Prairie View A&M vs. Texas

[NBHorn7]

Till this week, tonight's game would be against the worst team in D1 baseball, according to RPI rank. Prairie View slipped by Coppin State, this week into the #300 RPI slot, to prevent that.

Not that RPI matters anymore, but this game hurts your RPI rank, by just playing it. Nothing can improve the Horn's RPI to a decent level, by season's end now. The only way Texas reaches a regional is by making and then winning the Big 12 Tournament, at this point.

So let the game begin, it doesn't matter, but it's still a Texas baseball game. Josh Sawyer will start for Texas, on the mound.

Game is on LHN and the audio is on Texassports.com.

Lineups are next.

 

[NBHorn7]

Texas Lineup:

 

[NBHorn7]

PVAMU Lineup:

Walter Wells-SS
Kevin Macias-2B
Angel Avalos-DH
Grant Dougherty-C
Cody Den Beste-CF
Joseph Mack-RF
Carson Lee-1B
Jordan Jeanlouis-LF
Connor Wrye-3B
Edward Robledo-P

 

[giveemhell]

Keith Moreland’s take: if the Horns can win 7 of their last 8 regular season games, plus win at least 2 in the Big 12 tourney, they’d likely slip into the big tourney with 31 wins. “They need to play each game as if it’s their last…”

 

[NBHorn7]

The left hander Josh Sawyer, gets the start tonight, for Texas.

Walter Wells the Pather shortstop, leads off and bats right handed.
He walks to reach, for a lead runner.

The second baseman is Kevin Macias, batting righty, with one on.
He squares and lays down a 1-3 sac bunt and it's one away.

The DH, is Angel Avalos, batting righty, with a man on second.
He is hit by a fast ball on the shoulder, to put two on.

Grant Dougherty, is the catcher, batting righty, with two on.
Skip out and tries to settle Sawyer, if he can.
He takes a tight slider that break over the outside corner, for a backwards K and two down.

The center fielder is Cody Den Beste, batting lefty, with two on and two outs.
A chopper to second goes 4-3 and it retires the side.

Sawyer settles down and no damage is done, Texas comes to bat.

 

[NBHorn7]

Edward Robledo gets the start for the Panthers, a right hander.

Johnson leads off, batting right handed.
A ground ball goes right between the legs of the third baseman, down the left field line, for a two base E-5 error.

Gurwitz bats righty, with one on.
Johnson goes and steals third.
A liner up the middle is a single and scores the first run of the game.

Texas leads 1-0.

Barrera bats righty, with a man on first.
Gurwitz is on the move and he has second stolen easily.
A fast ball strikes Barrera a glancing blow, in the midsection, he reaches on the HBP.

Cantu bats righty, with two on.
He lays it down and the 5-3 sac is good.

Marlow bats lefty, with runners on second and third, with one out.
A ground ball toward the hole on the right side, is gathered and the 4-3 is out two, as another run scores.

Texas leads 2-0.

Baker bats with two outs and a man on third.
A single up the middle and it plates another run.

Texas leads 3-0.

Boswell bats lefty, with a man on and two away.
Baker goes and it's another easy steal.
Boswell grounds to first and is out by a step on the 3-1 play, to retire the side.

Texas scores three and leads 3-0 and the only question in this game, should be whether there is a ten run rule. One played so far.

 

[NBHorn7]

Sawyer back to the mound in the second.

Joseph Mack, the right fielder, will lead off batting righty.
A ground ball glances off Sawyer's glove and Baker charges and makes the play 6-3.

One down, for the first baseman, batting lefty, in Carson Lee.
Another ground ball to short is a more routine play, for two outs.

Left fielder Jordan Jeanlouis, bats lefty, with two outs.
He K's swinging and the side is down in order.

Bottom of two and Texas leads 3-0.

 

[NBHorn7]

Robledo pitches the second for the Panthers.

Stell leads off as the DH, batting righty, for the Horns.
He is hit by a curve ball, to reach, the second Horn, to gain first that way.

Shaw bats lefty, with one on.
He can't get the bunt down, with two foul tries at it.
Stell takes off and a liner to right, for a single, will send him around to third.

