UH vs. UT Game 2 Of Houston Classic

[NBHorn7]

Sam Houston defeated Tech 10-6 in the first game today.
That pushed this game back till now.
So many UT sports in action today has played havock with coverage.

French on the mound faces the second baseman Vidales who leads off for Houston.

He grounds out to Hinojosa for the first out.

Rightfielder Survance is up next and he lines a high fast ball right by French's ear for a single.

That brings up shortstop Ratcliff with one on and one away.
A quick move by French picks off Survance at first for the second out.

Then a ground ball to first retires Ratcliff to retire the side.

Texas up to bat in the first looking put something on the board.

 

[NBHorn7]

B. Marlow leads off for Texas against right hander Jake Lemoine who has dominated this year so far with a 1-0 record and an ERA of nada.

He strikes out Marlow on three pitches the last looking for out one.

Payton up and he grounds out to short as Lemoin has thrown nothing but strikes.

Two away for Hinojosa and finally a ball is delivered on an 0-2 count. C.J. ropes one on a hop to second who backhands it and drops it. It's ruled a hit.

One on with two away for Clemens who chops right down the line that the first baseman takes to the bag to retire the side.

One inning played to day with neither team on the scoreboard.

 

[NBHorn7]

French out for the second inning faces the first baseman Grayson who lines one deep to left of the Crawford Boxes off the wall for a lead off double.

Third baseman Justin Montemayor showing no sign of bunting bats with a man on second.
He grounds to second and Marlow bobbles it, but makes the play as the runner goes to third.

Texas with one out brings in the infield as Caleb Barker the catcher bats for the Cougars. He K's swinging as Montalbano holds on to a foul tip for big second out.

Left fielder Appling fists one on the ground in the hole off McGuire's glove and then by Hinojosa for a rbi single.

It wasn't hit hard, but in the right place. Houston goes out the early 1-0 lead.

Lueneburg taks a called strike three to end the inning.

Houston puts a straight number on the board and going to the bottom of two leads Texas 1-0.

 

[NBHorn7]

Lemoine faces McGuire in the second to lead off the Texas second.

The count runs full as the Houston pitcher has his first three ball count of the game. McGuire chops one high toward the hole on the left side. The third baseman can't make the short hop play and it's ruled first a hit and then changed to an error.

Either way it puts the lead off man on first and Montalbano can't get the bunt down twice and then swings away and grounds one in the hole on the left side and the shortstop makes a sliding stop, but can't make the play. It's ruled another error. That's a tough scoring call as someone who played a lot of infield in his time I say that is a hit all day long.
It's not a routine play.

Two on for Barrera and again the situation calls for the sac bunt. He gets it down and moves the runners along to second and third.

Johnson up with a chance to do some damage for Texas on offense. He grounds out to second as a run scores to tie the game at 1-1 and the runner moves to third.

Gurwitz tries to give Texas the lead with two outs and Montalbano on third.

The count runs full as Gurwitz takes a called strike three on a borderline high fast ball to retire the side.

Texas matches Houston with a run to tie the game at 1-1 after two innings.

 

[NBHorn7]

French back on the hill for the third with a new game tied once more for him faces centerfielder Ashford Fulmer leading off for Houston.

He K's him swinging on a sharp overhand curve ball for one away.

A little chopper over French's head is fielded by Marlow but the throw is not in time and it's ab infield hit for Vidales the lead off man for Houston in their order.

He is on first for Survance with one away after several pick off throws here comes Skip to the mound to maybe settle down French and get is mind on the batter after also delivering two balls for a 2-0 count.

Survance back in the right handed batter's box is fisted by a high heater and pops out to second for two away.

Houston may indeed try to steal now and French keeps holding him close at first.

Ratcliff leaves the runner stranded as he K's swinging on three pitches to retire the side.

Nothing for Houston as Texas comes to bat in the bottom of the third tied at 1-1.

 

[NBHorn7]

Welcome to all that were watching the basketball game which was pretty ugly with all the Texas turnovers.

Back to baseball Lemoine faces the top of the Texas order in the third and Marlow singles sharply to right lead things off.

Payton up and will he bunt? He shows no sign of it on the first pitch. The count runs full and you have to believe Marlow is off on this pitch.

Payton blasts one off the wall in left as Marlow scores. Mark slides at third and is calle out on a close call and Mark is upset as he thinks the tag was never made. He was right as the replay clearly shows.

So there is one away and Texas takes a 2-1 with nobody aboard.

Barrera the DH bats and gets first walk of the day for Texas for a one out base runner.

Here comes the Houston pitching coach as Lemoine now has an numbered ERA.

He grounds to third and after the 5-4 force for the second out the relay is wild and another Houston error sends Clemens to second.

