It’s been nine long months since Texas fell one game short of the College World Series in a loss to TCU at the Super Regionals.
This year’s Longhorns (1-0) did their part to ease the pain, beating Maryland (0-1) 8-0 in the season opener at UFCU Disch-Falk field.
Starting pitcher Taylor Jungmann gave up a smattering of hits in the first two innings, but got better as the game wore on. He pitched a complete game on 95 pithces, notching his first win of the season. Effective the entire game, Jungmann allowed just five hits in nine innings, to go with nine strikeouts.
“I thought he did a masterful job,” said Texas head coach Augie Garrido.
With Jungmann pitching a shutout, Texas didn’t need more than one run to win the game. It looked like it might stay a low-scoring contest through the first five innings, but the sixth and seventh innings proved otherwise.
With freshman Mark Payton on first, sophomore Jonathan Walsh slapped a double off the right field wall. Sophomore outfielder Cohl Walla got his only hit of the game on the next at-bat, bringing in Payton on an RBI bunt single.
The Longhorns scored seven runs in those two innings, thanks to a continuance of rallies and some timely hits. Sophomore Cohl Walla had only one hit of the afternoon, but it was a big one as his sixth-inning bunt brought home Payton, snapping a three-inning scoring drought.
That opened the floodgates. After Walla’s bunt, Texas went on a tear, scoring three more runs in the sixth inning and then riding that momentum to a two-run seventh.
Key to the offensive explosion was freshman Erich Weiss, who made his first career start at third base. Weiss finished 3-for-3 at the plate, with a triple, and brought in three runs. Weiss had at Brehnham High School, but his performance on opening day was unlike anything he’d ever been a part of.
“We won the state championship is high school. That was a great feeling, but today is even better,” he said. “There were so many people, I was nervous at first, but it felt good to settle in.”
The Longhorns will be able to win most games with their pitching and defense, but it’d sure be a nice luxury if they can light up the scoreboard, as well.
