Pan Am vs. Texas Better Late Than Never

[NBHorn7]

I come home to this

.

I hate the 4:30 starting time.

I see Payton hasn't reached base and his streak is in jeopardy.

The 38 game win streak against Pan Am is on the line.

That after seven full innings we haven't scored against Pan Am

Bottom line Texas trails Pan Am 1-0 in the top of the eighth.

One positive I see looking over the stats is that John Curtis
started and pitched two scoreless innings.

 

[NBHorn7]

Morgan Cooper starts the top of the eighth pitching for Texas.

A ground ball to third is out one.

I see that Josh Sawyer gave up the lone run of the game.

Garcia grounds out to second for two away

Coooper faces Bryan Ramerez who lines one over third down the line for a double that puts a man in scoring position with two away.

A foul popt to third retires the side.

Bottom of the eighth on the way Texas trails 1-0.

 

[NBHorn7]

Johnson leads off the eighth and the count runs full and he pops out to first where the first baseman is wearing some sort of mask for one away.

Gurwitz bats and draws a one out walk.

B. Marlow up with a man on and a wild pitch moves the tying run to second.

Marlow K's swinging for two away.

Payton will reach base for a 48th straight game as he is intentionally walked to put two on.

Hinojosa up with two on and a chance to tie or give Texas the lead with two away.

A balk moves both runners along as nobody was at first to take the throw so the pitcher hung on to the ball.

A full count now for C.J. with two runners in scoring position, but he skies a shallow pop to left to end the threat and leave the runners stranded.

Eight innings have been played and Pan Am on top 1-0 in a game that looks like so many last year.

 

[NBHorn7]

Top of the ninth is here and Thornhill comes out to pitch it for Texas.

Garcia Jr. up for Pan Am to lead it off and pops out to second for one out.

A cue ball shot to third and McGuire makes a bare handed pick up and the across the body throw is a nice play for out two.

Mason pinch hitting up now grounds one off Thornhill's glove and there is no play. It's an infield hit that is the ninth of the game for the Broncs.

Huckabay hits one off Thornhill's leg and again ther is no play and that hit puts two on for Pan Am.

A walk loads the bases.

Big batter for Thornhill to keep Texas close.

Howe bats for Pan Am and this time a ground ball is flagged down by Thornhil to record a big out three and leave them loaded.

To the bottom of the ninth Texas trails 1-0.

 

[NBHorn7]

Halton is the new pitcher for Pan Am and Clemens leads off the ninth for Texas.

He walks on four pitches for a good start for the Horns.

McGuire up now and is the bunt in order

But on the sixth straight ball it goes between the catcher's legs and the wild pitch moves Hall who is pinch running up to second.

Ball eight puts two on now and that is all for Howe.

The new pitcher for Pan Am is righty Tanner Dickerson.

Two on and now Carter will run for McGuire.

Montalbano up with again with the bunt in order.

He does bunt and the pitcher fields and throws to third to get Hall on the force. Not a good bunt there.

One down with still two on for Barrera. The pinch runner palooza continues as Shaw runs for Montalbano.

Another wild pitch does what the bad bunt couldn't and two runners in scoring position now.

They are intentionally walking Barrera to load the bases now which is odd as Barrera has been in a long slump.

Johnson up with a chance to end the game as a victory for either team enters the box on the right side.

Yet another pinch runner for a Barrera is Ty Marlow. This might be a Texas record for pinch runners in an inning.

John flies one deep enough for a SF that ties the game at
1-1.

The runners tagged and moved up to second and third.

Two outs for Gurwitz who grounds sharply up the middle, but the shortstop shaded that way makes the play to retire the side.

No repeat of 1971 when Pan Am beat Burt Hooten 1-0 tonight.

Free baseball tonight tied at 1-1

 

[NBHorn7]

Wholesale changes for Texas since they pinch ran for nearly the entire team last inning.

Thornhill is still pitching and walks the lead off man Garcia.

One on for Ramerez, Silver is at first now for Texas.

The sac bunt is down and that moves the runner to second with one away.

A fly ball tor right is out two as the runner tags and moves to third.

This time Texas walks a hitter intentionally to put two men on with two away.

Runners on the corners for Stites with two away. He grounds deep into the hole on the right side past Silver, but B. Marlow ranges over and makes a sliding graba, gets up and nips Stites at first on a great play that keeps the game tied.

Bottom of the tenth comes now with game deadlocked at 1-1.

 

[NBHorn7]

Florez is the new pitcher and following the old baseball tradition of leading off after making a great fielding play.

He flies out to left for one away.

Payton up gets his first out with a line single to right center.

One on and one away for Hinojosa and a snap throw pick Payton off first for the second out.

Hinojosa grounds back to the mound and quickly after the hit the Horns are retired.

Even though I was lated I may get in my nine innings of work.

Top of the eleventh coming tied at 1-1.

 

[NBHorn7]

Thornhill out again on the mound has thrown a lot of pitches for a closer as he approaches his 60th toss of the night.

Again he walks the lead off hitter to put a man on first.

Pan Am botches the bunt attempt as it's missed on a 0-2 pitch. for out one.

The next batter lines to B. Marlow who throws back to first for a 4U-3 double play to retire the side.

Texas up to try to end this game in the bottom of the 11th.

Game still tied at 1-1.

 

[NBHorn7]

Silver leads off for Texas in the 11th and he gets a lead off walk become the possible winning run.

Carter gets the bunt down to move the runner into scoring position.

Shaw one of the many pinch runners for Texas bats for the first time and grounds one hard up the middle and second baseman dives and makes the stop and throws him out.

Another defensive gem keeps this game going.

Felts up now as he came in for Montalbano with the winning run on third.

He lines a single up the middle for his first hit of the year and drives home the winner.

Texas wins 2-1 in eleven innings.

 

[Mesohorny]

 

[NBHorn7]

Well that was like pulling teeth, but it prevents one of those losses like last year that drives down your record and that matters at the end of the year.

The bats went silent again, but the fielding and pitching were once again excellent.

An unexpected source provides the game winnier as Silver scores it and Felts drives it in with his first hit of the year in two at bats.

It's a win that grows the winning streak over Pan Am to 39 games back to that memorable NCAA play off game that Hooten lost 1-0.

Still a lot of work for this team to do before conference comes if we are to contend this year.

 

[Hook 'Em Danno]

 

[caryhorn]

I just read your play by play. It was very good! Thanks for doing that. Informative and entertaining!!

 

[sailorhorn]

Ditto

 

[Brad Austin]

Wow that was ugly. But I feel a hell of a lot better with Augie harping on the players in practice after a win.

 

[LonghornCatholic]

 

[dillohorn]

hitting just didn't show up.

 

[Brad Austin]

What do you mean? Solid batting was on the scene, Pan Am had 10 hits. They even drew 5 walks. That's a BA of .263 and an OBP of .395 Our guys were across from them playing tickle-dick and batting .129