Replicating its struggle to create enough offensive and defensive security on Thursday against BYU, Texas baseball ultimately dropped its Big 12 series to the Cougars following a 7-5 loss on Saturday. This was their first series loss in the Big 12 conference.
The lack of aggression on both sides of the game plagued the team for the entire three-day series and paved the way for BYU to get easy scoring opportunities.
“When we don’t give things away, we’re in a good spot,” head coach David Pierce said. “You can win a game early and you can lose a game early. They got after us early, and we just couldn’t overcome it.”
BYU was on a roll from the get-go, led by redshirt sophomore catcher Collin Reuter, who hammered three home runs across five innings. Reuter recorded four home runs throughout the three-day series, the most he’s hit in any series this season.
Reuter’s first homer of the game came at the top of the first inning for two RBIs, putting BYU in the lead 2-0. A single and a sac fly gave the Cougars two more RBI to extend their lead to 4-0 in the second inning.
In an attempt to generate some energy for Texas, senior left fielder Porter Brown knocked a solo home run to left field in the bottom of the second.
Reuter answered with his second homer of the game at the top of the third for another two RBIs, extending BYU’s lead to 6-1.
Sophomore starting pitcher Max Grubbs had an underwhelming start for Texas and would only last two innings before a call to the bullpen. Grubbs had one of his most subpar performances of the season, allowing four earned runs and only striking out two of the 12 batters he faced.
Pierce didn’t seem too comfortable with any of the players he sent to the mound all afternoon, as Texas saw six pitching changes over seven innings. The defense allowed nine hits, seven runs, and eight walks total.
“The bottom line is we got to be much more aggressive out of the bullpen,” Pierce said. “You have two blueprints. Yesterday we found the zone, today we pitch behind and don’t pound the zone.”
Brown’s home run, a two-run bomb after a single by sophomore first baseman Jared Thomas, and another homer from sophomore shortstop Jalin Flores accumulated for Texas’ only runs up until the seventh inning.
With BYU leading 7-3, the Longhorns finally got some traction with doubles from both Flores and sophomore catcher Rylan Galvan for two RBIs. Carrying a 7-5 score into the ninth, redshirt sophomore pitcher Gage Boehm was able to shut out BYU in a wave of suspense. It was no good use, as two strikeouts and a pop-up to second base would leave Texas with the loss.
The Longhorns will travel to San Marcos on Tuesday to take on Texas State for the second time this season, hoping to receive a win after losing to the Bobcats during the Astros Foundation College Classic.
