Texas vs. OSU Game 2

[NBHorn7]

After another long extra inning loss, because of a lack of offense. We find the Horns having a five game losing streak and struggling to get a win, anyway they can. This team has only one hitter, that has over 2 bats for the season, hitting .300 or better.
That is Johnson. There is only one other regular players that has really any real chance to hit .300. That is Barrera. Cantu has a very outside chance to do so, but he would have to get unbelievably hot and I don't think that will happen. This is all happening in the new ball era.

Evidence of the offensive struggles is benching Hinojosa, who was hitting under .200. He was replaced by a .240 hitter. Now in another attempt for some offense, Boswell will be benched, for Hinojosa. The team batting average is at .249 for the season. This is why the record is what it is. Plus all the strike outs and base running blunders. The era of the new ball just magnifies all this. There is just so much the pitching staff can do.

Hollingsworth will start on the mound for the Horns.

The game is televised on ESPNU and the audio on Texassports.

Lineups are next.

 

[NBHorn7]

Texas lineup:

 

[NBHorn7]

OSU lineup:

 

[NBHorn7]

Remey Reed, is the starting pitcher for OSU, a big right hander.

Marlow leads off, from the left side.
A fly ball to left is one down.

Shaw is batting lefty now, with one away.
A fly ball to center is two gone.

Ben Johnson up righty with two outs.
He is hit by a pitch to reach.
Time to steal, to create maybe some offense.

Barrera bats righty, with two outs and one on.
A ground ball to short in the hole and a low throw can't be dug out. It's called an infield hit.

Cantu up with two on and two outs, batting righty.
A chance for an early lead with a hit.
A fisted fly ball to shallow right leaves to on and retires the side.

Nothing for Texas and OSU comes to bat.

 

[NBHorn7]

Chad Hollingsworth gets his usual Saturday start. The right hander needs a good outing tonight if the Horns are to even the series.

The second baseman is lefty hitting Tim Arakawa, leading off for the Cowboys.
A ground ball up the middle is flagged by Baker and his throw is just in time for out one.

Donnie Walton, plays short and bats also from the left side, with one away.
He K's on a change in the dirt and the tag by Barrera, completes the K with the 2U.

Two down for lefty hitting center fielder, Gage Green.
A roller to short goes right under his glove for a E-6.

Conor Costello, the right fielder, bats righty, with one on and two down.
A full count and the runner is off on the pitch, a liner to left is a single, to put two on.

Dustin Williams, bats lefty, with two on and two down.
He one hops a ball to Clemens at first, the 3-1 with Hollingsworth covering retires the side.

One played and nothing across for either side.

 

[NBHorn7]

Reed back on the mound for the Pokes.

Hinojosa leads off batting righty.
A sharp ground ball goes through on the left side, for a lead single.

Clemens bats lefty, with one on.
He bunts on the right side and the pitcher fields and tries to go to the bag, but Clemens beats him for an infield hit.

Gurwitz bats righty, with two on, up to bunt no doubt.
A 3-0 count may change that.
On a 3-1 count, he bunts it much too hard back to the mound and he goes to third for a 1-5 force.

Baker bats righty, with two on and one down.
A ground ball to third is a 5-4 force for two away, the relay was late to first.

Marlow bats lefty, with runners at the corners, and two gone.
A fly ball to left ends the threat and the frame.

Another promising inning blows up in the Horn's face and to the bottom of two still no runs.

 

[NBHorn7]

Hollingsworth back out for the Cowboy second.

Left fielder Ryan Sluder, leads off batting right handed.
A little pops to center is caught by Marlow, for one away.

The DH, Bradley, bats lefty, with one down.
He lines a single over Baker, to put a man on.

Third baseman Petrino, bats righty with one on and one away.
He grounds to short and it's a 6-4 force as Marlow drops the on the transfer to his throwing hand.
Should have been a double play.

Bryan Case, the catcher will bat, with one one and two gone.
The righty hitter, can't check his swing and goes down swinging, to retire the side.

Two played and still nothing across.

 

[NBHorn7]

Reed back on the hill as the Horn third has arrive.

Shaw will lead for Texas, batting lefty.
A two hopper to first is a 3U for one down.

Johnson bats righty, with one down.
A high shallow fly to left is two away.

Barrera bats righty with two gone.
He lines one like a frozen rope to left, with just enough height to get out, for the solo homer.

Texas leads 1-0.

Cantu bats righty with two down.
A full count and is a called strike three, on the outside corner to retire the side.

Texas strikes first on the line drive Barrera homer. They lead 1-0 to the bottom of three.

 

[NBHorn7]

Hollingsworth comes back to pitch the third, for the Horns.

Arakawa is back up, at the top of the order, batting lefty.
The count runs full and a ground ball in the hole, on the right side, gets through for a single.

