FINAL
Texas - 4
Kentucky - 5
BOX SCORE
Winning Pitcher: Cole Hentschel (1-2)
Losing Pitcher: Thomas Burns (0-1)
RECAP
#2 Texas Longhorns came into today's game riding a 9 game conference winning streak. Unfortunately, that winning streak was snapped as the Horns fell in 15 innings to the Kentucky Wildcats.
At the end of the game, the Horns scores just 4 runs on 8 hits, leaving 9 runners on base and committed a single error. That error though proved costly as a sac bunt attempt in the Bottom 15th inning was picked up by Rylan Galvan and fired to 1B. Unfortunately it was wide of the bag and went down the 1B line. To compound that throwing error, Tommy Farmer was not backing up 1B and instead trotting in towards 2B, allowing the runner already on 1B to motor around and go home. The eventual throw home was not only late, but way high of Galvan securing a walk-off win for the Wildcats.
The Horns pitching staff struck out a season high 16 while allowing only one walk on the day and that lone walk did not happen until the 12th inning of the game.
In the Bottom 2nd, Kentucky got on the board first as they led off with a double to LF off starter Luke Harrison. The runner then advanced to 3B on a fly out to LF and then scored on a single up the middle. After the next batter struck out swinging, Kentucky got another single and followed that 2 out single up with a another single through the left side to take a 2-0 lead.
In the Top 4th, Rylan Galvan led off the inning by hitting a mammoth blast to LF to make it 2-1 Kentucky. After Will Gasparino and Casey Borba struck out, freshman LF Adrian Rodriguez was hit by a pitch on the foot, bringing SS Jalin Flores to the plate. On a 1-1 count, Flores got a pitch right over the heart of the plate and sent it the other way off the top of the center RF wall for a 2 run blast giving the Horns a 3-2 lead.
That home run by Jalin Flores was the 31st of his Texas career, moving him into a tie for 8th place with Longhorn legend Drew Stubbs and Eric Kennedy.
In the Bottom 5th, Kentucky got a 1 out single to LF and then after a fly out to the SS, stole 2B to put a runner in scoring position. That would prove to be a pivotal point as a single through the left side allowed the runner to score tying the game at 3-3. That also prompted Jim Schlossnagle to go to the bullpen to bring in Aiden Moffett who got a strike out swinging to end the frame.
In the Top 8th, Ethan Mendoza entered the frame 0-3 on the game, just as he did last night and once again came up big by hitting a double off the RF wall to lead off the inning. Rylan Galvan followed that up by hitting a popup to the SS, but Mendoza was able to advance on a wild pitch and then scored on another wild pitch with some heads up base running to make it 4-3 Horns. The Horns threatened to add more after a Casey Borba double to LF, but Adrian Rodriguez ground out to 1B to end the frame.
In the Bottom 8th, Kentucky threatened to tie up the game or worse take the lead after Jason Flores hit the first two batters he faced. That prompted Jim Schlossnagle to go to the bullpen to bring in freshman LHP Dylan Volantis. Schlossnagle had stated he did not want to use the freshman today, but alas, sometimes baseball dictates the terms. The freshman really showed an extra gear in inheriting runners on 1B and 2B with no outs, proceeding to retire the next three batters via strikeout, fielder's choice, and strike out to put up a zero and keep the Horns ahead 4-3.
In the Bottom 9th, Kentucky led off the frame with a solo blast to LF to tie up the ballgame. That earned run was the first that Dylan Volantis had given up in SEC conference play. Volantis did not back down though and retired the next three batters in order to send the game to extra innings.
I am going to skip forward to the 15th inning, but suffice to say, the Horns didn't do much of anything at the plate in extra innings.
10th (2 out walk), 11th (retired in order), 12th (2 out single, 13th (2 out HBP), 14th (retired in order). YIKES.
In the Top 15th, Tommy Farmer led off by popping up the the SS. Ethan Mendoza then hit a single through the right side, followed by a Rylan Galvan single through the left side. That prompted Kentucky to go to the bullpen and the new pitcher got Will Gasparino to fly out and then struck out Casey Borba to keep the Horns off the board.
In the Bottom 15th, Thomas Burns was still in the game, having come into the game in the Bottom 11th. After giving up a lead off single to LF, the next batter laid down a sac bunt. Except that it wasn't a sacrifice at all because the throw to 1B by Rylan Galvan went wide of the bag and due to the fact that Tommy Farmer was not backing up 1B, the runner on base motored all the way around and slid in to score for the walk off. OUCH
BIG MOMENT
Rylan Galvan has been a rock behind the plate this season for the Horns, but unfortunately an errant throw on the attempted sac bunt in the Bottom 15th allowed Kentucky to walk it off, giving Kentucky the win.
INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE
Thomas Burns hasn't gotten a ton of inning this year, but the sophomore righty went 4 innings, scattering 3 hits, walking 1 batter, and striking out 4. Unfortunately, he did give up a a lone run.
NEXT UP:
Horns (28-5, 12-2 SEC) will take on Kentucky (19-13, 6-8 SEC) tomorrow at 11am CT in a rubber match. Winner claims the series