Johnson, at the top of the order, bats again, with runners on the corners.
A fly ball to center is deep enough for the SF.

Texas leads 4-0.

Gurwitz bats righty, with one on and one down.
Shaw goes and another steal, this a track meet, everybody runs.
A ground ball to second is the second out, Shaw advances to third on the out.

Barrera bats righty, with Shaw at third and two down.
A fly ball to right and that ends the inning.

Texas adds another run and leads 4-0, after two.

 

[NBHorn7]

Sawyer is back for the third, on the bump, for Texas.

Third sacker, Connor Wrye, leads off, from the right side.
The nine hole hitter will work the count full and a fly ball to right is gathered by Shaw, one down.

The top of the order brings Wells batting righty, up'
His ground ball to third is a 5-3 out two.

Macias bats right handed, with two gone.
A fly ball to Gurwits, in his tracks, in center, retires the side on order.

Texas leads 4-0, bottom of three.

 

[NBHorn7]

Robledo is still on the hill, for the Panthers, in the Texas third.

Cantu leads off batting righty.
A ground ball to short goes 6-3 for the first out.

Marlow bats lefty, with one down.
A ground ball up the middle is through, for a single.

Baker is back again, batting righty, with one on and one out.
A ground ball goes through, on the left side, another single.

Boswell bats lefty, with men at first and second, one down.
A slow roller to first and this time he wins the race with the pitcher to first, for an infield hit.

Stell bats with two the bases loaded and one down.
A ground ball to second and the 4-6-3 double play ends the inning.

Texas doesn't score for the first time, in a frame, they lead 4-0, three played.

 

[NBHorn7]

Sawyer works the fourth, for the Horns.

Avalos bats lefty leading off, for the Panthers.
He was hit by a pitch his first trip and he is hit again this trip, to reach.

Dougherty, bats righty, with one on.
Count goes full and a walk puts two aboard.

Den Beste, bats lefty, with two runners on.
He bunts and Sawyer fields and goes to third, but the throw is wild high, over Boswell's head. The E-1 scores a run.

Texas leads 1-0.

Runners and on second and third for Mack, batting lefty.
He walks to load the bases and this looks like Fort Worth now.

Skip out and with a hook.

Pitching change.

 

[NBHorn7]

Jon Malmin, the freshman lefty, is summoned from the pen, for Texas.

Carson Lee is the first batter he faces, batting righty, with the bases loaded.
He walks on four pitches to force in another run.

Texas leads 4-2.

Jeanlouis bats lefty, with the bases still loaded.
A 3-0 brings out Skip, to stall and say throw strikes.
Ball eight walks in another run.

Texas leads 4-3.

Skip out and another change. This is really ugly, but the no hitter is still going.

 

[shaggy refuge]

Jesus!

 

[shaggy refuge]

I'm out!

 

[NBHorn7]

Freshman right hander, Jake McKenzie, is in and hopes to throw strikes.

Wrye bats righty, with the bases still loaded, no outs.
A ground ball to second and the 4-6-3 double play is turned, the run scores.

Game tied at 4-4.

Wells bats righty handed, with a man on third, two outs.
A fly ball that Gurwitz runs down in right center, will finally end the frame.

The Panthers get four without a hit and the game is tied 4-4, bottom of four.

 

[NBHorn7]

Robledo is still pitching the fourth for Prairie View, who thought he would still be in the game and Texas would be on their third pitcher, so far.

Shaw leads leads off, batting lefty.
He walks on four pitches.

Johnson is back, at the top of the order, batting righty, with one on.
Shaw goes and another easy steal. Where has this been says Dunn? This PVAMU team is terrible Kevin, what are you looking at?
Johnson singles up the middle and a run scores.

Texas leads 5-4

Gurwitz bats righty, with one one.
Johnson goes and the throw goes into center, on another steal, the sixth so far.
A foul fly down the left field line and the shortstop takes it away from the left fielder, for one down.

Barrera grounds to third and the 5-3 is two away, runners holds at second.

Cantu bats righty with two away and a man on.
Johnson steals third without a throw.
A ground ball is through, on the left side and it scores another run.

