OSU vs. Texas Game 3

[NBHorn7]

It's the third game of the series and it's a make or break game for staying in the conference race.

OSU is starting right hander Vince Wheeland who pitched in Friday's game as they have to go inning by inning and try to get to their closer.

Texas of course starts right hander Nathan Thornhill.
So just like last weekend Texas has decided pitching advantage. It didn't work out for well for the Horns though last Sunday.

 

[NBHorn7]

Donnie Walton, playing short leads off for the Cowboys against right handed senior Nathan Thornhill for Texas.


Walton steps in left handed and grounds out to first for one away.


Saulyer Saxon in center bats lefty also and a ground ball to short and Hinojosa throws it low. Clemens can't pick it and it's an error.

First baseman Tanner Kreitemeier, from the left side bats with one down alnd one on.

The runner goes from first and Barrera one hops the throw, but it's picked by Hinojosa and the tag is in time for two down.

Kreitemeier walks to put a man on with two down.

Gage Green, the left fielder today bats with two away and he K's swinging on a change to retire the side.

Texas comes to bat as OSU is denied in the first.

 

[NBHorn7]

Marlow leads off the first for the Horns against right hander Vince Wheeland.

Marlow needs to get going if this offense is to start clicking.
He works a full count before driving one to deep left center that the centerfielder ranges back to the track for one out.

Johnson bats right handed and flies the first pitch to right for two away.

Payton bats for the first time on Senior Day at the Disch.
He grounds out to short to retire the side in order.

One played and it's 0-0.

 

[NBHorn7]

Thornhill faces Zach Fish the DH.
He bats righty and grounds one up the middle that Hinojosa flags, but their is no play and it's an infield hit.

Tim Arakawa, plsy second and bats lefty.
He lays down the bunt to move the runner along.

One down as Connor Costello, the right fielder bats righty.
He skies one to shallow right and Shaw comes in for the catch for two down.

Third baseman Craig McConaughy, bats ttrying to stake OSU to an early lead with a runner at second.
A fly ball to left and the wind keeps carrying it and it's gone over the left field into the bullpen.

OSU leads 2-0.

Bryan Case, the catcher bats righty and flies out to Shaw to retire the side.

The big fly gives OSU a 2-0 lead to the bottom of two.

 

[NBHorn7]

Barrera leads off against Wheeland in the second.

He steps in righty and he drives one to left and it's gone as the ball is carrying well today.

OSU leads now 2-1.

Hinojosa bats right handed and he K's looking for one down.

Shaw steps in from the left side and he lines one foul down the left field line that the left fielder comes over alnd makes the grap just short of the stands for two away.

Gurwitz swings righty and grounds to second 4-3 to retire the side.

Texas gets on the board, but after two innings OSU leads 2-1.

 

[NBHorn7]

Thornhill in the third faces the top of the Cowboy order.

Walton steps in left handed for the second time.
Also for the second time he grounds out to Clemens 3U.

Saxton in left handed with one away.
He K's swinging on a change, and on a close play the out is completed 2-3 by Barrera for two away.


Krietemeier bats leftty again with one down.
He also K's swinging on the slow change to end the inning.

Bottom of the third and OSU leads 2-1.

 

[NBHorn7]

Wheeland begins the Texas third by facing Clemens.

He lines one up the middle off the pitcher's glove to the shortstop and it's a 1-6-3 out one.

Carter is back at DH today trying to overcome an oblique injury.
He chops one up the middle and the shortstop has it and their is two down.

Marlow at the top of the order still looks for his first hit of.the series.
He blasts one to the wall in right and the wind keeps it in the park, but it's off the wall for a two out double.

Johnson bats trying to tie the game for Texas, he grounds one to the hole on the left side and the shortstop dives and snags it, but has no play except a flip to third for a shot at Marlow.

That doesn't work and it's runners on the corners with two down for Payton.

Mark steps in from the left side.
Johnson has a big lead at first and draws some throws.
He does steal without a throw to put runners at second and third.

The open base and a 3-1 count may not get Payton a pitch.
The count does go full and then a low inside pitch is a walk as expected to load the bases and extend his on base streak to 83 games.

That brings Barrera who had the long ball for Texas's only run so far.

He flies deep to left center this time, but the centerfielder is there for the play to retire the side.

Three big runners stranded.


Three completed and OSU leads 2-1.

 

[LonghornCatholic]

 

[NBHorn7]

Green leads off for the Cowboys in the fourth against Thornhill.

He bats lefty and works the count full.
A walk put him on as a lead runner.

Fish bats righty and he drives another homer over the left field wall as that was really tagged.

The hanging change makes it 4-1 OSU.

