The last time the Longhorns played at Disch-Falk Field, they mustered only two runs in 18 innings of play.
However, against Incarnate Word on Tuesday night, the Texas offense exploded for seven runs on 11 hits, including two home runs. The Longhorn pitchers kept the Cardinals in check for a 7–1 win.
“I thought the best part about the offense was that we scored in the first three innings,” head coach Auggie Garrido said.
The No. 12 Longhorns (11–6) wasted no time getting on the board. Junior left fielder Ben Johnson jumped on the first pitch Texas saw to lead off the bottom of the first with an infield single. He then advanced to third on a throwing error that the third baseman made. The next batter, senior right fielder Collin Shaw, attacked the first pitch he saw for a double down the right field line to score Johnson.
After bringing across another run on a safety squeeze bunt in the second inning, Texas struck again in the third because of freshman third baseman Bret Boswell’s RBI double, which glanced off the left fielder’s glove to bring in two runs. Boswell then scored on the next batter when freshman catcher Michael Cantu singled to left.
Sophomore catcher Tres Barerra and senior second baseman Brooks Marlow closed out the scoring with back-to-back home runs in the seventh — the first time Texas has hit back-to-back homers since 2010.
Five of Texas’ runs Tuesday came with two outs, something Garrido said it hasn’t done lately.
“Today was the first day where we really, with two outs, capitalized on the one out we had left and kept the rallies going,” Garrido said.
The Longhorns also got solid outings from each of their four pitchers from the mound. Freshman pitcher Tyler Schimpf, who made his first collegiate start, retired each of the first seven batters he saw. His lone blemish came when he hit a batter in the third and didn’t make it out of the inning.
Schmipt, who previously had a 3.86 ERA in three appearances out of the bullpen, said he’s starting to get comfortable pitching for Texas.
“Coming from high school starting, it was a little bit different being a reliever, so getting my first start today was nice,” Schimpf said. “It felt like the old times throughout high school.”
Sophomore pitcher Jon Malmin, freshman pitcher Jake McKenzie and junior pitcher Travis Duke followed up with at least one inning pitched each and combined to give up only one hit, while strikingout two.
Senior pitcher Ty Marlow closed out the game with two near-perfect innings, allowing a run on two hits with two strikeouts in his second appearance after Tommy John surgery. The Longhorns open up Big 12 play with a three-game series against West Virginia beginning at 6 p.m. Friday.
