Eighth inning rally helps Texas defeat Kansas State 6-5

JT Bowen, Normal Sports activities Reporter
April 9, 2023

It wasn’t fairly, however a five-run eighth inning finally helped the Longhorns come again to steal a win from Kansas State on Friday night time within the first contest of their three-game sequence.

Lucas Gordon labored by a rocky first two innings on the mound to assist Texas pull out the victory. The junior leftie wasn’t himself the primary inning, strolling one Wildcat and hitting one other to place runners at second and third, however he escaped the inning with out ceding a run.

The Longhorns opened the scoring within the backside of the primary, taking the lead on an RBI-single from redshirt junior outfielder Porter Brown who rifled successful into proper area that drove junior proper fielder Dylan Campbell residence.

Gordon’s second inning was even uglier, although, hitting one other Kansas State batter and strolling the following Wildcat to load the bases. He walked the following batter to provide the Wildcats the tie and hit his third batter in two innings to provide Kansas State a 2-1 lead.

“I simply thought it was going to be a kind of nights the place we’re gonna should go to the (bull)pen early,” head coach David Pierce mentioned of Gordon’s begin. “I requested him within the dugout and mentioned, ‘You okay?’ and (Gordon) goes ‘Coach I’ve it. I acquired it.’”

Gordon discovered his groove because the night time went on, tossing 4 scoreless innings in the remainder of his motion. He mixed for 9 strikeouts and only one hit in these frames, preserving the Wildcats at bay, however the Longhorns lack of ability to search out any offense saved the sport at 2-1 in Kansas State’s favor by the tip of the sixth inning.

Pierce turned to redshirt sophomore Andre Duplantier II within the prime of the seventh to alleviate Gordon, and he equally acquired off to a tough begin. The suitable-handed pitcher walked a pair of batters earlier than overthrowing freshman Jared Thomas at first base on a sacrifice bunt, permitting Kansas State to extend its result in 3-1. 

Redshirt sophomore Chase Lummus changed Duplantier II with runners at second and third and no outs. The Wildcats punched in two extra runs on a sacrifice bunt, making it a 5-1 sport. 

Nonetheless, the Longhorns’ bats got here alive within the backside of the eighth after a hitless inning by Lummus. On the prime of the order, after a bunt by Eric Kennedy, redshirt senior middle fielder, the Longhorns rattled off three doubles and a triple in 4 at-bats to tie the sport at 5-5, all going down in a matter of minutes.

With no outs and a runner on third base, the Longhorns erased the Wildcats’ lead, and retook it on a sacrifice fly into proper area by senior pinch hitter Tanner Carlson to drive in Porter Brown, placing the Longhorns up 6-5.

“That was an emotional sport,” mentioned Campbell, who hit the primary of the three consecutive doubles that kickstarted Texas’ comeback. “I don’t assume anybody anticipated that, however that’s simply who we’re. We’re by no means out of the sport so long as we acquired one out to play with.”

Redshirt junior Zane Morehouse took the mound to shut the sport for Texas, a job he’s discovered success in since being moved out of the beginning rotation. He iced it for the Longhorns, taking credit score for his fifth save of the yr.

“For him to be in that position, you’ve gotta have thick pores and skin,” Pierce mentioned of Morehouse’s efficiency. “It’s a troublesome position. Hardest outs are the primary three and the final three, and it was nice to see him simply come again and assault the zone.”

Lummus was credited with the primary win of his profession after his hitless eighth inning teed up Texas’ offense to storm again.

“I don’t assume we’re ever out of it till the sport is over,” Lummus mentioned. “We all the time know now we have an opportunity. It was a 4-run sport, however that’s not a lot for us. It was nice to drag out a win.”

Texas raises to 22–9 on the season and 5–2 in convention play and can look to clinch the sequence Saturday at Disch-Falk Discipline.