Vanderbilt vs. Texas-College World Series

[NBHorn7]

Our Horns now have reached yet another elimination game this time against Vanderbilt. Texas needs to defeat the Commodores today and then one more time to reach the Championship Series.

The big breaking new is that the Vanderbilt third baseman Xavier Turner, has been ruled ineligible for the rest of the season for some sort of NCAA violation.


Nathan Thorhill, the right handed senior will start for Texas and it still has not been announced who will start for Vandy.

There are some reports that right hander Tyler Furgeson will start for the Commodores, but nothing official yet.

 

[NBHorn7]

 

[NBHorn7]

Nathan Thornhill on the hill for the Horns as this first Divional Championship Game begins.

Dansby Swanson, the second baseman leads off for Vandy.
He may be the best player for the Dores, with speed and hits with power.
He steps in right handed and he chases an outside slider for a swinging K for one away.

Bryan Reynolds plays left field with one away and bats lefty.
He lines a single to left center for the first base runner of the day.

Vince Conde plays short and bats righty with one on and one down.
A wild pitch sends the runner to second as Barrera couldn't find it right away and his throw was just late.
A scorched liner to right goes right to Shaw for two down.

Zander Wiel, bats righty and plays first base with two gone and a runner at second.
The count runs full before a two hopper to short goes 6-3 to retire the side.

Thornhill despite the hit and wild pitch goes unscathed and the Horns come in for the first offensive effort.

 

[NBHorn7]

Sophmore right hander Tyler Furgeson does indeed get the start today for Vandy.

Marlow as always leads the way for Texas and he is hit by a 95 mph fast ball for a tough lead runner on the shoulder.

Johnson comes up righty and does he bunt?
He squares but two straight balls may change that.
Make it 3-0 and and another wide one is a walk to put two on.

Payton up and does he bunt? He is going to take a strike
I would think.

First the pitching coach is out to settle down his pitcher he hopes.
Blah, Blah, Blah, throw strikes he says and returns.

Payton back in from the left side after taking a strike he is also hit by a pitch to load the bases.

Barrera up now with the bases loaded and no outs.
Have some patience here please.
Also make some contact please.
He takes a fast ball on the outside corner for a K looking and that's been killing this team offensively among other things.

Hinojosa up and a ground ball goes up the middle and hits the base umpire and here is the college rules again as it's ruled a dead ball and hit for Hinojosa, when Vandy had an out.

I don't like that rule but it's a run for Texas.

Texas leads 1-0.

Shaw up with the bases loaded and really need a crooked number here.
Shaw has speed and if he puts it in play it most likely scores a run.
He K's swinging on a curve ball and the killer K's keep coming.

Carter up needs a something here and again be patient.
Patience is rewarded as another walk scores a run.

Texas leads 2-0.

Clemens up with the bases loaded and the same scanario holds true be patient.
Two straight balls and Vandy now stalling for the pen.
Then here comes the coach and he is gone right now.

Pitching change.

 

[NBHorn7]

The new pitcher for Vandy is Brad Miller a right hander.

Clemens back in with a 2-0 count.
Now the count runs full and the merry-go-round starts on the bases.
He K's swinging to retire the side.

What a strange inning, as Texas scores two runs and the only hit was a ground ball off the umpire. Vandy is wild, yet strikes out the side.

Anyway Texas leads 2-0 and you will take it, but you really wanted more there after an inning.

 

[Dionysus]

Thanks for the updates!

 

[ut1969]

That was pitiful. Bases loaded with no outs and if not the umpire's help probably would not have scored. 3 strikeouts. You have to put the ball in play. Still don't understand why we have someone starting at 1st who can't hit.

 

[NBHorn7]

Thornhill back out with the lead now.

He faces John Norwood, the centerfielder leading off for Vandy.
He steps in right handed and grounds sharply to short for a 6-3 out one.

Rhett Wiseman plays right field and bats lefty with one down.
A grounder up the middle is into center for a single.

Jason Delay is the catcher and bats righty with one on and one down.
A fast ball paints the outside corner for a looking K for the second out.

Nolan Rodgers is the DH with two down and one on.
He bats lefty and the runner goes and a high fast ball is a good pitch to throw him out and in a very close play he is ruled out and I will want to see that replay.

Bottom of the send and Texas leads 2-0 after the caught stealing retires the side.

 

[NBHorn7]

He plays first because no replacement can hit either and he plays a very good defensive first where others can't.

 

[Dewbrewer]

This game is just bizarre. Who knows what will happen next.

 

[NBHorn7]

Furgeson back out for the second.

Gurwitz leads off and lines one ot left and the left fielder slips and it's over his head.
It is a triple leading off for Gurwitz.

Marlow lines a drive to right and the right fielder dives and misses it and it goes by him for another triple.

Texas leads 3-0.

Need more as Vandy can really hit.

Johnson and a shallow fly ball to center is one away as Marlow has to hold.

Payton up and he lays down the safety squeeze and it works. Then the ball is dropped on tag by the pitcher who fielded it and now a conference of umps is convened.

It's now 4-0 Texas.

