. He squares and then swings away and lines a single to right, a run scores. Game tied 1-1. Runners on the corners for Zarbrinsky, the top of the order, batting lefty. He flies to center and it's deep enough for the SF, one away. WVU leads 2-1. Davis bats righty, with a man on second, one away. Grounded to short and it's late, a fielder's choice puts two on. Should have gotten an out there. Throw was a bit wide toward the plate, it made the difference. Hill bats lefty, with runners on the corners, one away. A ground that Clemens has on a dive at third and it's a 6-4 force, the relay late, another runs scores WVU leads 3-1. Righty hitter is Vera, two down and one on. A liner gets over third, down the left field line, the double scores another run. The non out at third has really cost Texas. WVU leads 4-1. Lefty hitter is Cramer, with a man on and two outs. He K's swinging on a fast ball, the K ends the inning. WVU plates four runs, the non out at third was key, they lead 4-1, after three.
Donato back on the mound, now with the lead, in the fourth. Barrera leads off batting righty, for Texas. A ground ball in the hole and the shortstop knocks it down, but no play, another infield hit. Kacy Clemens bats lefty, with a man on, from the left side. He walks to put two on. Righty hitter is Baker, with two on. He doesn't bunt and K's looking at a fast ball, one away. Mathis bats lefty, with two on and one out. A liner to right center is caught, for two down. Righty hitter is Gurwitz, with two aboard and now two outs. A grounder to third and the 5U force will end the inning. First two reach and then three straight outs, WVU leads 4-1, bottom of the fourth.
Cooper returns to work the fourth for Texas. The WVU catcher Guerrini, leads off, batting righty. Rain begins to fall lightly. A full count and a blooper to left, off the end of the bat, is a lead single. Huth bats righty, with a man on. He bunts and the sac goes 1-3, for one away, runner to second. Gray bats lefty, with a man on and one down. He lines to second and the runner caught off, the 4U-6 double play ends the frame. Four played and WVU leads 4-1.
Donato pitches the fifth looking to become the pitcher of record, for WVU. Rand leads off, batting righty, for the Horns. Grounder to first wide of the bag and he feeds the pitcher covering just in time, for the 3-1 first out. Bottom of the order is McKenzie, batting righty, with an out. A full count and a grounder to third and the 5-3 is two outs. Top of the order back in Jones, batting righty, with two gone. A grounder off the third baseman, as he dove, it's another infield hit. Kody Clemens bats lefty, with a man on and two away. Fly ball to center and it ends the inning. Halfway through the first game of the series and WVU leads 4-1.
Cooper back out again, for Texas, in the WVU fifth. Mountaineers lead off with Galusky, batting righty, at the bottom of the order. A fly ball to right by the line and it's one gone. Top of the order is Zarbrinsky, with an out. Fly ball to center and it's two down. Davis bats righty, with two gone. A liner to left is a single, for a runner. With a man on and two outs, Hill bats lefty. Another fly ball to center and that end the inning. After five in the books, WVU leads 4-1.
Donato rolls into the sixth, for the Mountaineers, having not given up anything since the home run. Texas leads off with Barrera, batting right handed. A fly ball foul, that the wind brings back in play is overun, so Barrera keeps batting. A high pop, on the right side is caught by the second baseman, one away. Kacy Clemens bats lefty, with an out. Rain is getting harder now. He swings through a fast ball, the K is two gone. Baker bats righty, with two outs. He bunts and the third baseman charges, barehands and throws him out 5-3, nice play in the rain, side down in order. Bottom of six and WVU ahead 4-1.
Freshman right hander is Beau Ridgeway, out to pitch the WVU sixth. Vera leads off, batting righty, for the Mountaineers. He walks for a lead runner. Lefty hitter is Cramer, with a man on. A liner to left, for a single, two on. Guerrini bats righty, with two aboard. Barrera throws to second and it hits Vera, and it goes into center, on the E-2. Both runners move up. A full count and he K's on the big curve ball, one away. Righty hitter is Huth, two on and one out. Infield in. He bunts and the squeeze is good for a run, on the 1-3 out, two away. WVU leads 5-1. Gray bats lefty, with a man on and two gone. A fly ball to left will end the frame. WVU tacks on an unearned run and leads now 5-1, after six played.
