In a Tuesday matchup against Sam Houston, No. 7 Texas baseball found its momentum early in the game, scoring in six out of seven innings to produce a 13-3 run-ruled win.
“We scored in every inning but the first one,” Schlossnagle said. “Regardless of the score, guys kept putting together good at-bats. One through nine (in the batting order), thought we stayed on the ball and used the whole field.”
Junior infielder Jalin Flores led the Longhorns’ hitting performance with a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning, earning the Longhorns a 4-1 lead. Before the end of the inning, the Longhorns added one more run with a single from graduate infielder Kimble Schuessler that brought home junior catcher Rylan Galvan.
Flores’ longest hitting streak of the season was eight games, but he was not riding a hitting streak coming into the Sam Houston matchup. However, alongside his home run, the San Antonio native added two hits, four RBIs and a sacrifice fly, which allowed sophomore infielder Ethan Mendoza to score.
“(I’m) trying to stick to my routine,” Flores said. “Doing my daily stuff each and every day to make sure I’m clear in the mind and I’m ready to perform.”
Sophomore outfielder Will Gasparino, however, was on a five-game hitting streak and extended it by hitting a double down left field that allowed Schuessler to score in the second inning, tying the game.
Gasparino’s double, though, was not the highlight of his hitting performance as he hit a home run in the fifth inning, extending the Longhorns’ lead to 10-2.
“I’ve been struggling a lot of ups and downs and working with (assistant coach Troy Tulowitzki) and I think I finally figured some stuff out for this game,” Gasparino said. “It was nice to finally feel good in the box and see the ball well again.”
Alongside Flores and Gasparino, Mendoza had three hits and three runs, while freshman infielder Adrian Rodriguez had a home run and two RBIs. It was Mendoza’s 12th game with multiple hits and Rodriguez’s fourth game with multiple RBIs.
The Longhorns claimed their win in seven innings, run-ruling the Bearkats. The shorter game comes after Texas lost 8-7 in a 12-inning game against UTSA last Tuesday and earned a 2-1 Southeastern Conference series win over then No. 2 LSU.
“Obviously, it helps,” Schlossnagle said. “That’s two innings guys don’t get to play or get to pitch. But I think what most importantly is Kade Bing and Jason Flores being efficient and just having to use those two guys and then Aiden Moffett for one out. That really helps us on the weekend.”
Bing, a sophomore pitcher, earned his first Longhorn win, throwing 59 total pitches for 37 strikes and four strikeouts in four innings. Freshman pitcher Jason Flores came in for Bing in the fifth inning, pitching 33 total times for 21 strikes and three strikeouts.
Texas baseball’s next appearance will be in Columbia to face Missouri for its third SEC series. The first pitch on Friday is scheduled for 6 p.m.