Texas leads 6-4.

Malow bats lefty, with one on.
He flies out to left and side is down.

Texas back to the lead 6-4, four played.

 

[NBHorn7]

McKenzie is out again to pitch the fifth, for the Horns.

Macias leads off batting righty.
A ground ball to second, for a 4-3 out.

Avalos bats lefty, with one away.
A fly ball to right center and Gurwitz has it, for two outs.

Dougherty, bats righty, with two down.
He walks to reach.

Den Beste bats lefty, with one on and two gone.
A fly ball in foul ground, down the left field line, is run down by Johnson, to retire the side.

Halfway through a non classic at the Disch and Texas leads 6-4.

 

[NBHorn7]

A new pitcher is Pedro Maldonado, for the Panthers, a right hander.

Baker leads off batting right handed, playing short, for the injured Hinojosa.
A liner to the gap, in left center, is the third hit of the game for him, this time a double.

Boswell bats lefty, with a man on second.
A big over hand curve and a swing and a miss, is one down.

Stell bats righty, with one on and one down.
A liner to third is dropped by the third baseman, he picks it and makes the 5-3 put out.
Baker goes to third on the play.

Shaw bats lefty, with a man on third and two outs.
A swinging bunt third and he beats it out, as the run scores.

Texas leads 7-4.

Johnson bats righty, at the top of the order, with one on and two away.
Shaw goes and on a close call is called out, first close play on a steal, so why not. It ends the inning.

Texas adds a run and leads now 7-4, after five.

 

[NBHorn7]

Travis Duke has come in to pitch the sixth, for Texas, a left hander.

Mack leads off batting lefty.
A ground ball to third and Boswell hesitates and throws low, but picked on a nice scoop, by Cantu.

Lee bats righty, with one down.
He K's swinging, for two outs.

Pinch hitter is righty hitting, Kevin Lahaie.
He also K's swinging and that retires the side in order.

Texas leads 7-4, bottom of the sixth.

 

[NBHorn7]

Maldonado is again on the rubber for the Panthers, in the Texas sixth.

Johnson, who was left standing at the plate, on the aborted steal attempt by Shaw, is back leading off.
The right handed hitting left fielder, singles through the left side, to reach.

Gurwitz bats righty, with one on.
He fouls a bunt attempt off.
Johnson steals his fourth bag, again without a throw.
Gurwitz walks to put two on.

Barrera bats righty, with two aboard.
A hard shot, on a line to left, is another single, the run scores.

Texas leads 8-4.

Cantu bats with two, from the right side.
He bunts and the third baseman bare hands it and throws late to late to first, an infield hit.

Marlow bats lefty, with the bases loaded.
He sends a fly ball to shallow left, for one away, as the runners hold.

Baker bats righty, the bases loaded and one out.
A fly ball to center and the SF is another run.

Texas leads 9-4.

Boswell bats lefty, with two on and two outs.
A wild pitch in the dirt and off the shinguard, advances the runners to second and third.
A high foul pop, on the left side, is caught by the third baseman, to retire the side.

Horns with a couple of more and lead 9-4, after six in the books.

 

[NBHorn7]

Kyle Johnston, the hard throwing freshman right hander, enters the game, for the seventh. Will he have his control, you never know.

Wrye leads off, in the nine hole, batting righty.
A can of corn to Shaw, in right field, is one down.

The lead off hitter is Wells, batting right handed, one out.
A change in the dirt, is swung on and missed for the K, two gone.

Macias bats righty, with two outs.
A ground ball up the middle and Baker has it on a dive and tries a strange throw to first, as he rolls over, but to no avail.
The infield hit breaks up one of the strangest no-hit games you will ever see.

Avalos bats lefty, with a man on and two outs.
He K's swinging, to end the frame.

They stretch in Austin, as the only interesting thing left in the game, is now no longer there.

Texas leads 9-4.

 

[NBHorn7]

Maldonado is still around in the seventh, for Prairie View.

Grant Martin, will pinch hit, a bullpen catcher, in his first career at bat, as a Horn.
A full count and he K's swinging, as it's a nice moment for him.
He is even called out by the fans, for a tip of the hat.