Donato will continue on in the seventh, for WVU. The Horns lead off with Mathis, batting lefty. A liner to right center is a lead single. Gurwitz bats righty, with a man on. His homer is the run for Texas. He walks on four pitches and for the second time tonight, the first two have reached. Rand bats righty, with two aboard. A liner to center will drop and it loads the bases. Bottom of the order is McKenzie, batting righty, with the bases full. A fly ball to center is a SF, run scores and the throw home is wild, moving the other runners to second and third, on the E-8. WVU leads 5-2 Jones bats righty, with two on and one away. Need more than one out of this, to get back in the game. Donato up to 114 pitches now. A full count and he takes a curve over the middle of the plate, the K is two gone. Kody Clemens bats lefty, with two on and two outs. He swings and misses the curve ball, to end the frame. Texas only gets one and WVU leads 5-2, as they stretch in rainy Morgantown.
Senior lefty is Travis Duke, in to pitch for Texas, in the seventh. Galusky will lead off, for the Mountaineers, batting righty. He bunts toward third and Clemens charges and throws late, yet another infield hit. Top of the order is Zarbrinsky, batting lefty, with a man on. He walks and it puts two on. Davis bats righty, with two on. He bunts and the sac goes 1-4, one out, runners move up. Lefty hitter is Hill, with two on and one away. Grounded to second and the drawn in infield will produce a 4-2 second out. Runners on the corners for Vera, batting righty, with two gone. He lines a single to right, for another run. WVU leads 6-2. Cramer bats lefty, with two on and two outs. A full count and A liner to right center is a double, it plates two more. WVU leads 8-2. Righty hitter is Guerrini, with a man on and two away. Another full count and He takes a fast ball, on the outside corner, the K will finally end the inning. WVU adds three more and have taken command of the game and most likely fourth place, in the Big 12. They lead 8-2, after seven.
New pitcher for WVU is right hander, Jackson Sigman, from Austin, Texas. No record and an era of 7.27. Barrera leads off batting righty, for the Horns. A check swing comebacker goes 1-3, one down. Kacy Clemens bats lefty, with an out. He takes a curve ball, on the outside corner, the K is two down. Righty hitting Baker, with two gone. He K's swinging, on the curve, side down in order. Bottom of eight and WVU in control, leading 8-2.
New pitcher for Texas in the eighth is Blake Wellman, the freshman right hander. Leading off for WVU is Huth, batting righty. Fly ball to center is one down. Gray bats lefty, with an out recorded. Full count reached and a fly ball toward the gap and it falls, for a double. Righty hitter is Galusky, with a man on and one down. A full count and he takes a curve ball, for a called strike three, two down. Top of the order one last time, is Zarbnisky, batting lefty, with a man on and two away. A little blooper to center and Gurwitz missed it on a dive, it becomes a double and another run scores. WVU leads 9-2. Lefty pinch hitter is Shaun Wood, with one on and two outs. He is a big guy and he lines a ball over the right field fence, the homer plates two more. WVU leads 11-2. Hill bats lefty, with two outs. He lines a single to left and it goes by Rand, a single and an E-7. Vera bats righty, with a man on and two down. He sends a fly ball to right and it ends the inning. Three more across and WVU is three outs from fourth place, leading now 11-2, to the ninth.
Sigman will pitch the ninth and try to close out the game. Texas leads off with Mathis, batting lefty. A high pop to short is one quick out. Gurwitz bats righty, with one down. He K's at a slider a foot outside, two gone. Pinch hitter is Bret Boswell, batting lefty, two away. A fly ball to left and the side down in order and the game over. WVU wins 11-2 and moves into fourth place, in the Big 12, back in a moment.
WVU dominates the game from nearly start to finish and drops Texas to fifth place in conference play. The weather and the game was nasty. You wonder if Texas even has their head in game anymore, the season is done, just waiting for the conference tournament. Back tomorrow afternoon, at 1 pm.
Not sure if I hope they have checked out for the regular season or not - It's hard to turn it off then turn it on again come tourney time. Therefore I don't see much hope come tourney time. -if they are still in the season, well, today's performance doesn't offer much hope either. See you again tomorrow...
The fewer games they win this season, the longer we'll have Augie around in his pursuit of 2000 wins. So c'mon guys, win out please!
Missed this one last night so I had to read the thread - thank you NBH7!! Another disappointing game / loss in this unpleasant season...
I am with Worsterman I could not follow the game last night but knew NBH would have provided inning by inning. I read every inning recap hating the way it went. But enough great things can't be said for what he does for us on Hornfans.
