Reaching an 11th inning after leaving the ninth and tenth tied at 3-3, Texas baseball had one final chance to keep Baylor at bay and come away with a series-opening victory on Friday night.
Despite Texas’ best efforts, a double from Baylor senior infielder Daniel Altman set the Bears up to score and gave them a 4-3 lead in the top of the 11th. Texas was unable to respond and dropped its first game against Baylor in extra innings.
The only runs from the entire game came from sophomore first baseman Jared Thomas and redshirt senior third baseman Peyton Powell, combining for a total of three runs and three hits.
The duo have been consistent hitters throughout the season so far, being a reliable source for scoring when Texas needs a boost of momentum. Thomas has recorded a hit in 18 of 21 total games and has a run in 16 of them, while Powell has recorded a hit in 19 games and leads the team with 25 RBIs.
“They’re both great hitters,” Head Coach David Pierce said. “We definitely rely on them, but we got seven other guys on the lineup that got to get it done as well.”
The duality of Thomas and Powell also lies in the infield on defense, as the two stay sharp when looking to ground an opponent out.
In the top of the second inning, Baylor’s Will Pendergrass looked eager to speed past third base after hammering a double to right center field. A quick throw to Powell from the outfield reached his mit before Pendergrass could meet third, leaving teammate Tyriq Kemp on second base. However, Kemp met the same fate on a fielder’s choice, as he raced to third base until Texas redshirt junior pitcher Lebarron Johnson Jr. threw to Powell for another out on third.
The Texas defense saw seven ground outs for the night, with shortstop Jalin Flores getting his fair share of the action as well.
However, the Bears’ outfielders began to pick up the pace during the fourth inning, leaving Texas stranded on base with zero runs. Baylor eventually caught up to Texas, taking the lead at 3-2 at the top of the seventh, with the Longhorn defense looking to be losing its momentum.
Texas managed to bring the score up 3-3 by the end of the eighth inning, leading into a tenth that would leave both teams frustrated with no hits or runs. By the 11th inning, Altman’s double brought in teammate and redshirt junior Kade Fletcher to score, bringing Baylor up 4-3 to end the game and Texas was unable to respond on offense.
“Coach Pierce preaches pitching and defense, so if we do that, we’ll have a chance to win every game we’re in,” catcher Kimble Scheussler said. “So it’s something we need to tighten up.”
The Longhorns will return to UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Saturday for the second game of the series against Baylor at 2:30 p.m. in hopes of claiming a win in their next two match-ups.
