In a complete shift from the high scoring games on Thursday and Friday nights, with teams blowing the other out, Texas defeated No. 23 Kansas State 6-3 in Manhattan, Kansas. With the win on Saturday, the Longhorns snagged the series victory and are yet to drop a series in Big 12 play.
For Texas, the story of the day was pitching. Despite giving up 11 hits, the Texas pitching staff did its job of leaving the runners stranded. Sophomore Max Grubbs registered the win for the day and is now 4-0 on the season.
In six innings, Grubbs threw 88 pitches, faced 25 batters, struck out five and only walked one. He gave up one unearned run on six hits, but his stellar performance and ability to close out innings kept Texas in the game.
“(Max was) outstanding,” Texas head coach David Pierce said to ESPN+. “I mean he really pitched well on the inside corner, used the slider and threw enough change ups to a really good hitting and lineup. They’ve got a great team, and I thought Max came out and really battled and just competed really well.”
Though Grubbs played well, the Texas relievers struggled. Redshirt junior Chase Lummus took the mound next and quickly recorded a fly out and a line out from the batters he faced. But Pierce must not have liked what he saw from Lummus as he was pulled for redshirt sophomore Grant Fontenot.
Fontenot faced the next three batters and loaded the bases with two hits and a walk. He was quickly replaced by redshirt sophomore Gage Boehm.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Boehm was called to the mound. He struck out the first batter he faced and temporarily avoided another bullpen collapse for the Longhorns.
Kansas State was able to bring itself back within one run at the bottom of the eighth inning, bringing the score to 4-3. With two outs and two runners on base redshirt junior Andre Duplantier II took the mound and gave up one run, but was able to limit the damage and end the inning.
Duplantier had a 1-2-3 inning to end the game as the Texas offense did not let off the gas until the final out.
In the ninth inning, sophomore first baseman Jared Thomas and senior utility Peyton Powell launched back-to-back solo home runs to seal the game for Texas. The only other offensive spark the Longhorns had came in the third and fourth innings.
Redshirt junior designated hitter Kimble Schuessler doubled to bring two runners home in the third and a throwing error and sacrifice fly in the fourth inning gave Texas two more runs. Sophomore catcher Rylan Galvan, still wearing No. 52 after his usual No. 6 jersey went missing before Friday’s game, took advantage of a wild throw and came home from third. Sophomore shortstop Jalin Flores hit a sacrifice fly to bring home freshman second baseman Dee Kennedy.
Though the scoring was sparse and unlike the beginning of the weekend, Pierce and his team will be heading back to Austin with a series win.
“We got smoked on Friday night and (had to) get over that and regroup and play two really good games,” Pierce said. “So (I’m) really, really proud of our team.”