Arakawa steps lin lefty, then lines a single to left.

Costello bats with one on and nobody out.
A full count is reached and he K's swinging for one away,

The runner was off on the pitch and steals without a throw.

McConaughy bats right handed and he went deep his last at bat.
Another full count and a line single to center scores another run and the batter goes to second on the throw home.

OSU leads now 5-1 and here comes Skip.
Thornhill can't keep the change down and he is getting ripped because of it and his pitch count is already at 72.

He stays in though.

Case bats righty and a jam shot to center falls and it's another run.

It's 6-1 now.

Walton at the top of the order and he lines a single to right.

I would think that has got to be all for Thornhill and out Skip comes to get him.

Just a really bad outing for Thornhill and a rare one for Texas starters.

 

[NBHorn7]

Left hander Ty Culbreth is the new Texas pitcher.

He faces Saxton batting lefty.
He bats with two on and one down.

The count runs full, then walks to load the bases.

Krietemeier bats lefty and grounds it third and Gurwitz fields and steps on the bag for an out and then the throw to first is wild and another run scores on the error.

It's 7-1 OSU.

Gage Green bats with two down and two on.
He grounds out to second to mercifully retire the side.

Five OSU runs score in various ways as they now lead 7-1 to the bottom of four.

 

[NBHorn7]

Blake Battenfield is the new OSU pitcher as the Cowboys try to get to their closer if he is needed.

Battenfield the righty pitched yesterday.
He faces Hinojosa as the Texas fourth starts.

C.J. steps in righty and K's swinging on a held foul tip.

One away as Shaw steps lefty.
He grounds a single up the middle into center.

One aboard with one down for Gurwitz.
He grounds hard toward the third base bag.
The third baseman backhands it and gets a 5-4 force for two away as the relay was late.

Clemens bats with two down and one on.
He flies a high one to right that retires the side.

Bad day at the Disch so far as OSU leads 7-1 after four.

 

[NBHorn7]

Chad Hollingsworth is in for Texas on the mound as the Cowboy fifth starts.

The first batter he faces is Fish and he lines the first pitch right to Johnson in left for one away.

Arakawa steps from the left side.
He bloops one out to Johnson and he again makes the play for two down.

Costello bats with two down right handed.
He K's looking on a big hook to retire the side in order.

Halway through the final game of the series and it's all OSU.
They lead 7-1.

 

[NBHorn7]

Battenfield faces Carter in the Texas half of the fifth.

He bats right handed and lines out to right field for one away.

Marlow at the top of the order bats with one down.
He lines a single to right for a base runner.

Johnson bats with one on and one down.
He pops one to shallow center and the second baseman backs up and makes the catch for two down.

Payton bats with two down and one on.

He slaps a single to left to put two on.

That brings up Barrera who has a homer and another deep fly ball today.
The long ball is needed to get back in this one.

He grounds to third and it's booted and recovered and the long throw across the diamond is still in time to retire the side.

Five are done on Senior Day and it's a bad send off so far as OSU leads 7-1.

 

[NBHorn7]

Hollingsworth is back out for the sixth.

He faces McConaughy batting righty leading off.
He flies to Payton in center for one away.

Case bats with one down.
He K's looking as Hollingsworth continues to pitch well in this series.

Two down as Walton brings the top of the order back for OSU.
He flairs one down the left field foul line that Johnson makes the running catch on to retire the side in order.

To the bottom of the sixt with OSU in command presently 7-1.

 

[NBHorn7]

Battenfield faces Hinojosa as the Horn sixth begins.

He grounds to third and McConaughy again boots it and this time it's an error for a lead runner for Texas.

Shaw bats lefty and tries to get the big inning goine that Texas must have to get back in this one.

He lines his second single up the middle and Hinojosa rounds and goes to third.

Runners on the corners with no outs for Gurwitz.
He chops a ground ball over the pitcher's head and the shortstop fields and goes to first for the out.

A run scores and it's 7-2.

That brings out the pitching coach and he makes the change.

 

[NBHorn7]

Alex Hackerott the left hander who has also saw action yesterday as OSU continues to reuse pitchers and get to the closer.

He faces Clemens batting lefty with Shaw at second with one down.

He pops up foul to the third baseman for two down.

Carter is up with two down and one on.
You need to score another run here or it's going to be a tough road for Texas.
He grounds to short to retire the side.

Texas gets one back, but needed more you would think.

Six played and it's OSU ahead 7-2.

 

[NBHorn7]

Saxton leads off against Hollingsworth as the seventh starts.

He walks for a lead runner.

Krietemeier lays down the bunt to move him over for one down.

Skip comes out for a chat.
He leaves Chad in.

