Bullpen, offensive woes value Texas collection opener in 2-1 loss to Oklahoma

JT Bowen, Common Sports activities Reporter
April 22, 2023

Simply two nights after placing up 20 runs, the Longhorns might solely muster one in opposition to Oklahoma on Friday. The sport was a microcosm of Texas on a nasty evening this season: a stable pitching begin negated by shoddy bullpen work and anemic offense. Bats have been chilly on each side, however the Sooners’ pitching held up the entire technique to maintain Texas to 6 hits and assist them squeak out a 2-1 victory.

“We had a chance, we simply didn’t reap the benefits of it,” Texas head coach David Pierce mentioned. “They have been higher than us tonight.” 

Junior ace Lucas Gordon continued his terrific yr, tossing 9 strikeouts to 6 hits and permitting only one run in seven innings. The leftie shaved his ERA all the way down to 1.84, which comfortably leads the Huge 12 and now ranks within the top-10 of NCAA Division I pitchers.

“Excellent,” Pierce mentioned of Gordon’s evening. “Did a fantastic job of controlling the run recreation, a fantastic job of simply attacking the strike zone and making them earn it.”

The Longhorns took the lead within the second inning on a drawn stroll by junior shortstop Mitchell Daly with the bases loaded to attain junior catcher Garret Guillemette. Nevertheless, with the bases nonetheless loaded and only one out, the Longhorns have been unable to tack on any extra runs in not solely the inning, however the remainder of the evening.

Texas executed arguably the play of the evening within the prime of the second when junior second baseman Jack O’Dowd corralled a success close to second and flipped it to Daly, who tagged the bottom and loaded as much as throw a laser to freshman first baseman Jared Thomas to shut the inning on a double play.

Nevertheless, the Longhorns have been burned by a pair of inopportune double performs on the offensive finish, one by junior second baseman O’Dowd within the fourth inning that wasted a Jared Thomas triple and one other by redshirt junior left fielder Porter Brown within the sixth on a floor ball that took an unlucky bounce proper to the Sooners’ second baseman.

The Sooners knotted the sport up within the prime of the fifth on an RBI-double.

Whereas the offense did them no favors, the Longhorns’ bullpen in the end value them the sport in what’s turning into a theme of the season. Sophomore David Shaw, who was credited with the loss, left runners on second and third in lower than an inning of labor and one other quick outing from junior Heston Tole loaded the bases. Sophomore Ace Whitehead entered and walked his solely batter on a full rely to provide Oklahoma the successful run and hold the bases loaded, however a Jared Thomas flyout in foul territory stored the Sooners from extending the lead any additional. 

Regardless of the loss, Pierce wasn’t displeased along with his relievers’ performances.

“I believe our guys that got here in late within the recreation just about did their job,” Pierce mentioned. “Boogie (Whitehead) was only a pitch away from maintaining it tied and I preferred the matchup, I preferred the look in his eye.”

Whitehead gave Texas a glimmer of hope after a clear ninth inning that stored the Sooners from reaching a base, however the backside of the Longhorns’ batting lineup couldn’t stroll it off, regardless of Porter Brown singling and reaching second base on a sacrifice bunt to place them in place.

“Clearly you don’t need to lose the primary recreation, however that’s why you play three,” Gordon mentioned. “And we now have all the religion in our group to come back again and nonetheless win the collection.”

Texas drops to 27–13 on the yr and eight–5 in convention play, and can look to even issues up at UFCU Disch-Falk Subject on Saturday.