Texas’ offensive woes continued Sunday afternoon but, unlike their last game, the Longhorns couldn’t produce the extra-inning runs to pull out a win.
Sophomore pitcher Nathan Thornhill threw 7.1 scoreless innings but got no run support as Loyola Marymount (5-7) squeaked past Texas (5-8), 1-0, in the first game of a doubleheader at UFCU Disch-Falk Field Sunday afternoon.
The Longhorns, who defeated Dallas Baptist, 2-1, in 12 innings last Tuesday, failed to advance a baserunner past second base in their loss to the Lions. Texas managed only five base hits in the contest, two of them coming from sophomore third baseman Erich Weiss – a first-inning double and a fourth-inning single – but Weiss was stranded both times.
The Longhorns had games scheduled against Loyola Marymount Friday and Saturday but both games couldn’t be played due to inclement weather. The first contest was cancelled but the second one was rescheduled for Sunday, when a doubleheader was to take place beginning at noon. Game 1 was supposed to be a seven-inning affair but after neither team was able to score through the first seven frames, it turned into a normal nine-inning contest. The second half of the doubleheader will have a drop dead time of 5:50 p.m. to accommodate the Lions’ travel arrangements.
Junior Hoby Milner replaced Thornhill in the eighth inning and got Texas out of a jam that had Loyola Marymount runners at second and third base. But Milner surrendered a leadoff single to junior second baseman Cullen Mahoney and was promptly taken out for freshman Parker French. A sacrifice bunt, wild pitch and RBI double by junior right fielder Steve Harkin pushed the only run of the game across the plate in the final frame.
Texas had the top of its lineup coming to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning but senior center fielder Tim Maitland’s single produced the only baserunner as Weiss flied out to short and a line drive from junior left fielder Jonathan Walsh was speared by Lions first baseman Shon Roe, who stepped on the bag to end the game. In their last 19 innings, the Longhorns have scored one run and are batting .106 as a team.