Shaw bats lefty, with one down.
A high deep fly ball to right down the line and the wind pushes it toward the foul pole, it just gets over the fence, by the pole. It's a homer.

Texas leads 10-4.

Johnson bats righty, with one down.
He is hit on the elbow, but he is ruled to have stuck out his appendage, and stays at the plate, he did.
A fisted pop goes to the first baseman, for two away.

Gurwitz bats righty, with two gone.
A fly ball down the left field line, on the run, the left fielder, on a face forward dive, makes the catch, to retire the side.

Texas plates another, on the Shaw homer, they lead 10-4, after seven played.

 

[NBHorn7]

Kirby Bellow, the left hander, will pitch the eighth, for the Horns.

The catcher, Dougherty, leads off, batting righty.
A grounder to Baker in the hole, he has it and makes the long throw, for the 6-3 out.

Den Beste bats lefty, with one down.
He watches a sweeping slider catch the outside corner, for the backwards K, and two gone.\

A righty pinch hitter is Darrien Williams, with two outs.
A full count and he walks on an outside pitch.

Lee bats righty, with one on and two gone.
A fly ball to right and that retires the side.

Bottom of eight, Texas leads 10-4.

 

[NBHorn7]

Jordan Foster will come out and pitch the eighth, for the Panthers, another right hander.

Barrera bats righty, leading off for the Horns.
A curve ball comes inside and hits Barrera, he reaches for the second time that way tonight.

Cantu bats righty, with one on.
A fly ball to right is one out.

Marlow bats lefty, with one on and one down.
A full count and a line shot to right goes just over the Texas bullpen, for a two run dinger.

Texas leads 12-4.

Baker bats righty, with one out.
A fast ball plunks him on the shoulder, lots of HBP's tonight.

Boswell bats lefty, as one is on and there is one out.
He walks to put two on.

So Martin, as the DH, gets another at bat, batting righty.
He has two on and one out.
This time he takes a fast ball on the black of the outside corner, for a called strike three and two away.

Shaw bats lefty, with two on and two down.
He ground to first and the 3U, retires the side.

The Marlow two run blast makes it 12-4 Texas, after eight.

 

[mchammer]

So, hitting has improved over the last 8 games or so, but the pitching has gotten worse, or definitely not improved. Nothing much going right this year.

 

[NBHorn7]

Finally the ninth comes and right hander, Ty Marlow, will enter the game, to pitch it for Texas.

Lahaie, who pinch hit and came in to play left, batting righty, leads off, for the Panthers.
He K's swinging for one away.

A pinch hitter is righty hitting, Joe Benes, with one out.
He takes a fast ball that is in the zone, for a called K, two gone.

Another righty pinch hitter is Josh Jefferson, with two outs.
A fly ball to righty will end this one.

Texas wins 12-4 in another strange and sloppy game.

Need a break, back after the post game.

 

[NBHorn7]

It was a game against a very bad team. The kind of team that couldn't take advantage of the mistakes that Texas made.
A good team would have scored 7-8 runs in that fourth inning, where Prairie View got four runs without a hit.

They avoided a very odd no-hitter, with an infield hit.

There's not much to take from a win like this. Everything hinges on the Tech series this weekend, Texas has to win it and really need a sweep, to have a glimmer of hope, to reach a regional. Texas doesn't have many quality wins. They are 1-8 against the top three teams in the conference. The two wins against Rice, in the first games of the season would be the best wins so far. Stanford is having a horrible season.

It's still a very uphill battle for a Texas team that makes a lot of mistakes. The pitching staff is decimated by injuries and has been overworked. Some pitchers are being used in roles they are not used to and some are being used because there is no other choice, but to use them. Even the defense has had some key errors, that have led to big innings, that cost the Horns games.

They have to get it together this weekend as best they can, to maybe get into a position to get a regional bid. Going to be a long and hard road.

 

[WorsterMan]

Tech games have huge stakes for the post season aspirations of this team.

 

[shaggy refuge]

Long hard road is the understatement of the last 5 years.