Payton is looked at by the trainer while the discussion goes on as the pitcher collided with him.

Now they do rule Payton safe at first and that has to be an error.

Barrera bats with one on and one down.
He K's for the second time swinging for two away.

Hinojosa bats with two down and one on.
Payton is a threat to go at any time.
A comebacker retires the side.

Texas plates two more and now leads 4-0 after two.

 

[Handler XIII]

Any 1B coming in next year cause I thought Clemens was moving to the bullpen after this season.

 

[johnnyg88]

Keith Moreland not doing color today. Bill Little's gonna have to step in.

 

[NBHorn7]

Thornhill out for the third and has some room to work with.

The lefty hitting DH is back up leading off after he was left in the box after the cauht stealing.
A fly ball to right is hauled in by Shaw for one down.

Tyler Campbell is the replacement third baseman batting ninth.
He bats righty and lines a single to right for a base runner.

The top of the order is Swanson batting righty with one down and one on.
A high fly ball to shallow right and Shaw keeps coming and coming and dives and can't hold it.
So Marlow picks it up and completes the routine 9-4-6 force at second for two away.
It's still weird.

Reynolds up batting lefty with one on and two down.
A wild pitch sends the runner to second.
The count runs full and a grounder to second ends the inning.

Bottom of three is here and Texas leads 4-0.

In this game you might could lose a run.

 

[Alex_de_Large]

How did we lose a run?

 

[NBHorn7]

Miller is back for the third for Vandy.

Shaw leads off for Texas from the left side.
A grounder to first goes 3U for the first out.

Gurwitz up with one down.
He is called out on a outside corner fast ball for a K to record out two.

Marlow brings back the top of the order with two down.
He works a walk for two out runner.

Johnson bats with two away and one on.
He bunts through a pitch and Shaw is picked off first by the catcher to retire the side and we can't go through a game without that can we?

Three gone at TD Ameritrade and Texas leads 4-0.

 

[accuratehorn]

Thanks for the updates, NBHorn6.

 

[johnnyg88]

Kacy is not having a good day.....so far. Come on Kacy, let's get on track.

 

[accuratehorn]

I believe that was Clemens who was picked off first base. But it's all on our pitching staff now. Long ways to go, but I like our chances.
Hasn't Vandy gotten a runner on with one out in every inning so far? Strange.

 

[FWHORN]

Thanks for the updates NB, following along at work this afternoon. Friday afternoons have been good to us these past few weeks so lets keep that going.

 

[notanative]

Maybe Kacy is getting the vibe that at least one poster on Hornfans would rather ***** and moan about him than send positive vibes to the team as a whole to hold on to a 4-0 lead and win this one.

 

[johnnyg88]

Thornhill with 82 pitches. Gonna need a couple of quick innings.

 

[NBHorn7]

Everybody is a critic, oh well that is showbiz.

Back to baseball as Thornhill back to the bump for the fourth.

Leading off for Vandy is Conde and he lines one that is rightg at Payton for one down.

Wiel bats with one down from the right side.
He walks on a full count pitch.

Thornhill is effective, but struggling too some.

Norwood bats with one down and one on.
He bats righty and a smash goes into center for a single.

Wiseman in from the left side with two on and one away.
A pop to short is the infield fly rule and Hinojosa handles it or two away.

Delay bats with two on and two down in a big spot for Thornhill to keep control of the game.
A ground ball to short is flagged on a tough hop and C.J. throws him out to retire the side.

Nice comeback for Nathan to get out of that and to the bottom of four Texas leads 4 yes I say 4-0.

 

[accuratehorn]

Thornhill has thrown a lot of pitches, we may be seeing Morgan Cooper before too many more innings pass by.
He seems to have a little trouble in each inning, but then gets out of it. Keep it up, Nate!

 

[FWHORN]

Augie will ride Nathan as long as he can hold the lead. If it wasn't for the 8th inning last Saturday Nathan has had a tremendous post season and a great ability to pitch out of trouble.

 

[NBHorn7]

Gurwitz leads off against Miller in the fourth.
He is retired for one away.

Marlow up and walks to put a man on.

Johnson up and he goes down for two away.

Payton grounds to second and that ends the inning.

Four have been played and Texas leads 4-0.

 

[accuratehorn]

I take it all back. Thornhill will pitch all nine innings, throw 148 pitches, and will start tomorrow also.

 

[FWHORN]

We can all just stop worrying about these innings until the dreaded 8th rolls around right?

 

[NBHorn7]

Thornhill looks to become eligible for a possible win if things don't change.

Rodger, the DH leads off and grounds to second for one down.

Nathan needs a quick inning.

Campbell bats righty and K's for two down.

Swanson is the top of the Commodores order with two away.
He bats righty and a sky high pop behind the mound brings a convention of Horns for the play and finally Marlow take charge and squeezes it in the tricky wind.

A much needed side down in order for Thornhill and halfway through this first Division title game Texas still leads 4-0.

 

[johnnyg88]

"Some of those fans came disguised as empty seats today" per Bill Little. We have a good turnout...as usual.