Texas State has nicknamed its home ballpark “Slam Marcos” and wasted no time showing No. 15 Texas and senior pitcher Charlie Hurley why. Texas State defeated Texas 11-10 by way of three home runs, including a two-run shot in the ninth inning to put the Bobcats back in front of the Longhorns.
On just the third pitch of the game, Texas State leadoff hitter freshman Ryne Farber launched a home run just over the right-field wall.
Because of this, Hurley was never able to find a rhythm and his day ended with two outs in the second inning. In the second, he gave up one unearned run on an errant throw to second and a wild pitch. After he loaded the bases and threw a second wild pitch, his day ended and he was replaced by redshirt sophomore Luke Harrison.
“We need to pitch better,” Head Coach David Pierce said. “We need extension from our starting pitcher and to attack the strike zone.”
Throughout the game, Texas used five pitchers and Texas State used seven. The pitching struggles for Texas started early and remained for the entirety of the game.
Harrison walked the first batter he saw to load the bases and then gave up a grand slam. Just two innings in, Texas was down 6-0.
“If we don’t make the mistakes in front of the home run, then it’s probably one or two runs instead of four,” Pierce said. “(He’s) got to be able to attack the strike zone and have confidence with his pitches.”
After that, the game turned into a home-run derby. Despite being down six, Texas put up three runs in the bottom of the third inning and never stopped fighting.
In the seventh inning, senior infielder Jack O’Dowd entered the game as a pinch hitter. With two runners on base and Texas down two runs, he did exactly what he came into the game to do: give Texas the lead.
With the game-tying runs on first and third base, he launched his first home run of the season beyond the right field fence, putting Texas in front of Texas State for the first time, 9-8.
“I love the way we battled and continued to fight at home plate,” Pierce said. “We got some big hits for some guys who have been struggling, but we just have to get complete. We’ve got to get the three phases (of winning) together and keep building on the positives and understand where we need to get better.”
Redshirt senior outfielder Porter Brown also hit his first home run of the season in the eighth inning. O’Dowd and Brown were just two of the four Texas players to hit home runs. Sophomore outfielder Max Belyeu and sophomore shortstop Jalin Flores each hit solo home runs in an offensive surge.
Texas had a few late offensive surges, but ultimately they fell short and the defense lapses proved to be fatal.
“Obviously, it wasn’t enough,” sophomore center fielder Jared Thomas said. “We had a lot of opportunities to score and to hold them to less runs but we didn’t take advantage of those. I didn’t think we did a good job at that last night either. But we’re gonna come out here and we’re gonna battle tomorrow.”
Texas returns to Minute Maid Park for its final game of the Astros Foundation College Classic against No. 9 Vanderbilt on Sunday morning. Texas will also face Texas State again later in the season when the two teams will meet in a midweek home and home series in April.
