Stepping up to the plate at the bottom of the fourth inning, sophomore outfielder Max Belyeu launched his first career home run and first hit of the season to left field, recording two RBI along the way to help Texas win the series over Cal Poly. As he made his way around the bases, he waved to a standing ovation crowd of 8,033 attendees who celebrated with him.
The Longhorns continued their shutout streak against the Cal Poly Mustangs on Saturday in their second game of the series, coming away with a 6-0 win and leaving their opponent scoreless to bring home the series victory.
After a stagnant first two innings, Texas came in with its first run in the bottom of the third with a hit from redshirt senior Peyton Powell, scoring junior catcher Kimble Schuessler.
Texas managed to turn up the heat offensively after being late to make a dent on the scoreboard Friday night. Home runs from both Belyeu and sophomore center-fielder Jared Thomas during the fourth and seventh innings, respectively, were the highlights of the afternoon.
“We just went out there and competed, that’s what we do. So we’re going to stay with that mentality,” Thomas said.
Thomas has already proved himself a key asset for the team despite only having one full year of experience under his belt. One of the most prolific batters on the roster, posting a .542 batting average, Thomas has recorded a double in nearly every game so far this season, while also adding at least one run and one hit per game.
“He fights at home plate and doesn’t give anything up,” Head Coach David Pierce said. “He just loves the game … and he’s not afraid to fail.”
Another crucial element to Texas’ success came from the mound once again. It was another field day for the Longhorn defense, as pitcher Charlie Hurley kept the Mustangs under control through six innings of work. The six-foot-eight-inch senior recorded three strikeouts and brought his ERA down to 0.93 on the season, allowing no runs, one walk and four hits. This comes as a significant improvement from his performance against San Diego the weekend before when he gave up one run and two hits in 3.2 innings.
To replace Hurley at the top of the seventh inning was sophomore Grant Fontenot, who pitched a perfect 1.2 innings, allowing no hits or runs and striking out three. Junior pitcher David Shaw even got his moment on the mound, also throwing three strikeouts and only giving up one hit.
“Being able to shut them out both games gives the offense a lot to work with,” Thomas said. “We’re able to go out there and score runs without any pressure. We’re doing everything we can to win, and those guys are helping a bunch right now.”
Texas will face Cal Poly for the final game of the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. in hopes of claiming a perfect sweep.