Green bats lefty with one down and one on.
He slaps a liner to left for a single to put runners on the corners as the runner held at third.

Fish bats with one down and two on.
He K's swinging for two down.

Arakawa bats with two down and two on.
He lines a single up the middle for another Cowboy run.

That makes it 8-2 and this getting out of hand.

Costello grounds out to third 5U to end the inning.

Stretch time at the Disch on Senior Day and things are not good as OSU leads 8-2.

 

[NBHorn7]

Marlow leads off the seventh for Texas at the top of the order against lefty Hackerott.

On a full count pitch he walks on an outside fast ball.

One on for Johnson now needing to keep it going as Texas has to have a big inning.
On a 1-2 pitch a fast ball rides in and clips Johnson to put two on.

So Payton is up with two on and no outs.
He sends a fly ball foul to left down the line and the left fielder slides through two Cowboys and makes the catch for one away.

Barrera bats righty with two on and now one down.
A lazy fly ball to left off the end of the bat is two away.

Hinojosa up now with two down and if Texas doesn't score here you can probabaly stick a fork in them.

A double steal by Texas caught OSU off guard and now a hit scores both most likely.
He K's swinging for a hat trick on the day.

Texas puts two on and no outs and they don't score.

After seven it's OSU 8-2.

 

[NBHorn7]

John Curtiss comes in to pitch the eighth and most likely the ninth.

He faces right handed hitting McConaughy leading off for OSU.
He grounds a lead single to center threw the box.

One on for Case and he tries to bunt and can't get it down on 0-1 or 0-2 and fouls it off for a K for one down.

Walton at the top of the order bats lefty with one down.
He grounds into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.

Bottom of the eighth and it's still 8-2 OSU.

 

[NBHorn7]

The closer is in the game in Brendan McCurry and with a six run lead.

He faces Shaw in the Horn eighth.
A ground ball goes to first for a 3U out one.

Gurwitz bats righty with one down.
He grounds back to the mound for a 1-3 out and two away.

Clemens bats with two down.
He walks on four pitches for a runner.

Carter bats now with one on and two down.
A ground ball to short goes 6-4 to retire the side.

Eight now played in Austin and it's just a beat down as OSU leads 8-2.

 

[NBHorn7]

Curtis pitches the ninth and faces Saxton leading off.

The left handed hitter K's swinging on a fast ball head high for one away.

Krietemeier from the left side and he lines a low drive to center that Payton keeps coming and makes a thigh high catch for two down.

Green bats lefty and he lines one that Shaw goes back on and then turns back on and catches with both hands to end the inning and retire OSU in order.

So Texas needs one of their biggest scoring innings of the year to keep this one alive.

OSU leads 8-2 as we go to the bottom of the ninth.

 

[NBHorn7]

McCurry faces the top of the Texas order in the ninth.

Marlow leads off with a fly ball to right for one away.

Johnson bats righty with one down.

He grounds a single to right field to put a runner on.

Payton bats with one on and one down.
He takes one the other way in the alley to the gap in left center.

It scores Johnson on the double to make it 8-3.

the pitching coach comes out and there seems to be some question if McCurry is healthy.

He does stay in.

Barrera bats with Payton on second and one down.

He flies out to medium center for two away.

Hinojosa is Texas's last chance.
Another fly ball to center ends the game.

Payton adds a nice Senior Day to his resume with a rbi double as Texas adds a run.

OSU though gets the win 8-3 and the series. They look like a championship club.


Two weeks ago Texas looked the part. With two home series against the teams they needed to beat at the top of the standings.

They lose 5-6 of those games and now find themselves in fourth place with two road series left.

Today like last Sunday Texas had a big pitching advantage.
Like last Sunday they lost.

OSU didn't even have a third starter, just retreads from the first two games to get to their closer.

They can hit though and did. Thornhill gave up six earned runs today after having only given up seven before today.

That's not a good combination with a struggling offense that since facing better pitching hasn't done much.

Six conference games left and all on the road. Need to at least win those two series to stay in the upper part of the conference.

 

[LonghornCatholic]

Done

 

[Vol Horn 4 Life]

It sucks to be this mediocre in every sport but golf and quidditch.

 

[Brad Austin]

What a kick to the groin these last 2 series have been. Guess we've been revealed when facing stud pitching staffs. Aside from the powerful starters, both teams had dominating closers. Reminds me some of our pitching staffs in the recent past. It was all about getting from our ace starters to our dominating closers.

We've now faced it this year and we failed miserably. Bad news is, these are the type staffs we'd encounter past the regional. Of course that's even if we could hit enough to get past a regional field, which is certainly not a given at this point. What a buzzkill.