McGuire bats with a runner in scoring position hoping to add to the Texas lead. He grounds sharply to second and it goes right between the wickets for another Cougar error.

That makes it 3-1 Texas now as Montalbano bats with Andy onf first.

He K's swinging to end the inning finally.

Still Texas takes the lead 3-1 as we head to the fourth.

 

[NBHorn7]

French out for his fourth inning of work faces Grayson who doubled off the wall in his first at bat.

This time he one hops one to second and Marlow retires him 4-3 for the lead out.

Another lefty bats in Montemayor, he chops one back to the mound after hitting his instep and somehow the umps say it didn't and it's out two. Strange going ons in this game.

Two away and Barker batting lofts a soft pop to right center that falls in no man's land for a two out hit.

Landon Appling bats with a two out runner at first and the count goes full to give the runner a head start but a nice change cuts the heart of the plate as Appling takes it to end the inning.

Bottom of the fourth comes and Texas leads 3-1.

 

[NBHorn7]

Lemoine still hurling retires Barrera leading off for Texas on a grounder to short.

Johnson follows and grounds out to third for quickly two away.

Gurwitz up as expected takes the first pitch to slow this inning down and give French a blow in the dugout.

A slow chopper to short is fielded and a nice play is completed 6-3 to retire the side in order for Texas.

Four innings gone in this one and Texas leads 3-1.

 

[NBHorn7]

French out in the fifth looks to become the pitcher of record and hopes to get a win faces Lueneburg who grounds out to third for a lead out.

Nine hole hitter up now is Fulmer with one away and the count goes full and then he walks for a one out base runner.

The top of the order comes back now with Vidales batting.
He K's swinging on a tailing fast ball away from him for out two.

Survance bats from the right side with two away and Fulmer on first for Houston.

He also bats from the left side as Houston has many in the line-up facing the righty French. I would think some may be switch hitters though.

Survance grounds one through the middle by French for a single.

Two on for Ratcliff now with two away as Houston tries to stir up trouble, but a grounder to short goes 6-3 to end the inning.

Halfway home in this game Texas leads 3-1.

 

[NBHorn7]

Bottom of the fifth comes with Lemoine still out there faces the top of the order again in B. Marlow.

lHe flies one to the edge of the warning track as the wind is blowing out to left for one away.

Payton up who rode that wind for a rbi double earlier ropes one about the same way this time to right and that same breeze knocks it down for out two.

Hinojosa up tries to extend the inning for the Horns, but a ground ball to his fellow shortstop goes 6-3 to retire the side in order.

Five are in the books now as Texas continues with a 3-1 lead.

 

[NBHorn7]

As the sixth inning of play starts French faces Grayson the big lefty leading off for Houston.

This guy can stroke it and he lines a single to left for a lead off base runner.

Montemayor is back up for the Cougars and he flies deep to right and the wind knocks it down for Gurwitz and he makes the play for the first out.

Barker the catcher is up and lofts a medium deep fly ball to Payton in center for out two.

Two away and a man on first for pinch hitter Campbell batting for Appling. The big right handed hitter hopes for the long ball to tie things, but instead grounds to third and the accurate long throw retires the side.

Bottom of the sixth coming and Texas leads 3-1.

 

[NBHorn7]

Lemoine still works for Houston and faces Clemens leading off for Texas. He grounds one up the middle as the shortstop ranges over and on a bang bang play he is called out.

Augie comes out, but it looks like he just nipped him for out one.

McGuire becomes the ninth man in a row retired by Lemoine as he grounds back to the pitcher for a 1-3 put out.

Montalbano bats with nobody on and two away.
He runs the count full trying to break the string, but grounds out to second to become number ten straight outs.

To the seventh we go with Texas ahead 3-1.

 

[NBHorn7]

French continues on in the seventh for Texas and faces Lueneburg who is hitless today.

He remains that way swinging and missing on the outside change up for the first out.

Fulmer back up for the Cougars chops one to McGuire at third who guns him out.

Two away for the top of the order in Vidales. He groujnds one deep in the hole on the right side. Marlow gets there and his throw goes to French covering for a sparkling third out 4-1.

Stretch time again at the "Juice Box" in Houston as Texas leads 3-1.

 

[NBHorn7]

Lemoine who hasn't pitched badly himself still toils for the Cougars in the seventh.

He faces Barrera leading off for Texas who K's looking on three pitches for the first out.

Johnson up now looks to reach for the first time today. The count runs full as Texas still tries to break the long out streak.
It continues as he K's also looking on a breaking ball for out two.

Twelve batters retired in a row now for Texas as Gurwitz bats.
He also looks at strike three as Lemoined K's the side and has retired 13 batters in a row.

Still though after seven Texas leads 3-1.

 

[NBHorn7]

French is done today and he is replaced by John Curtis.