Walton bats lefty, with one on.
He squares and lays down the bunt and the 1-3 sac is one away.

Runner at second and one down, for Gage Green, batting lefty.
A line single on a hop to right puts runners on the corners.

Costello bats righty, with runners on the corners and one away.
A fly ball to center is deep enough for the SF to tie the game.

Game tied at 1-1.

Dustin Williams, the right fielder bats lefty, with one on and two away.
A one hopper to first is picked by Clemens for the 3U to retire the side.

OSU ties it at 1-1 after three played.

 

[NBHorn7]

Tyler Buffett, is the new OSU pitcher, as Reed is done, to start the fourth.

Hinojosa leads off batting righty handed.
A ground ball off the pitcher goes to the second baseman, for a 1-4-3 out

Clemens bats with one away, lefty.
He grounds to first for a 3U out two.

Gurwitz bats righty, with two down.
He K's swing on a pitch a foot outside and low, the catcher goes to first for the 2-3 put out to retire the side.

Texas down in order and still tied 1-3, to the bottom of four.

 

[NBHorn7]

Hollingsworth is still going on the hill, in the OSU fourth.

Sluder will lead off, from the right side.
A liner to center is gathered in by Gurwitz, for one away.

Bradley steps in left handed, with one down.
He ground to Clemens, for a 3U second out.

David Petrino, the third sacker, bats righty, with two gone.
He single on the ground, through the left side.

Case bats righty, with one on and two down.
A full count will start the runner.
He hangs a breaking pitch in the wheelhouse and it out by a mile to left, for a homer.

OSU leads 3-1.

Arakawa bats lefty, with two down.
A liner to right is right to Shaw, to retire the side.

OSU leads now 3-1, after four played.

 

[NBHorn7]

Buffett, back on the bump for OSU in the fifth, pitching with the lead.

Baker leads off, from the right side.
He lines a single to left center over the shortstops glove.

Marlow bats lefty, with one on.
He bunts and the sac goes 1-3, to move the runner over.

Shaw bats lefty, with one on.
He K's swinging on a low curve.

Two away for Johnson, with one on, batting righty.
A ground ball to short goes 6-3 and the frame ends.

Texas plays for one and doesn't get any.
OSU leads 3-1, halfway through game two of the series.

 

[NBHorn7]

Hollingsworth will stay on for the fifth, as the OSU half of the inning commences.

Walton leads off lefty against him.
He slaps a liner to left, down the line, for a double.

Green hits from the left side, with one on.
Out comes Skip as Hollingsworth is leaving pitches up.
He leaves him in.
He lays down a sac bunt, that goes 2-3 and the runner moves to third.

One out for Costello, batting righty, with one down and a man on third.
Infield comes in to try to cut off the run.
The count runs full and he checks his swing, the ump says, and he walks.

Out comes Skip, that's all for Chad.

Pitching change.

 

[NBHorn7]

Left hander, Travis Duke, comes in to pitch for Texas.

Dustin William, batting lefty, with runners on the corners and one out.
He K's him swinging on foul tip, with the change, for two gone.

Sluder bats righty, with two away and still runners on the corners.
A full count will get the runner going from first.
A borderline pitch is called ball four to load the bases.

Bradley bats lefty, with the bases loaded and two gone.
A fly ball to left, that goes to the track is caught by Johnson, to retire the side.

Duke does the job, so OSU leads still 3-1 after five in the books.

 

[NBHorn7]

Buffett stays around to pitch the sixth.

Barrera leads off righty, his homer is the only Texas tally.
A big overhand curve in the dirt, gets him swinging and the tag by the catcher completes the K.

One down for Cantu, batting right handed.
A ground ball to short and the throw is low and picked for the 6-3 out two.

Hinojosa bats righty, with two away.
He bunts and it's a good one, that the third baseman eats, for a infield single.

Clemens bats, from the left side, with one on and one down.
A high chop to the pitcher goes 1-3 to retire the side.

OSU leads 3-1 as the offense is still mostly dormant for Texas.
Bottom of six is next.

 

[NBHorn7]

Kyle Johnston, a right hander is the new pitcher for Texas, in the sixth. He has a high velocity fast ball, that sometimes, he can't control.

Petrino leads off right handed against him.
He swings at a pitch in the dirt for a K, but it gets away and he reaches first.

Case bats righty, with one on.
He squares and pops a bunt up to Johnston, for one away.

Arakawa bats lefty, with one on and one away.
The count runs full and the runner will probably go.
He goes and a strike three is called and there is no throw. Stolen base.

Walton bats lefty, with two down and a man on second
He K's him swinging on a pitch in the dirt and the 2-3 put out completes the play and retires the side.

