Eight runs in the fifth inning provided a nice cushion for No. 19 Texas baseball to its former Big 12 foe No. 17 Oklahoma State 14–8 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
“We learned we can win ball games in different ways,” Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “To just endure the emotions of Friday night and score 24 runs over the course of the next two games, that’s exciting.”
It was all Cowboys in the top of the first. Feeling the pressure, Texas sophomore pitcher Kade Bing had difficulty on the mound, hitting two batters and letting up an RBI double to put Oklahoma State on top by two scores.
Matching the Cowboys output, freshman infielder Adrian Rodriguez found deep right field for the Longhorns’ first home run.
“I just had to get the jitters out of the way (in the) first game,” Rodriguez said. “I felt really good coming into this game; seeing the ball really well, putting bats to the ball, that’s all you can ask for.”
Retaking its lead in the third, Oklahoma State found left field adding two more runs to their total. Chipping away at their growing deficit, Texas sophomore outfielder Will Gasparino’s double in the bottom of the third brought Rodriguez home for a score.
Back-to-back fielding errors by the Cowboys paved the way for the Longhorns to take the lead by two.
With graduate infielder Kimble Schuessler and Rodriguez both in scoring position, sophomore outfielder Tommy Farmer IV capitalized on his second pitch, singling out to left field to bring his two runners home.
“Just the momentum, we got something going, things started to fall,” junior outfielder Max Beyleu said. “We really got closer as a team.”
The Longhorns batting rotation was far from ending, Beyleu’s double to right trotted Farmer IV in for the run. To join the action, Gasparino hit the Longhorns’ third home run of the night, meeting Beyleu at home for Texas’ seventh run of the inning.
Junior infielder Jalin Flores rushed home for Texas’ eighth and final score of their massive inning after a wild pitch thrown by Cowboys junior pitcher Mario Pesca.
A sacrifice fly out by sophomore pinch hitter Casey Borba set up Belyeu for his third run of the night.
The Cowboys attempted to rally in the eighth inning, scoring three runs on the Longhorns’ closers but their deficit was too much to overcome ultimately being Oklahoma State’s final scores of the night.
With bases loaded, Gasparino was walked on the 3–1 count, letting Mendoza briskly jog into home, sealing the Longhorns victory at 14 runs.
“We’re excited to get home and get in front of our fans and just get into the rhythm of the season,” Scholssnagle said.
Texas will take on the Houston Cougars for their home opener Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m. at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Texas.