What a big inning this is for Texas, Curtis, this game, and the rest of the season for the Horns.

He has great stuff if he can gain command of it and be healthy.

He faces Survance leading off the Houston eighth.
He grounds out to Hinojosa at short for the first out.

Ratcliff bats now with one away and the count goes full.
Wow, a ground ball to first takes a funny hop and Clemens fields it bare handed and goes to the bag for a big out two.

That keeps the big lefty Grayson from being the tying run and he bats with two away and nobody on.
He slices one to left center and Payton runs it down to retire the side in order.

Nice inning for Curtis and Texas fans can remember this game if he goes on to recover from surgery and round back into form.

Bottom of the eighth comes with Texas still leading 3-1.

 

[NBHorn7]

After a nice outing Lemoine is done and lefty Aarron Stewart comes in to pitch against Texas's lead off hitter in the eighth.

He is indeed the lead off hitter as the top of the order is up i B. Marlow.

He K's swinging on a high fast ball for 4 straight K's and and now 14 straight Horns retired.

Well if anybody can do it maybe Payton can, but he K's looking to extend the K streak to five and 15 Texas batters in a row.

Hinojosa up breaks all that up by lining a single to left which is his second of the game.

Clemens bats with two away and one on. This guy is tough on the lefty hitters with the big round house curbe ball.

A ground ball to short goes 6-4 to retire the Horns.

Game on the line for the undefeated Cougars as we go to the ninth and we will probably see Thornhill again in to close.

Texas leads 3-1.

 

[NBHorn7]

It's Curtis staying in to my surprise and what another big inning for him.

Montemayor leads off for Houston and lifts an easy fly ball to left for a huge first out.

A pinch hitter is coming now for Houston a big lefty Jordan Stading.

A ground ball to short is back handed by Hinojosa and his throw is wild and into the stands for an error.

A pinch runner come in for Stading who is Cole Coakley.

Pyeatt up now for Houston as Curtis stays in.
Runner at second and a little ground ball toward the hole on the left side and McGurire tries to field it barehanded and missed it. It's ruled another error.

Here comes Skip and Curtis stay in surprisingly again.

Of course this is not his fault and he has pitched well.

Lueneburg up with one away and runners on the corners.
Tying run at first .

He grounds one to short and a flip to second is only a 6-4 force as the relay throw is high.

Two away for Fulmer as Texas leads now 3-2 with the tying run at first.

Curtis still pitching as he has really battled without much help this inning.

He walks and that puts the tying run at second and the lead run at first with the top of the order up.

Vidales up and here comes Thornhill to pitch ast Skip makes the move.

That's a real shame for Curtis who should be in the locker room celebrating, but that's baseball as Houston errors have the Horns ahead as it stands now.

No room for error today for Thornhill as he toes the rubber.
He faces the lead off man Vidales a good hitter with great speed with runners on first and second with two away.

Vidales a switch hitter goes lefty now against Thornhill who takes consecutive strikes for a 0-2 count.

Now a ball is 1-2 and another is 2-2. A line drive up the middle is snagged by Hinojosa and once again Texas survives a rally in the ninth.

Texas wins 3-2 to give Houston their first loss and Texas runs it's record to 2-0 in the Houston Classic.

 

[NBHorn7]

Another day and another win in the same mode.
Excellent starting pitching by French this time and good relief by Curtis and then Thornhill gets a line drive out to end it.

The fielding was shaky in the ninth as Curtis should have gotten a save. Still it was a really nice outing for him.

The jury is still out on Thornhill as he gave up a sharp line drive that fortunately was able to be snagged by Hinojosa or we would still be playing now with Houston trying to take the lead.

The offense was still stagnant as Houston errors and a big hit by who else, Payton is about it.

Tomorrow Texas faces Sam Houston who has alread defeated two Big 12 teams in Tech and TCU.

It will be a challenge for Schiraldi to hold down a hot Sam Houston team in a battle of the only two undefeated teams in he Classic.

Texas needs to get some bats going as the offense may be needed to win this game.

Rice and TCU face off in the nightcap game today.

Texas vs. Sam Houston is slated for first pitch at 10 am tomorrow. I hate these odd time starts and may not be available for the start of that game if someone like FW would like to start a thread.

 

[FWHORN]

Missed the game this afternoon because of family stuff so thanks for the summary. Wish I could start tomorrow's thread NB but between church and the Irish Festival at Fair Park I will have to rely on reading the summaries again tomorrow night too.

 

[johnnyg88]

Much thanks NB.

 

[georgecostanza]

10 in the morning? Wth? I have church in the morning, but I might be able to get a thread going when I get home. It definitely won't be at first pitch though.

 

[LonghornCatholic]

 

[Tommy_Grand]

payton got screwed out of that triple. bad call