Johnston strikes three out, but doesn't strike out the side. One of the oddities of baseball.

OSU leads 3-1 after six.

 

[NBHorn7]

Buffett is still hurling for OSU, in the seventh.

Gurwitz leads off righty.
He waves a pitch in the dirt and the 2-3 completes the K, for one gone.

Baker bats righty, with one down.
He K's looking, on a fast ball, for two away.

Coach comes out and he wants a new arm.

Pitching change.

 

[NBHorn7]

Tyler Nurdin, a large left hander is in for OSU,

Marlow will face him lefty, with two down.
A ground ball to second on the first pitch, retires the side in order.

Still no offense for the Horns, as OSU leads 3-1.
They stretch in Stillwater.

 

[NBHorn7]

Johnston is back for the seventh, for Texas to pitch.

Green leads off for OSU, from the left side.
He K's swinging for one away at a pitch in the dirt, he is tagged by Cantu, to complete the K.

Costtello, the right fielder, bats righty, with one away.
He K's looking on the fast ball on the outside corner.
This is what Kyle can do, when he has his control.

Williams bats lefty, with two gone.
A long fly ball to right is caught at the base of he wall, to retire the side in order.

OSU leads 3-1, after seven played.

 

[NBHorn7]

Nurdin pitches the eighth for OSU.

Shaw leads off, batting lefty.
A fly ball to left is one away.

Johnson bats with one down, from the right side.

Coach comes out and wants a right hander.

Pitching change.

 

[NBHorn7]

The new Cowboy pitcher is Trey Cobb, a right hander.

Johnson step in righty against him, with one away.
A ground ball to third and the throw is way high, he reaches on the E-5.

Barrera up righty, with one on.
His homer is still the only Texas run.
He is jammed on the hands and a pop to short is two away.

Cantu bats with one on and two away, righty.
Johnson goes and the throw goes into center for another OSU error, this time E-2.
Johnson takes third on the errant throw.
A little grounder to first is a 3-1 to end the frame.

Texas is offensive, offense wise and OSU leads 3-1 to the bottom of eight.

 

[johnnyg88]

Thanks NB. Appears hopeless. Bewildering, to say the least.

 

[NBHorn7]

Johnston, one of the few bright spots for Texas in the game, keeps pitching in the eighth.

Sluder leads off from the right side.
He walks on four pitches for a lead runner.

Hassel, will pinch hit and he won the game on a homer last night.
He bats righty, with one on.
He bunts and the sac goes 1-3 for one away, as the runner moves to second.

Petrino bats right handed, with one on and one out.
A ground ball to short and Baker goes to third, for the 6-5 out, bad base running there.
Chappell runs for Petrino.

Case bats righty, with one one and two gone.
His two run blast is the difference in the game.
He walks to put two on.

Skip out and he wants the lefty.

Pitching change.

 

[NBHorn7]

Ty Culbreth, the lefty is in to pitch.

Arakawa bats lefty, at the top of the order, with two on and two gone.
He freezes on the big breaker and K's looking, to retire the side.

One last chance for Texas, they trail 3-1, to the ninth.

 

[NBHorn7]

Cobb stay in and tries to close out the Horns and get a save.

Hinojosa leads off for Texas.
A liner to right is, right to the right fielder, for one away.

Clemens bats lefty, with one down.
The count runs full and a ground ball to short goes 6-3 for two away.

Last hope for Texas is Gurwitz, batting righty, with two gone.
A little tap to the left of the mound is an infield hit, as the pitcher couldn't handle the bare hand attempt.

Baker bats righty, as the potential tying run, with two gone.
A wild pitch will send Gurwitz all the way around to third.
He walks on four pitches and the tying run is on.

Coach comes out and he leaves him in.

Marlow up, from the left side, with two on and two down.
He is 0-3, but can be a hero here with a gapper.
A ground ball to third and the 5-4 force ends the game.

OSU wins the game 3-1 and the series. Texas loses it's sixth game in a row. To put things in perspective, the last Texas team to lose six games in a row, was in 1956.

I stand by everything I said in my opening post and this a prime example. One of many, over the last several years, in fact.

Be back tomorrow and Happy Easter.

 

[WorsterMan]

6 in a row people

 

[Brad Austin]

Over the last 5 weekend games...7 runs in 60 innings. With our absurd inconsistency at bunting runners over, and often not even trying to do so in spots we normally would, this team is lacking offensive identity. They don't hit well enough to rely on multiple hits for decent scoring, so without small ball, it's fruitless. I'm struggling to find much pleasure even watching these guys bat now. Just lugging their way through the innings. It's boring, frustrating, and plain old laborious to sit through.

 

[ElginHotSausage]

Steve Patterson, don't stop now.

 

[zork]