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AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas baseball team defeated South Carolina 8-5 on Sunday at UFCU Disch-Falk Field to complete the series sweep and continue their impressive game over the weekend.
The win gave UT their first win in the series over a ranked team since the fall of No. 2 LSU in March 2019. Texas changed to 11-5 this season, while South Carolina dropped to 10-3.
“What a great weekend,” said Texas coach David Pierce. “We had a team that played baseball consistently. We had some timely strikes and excellent shots against a very good hitting team.
“I am proud of our players. Whatever we have played with them, they have dealt with it.”
And whatever South Carolina played for them, the Longhorns got it right.
Texas lost little time to take the lead, as left defender Eric Kennedy was hit by a shot with one eliminated in the first, stole the second place and reached the third place in an error. First baseman Zach Zubia made the most of the opportunity with a runner 30 meters away, driving in Kennedy on a base hit with two eliminations.
Texas did not maintain the lead for long, as the Gamecocks counterattacked with their own race at the top of the second. Longhorn holder Kolby Kubichek lost control with the bases loaded; his wild shot allowed left field player Andrew Eyster to run home out of third place and put South Carolina on the board.
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The Horns regained the lead on a sacrificial fly by second baseman Mitchell Daly who scored the third-time Trey Faltine interbase, but South Carolina receiver Wes Clarke hit a solo home run on the fifth inning of the second inning, drawing the score at 2 -two. Clarke entered the weekend leading the country in home runs, but was 0-for-7 in the series before Sunday’s competition. He did 2 to 4 at the end of the series.
This was as close as the Gamecocks came, as the Longhorn bats responded, placing two runs on the board at the bottom of the board. Designated hitter Ivan Melendez doubled to direct at Faltine, and then scored in a single by third baseman Cam Williams.
UT’s 4-2 lead was extended to 8-2 in the fourth game, with eight hitters entering the field for the Horns. After the right field player Douglas Hodo III hit a pitch error to start the inning, Kennedy hit SC pitcher Julian Bosnic, ending the day on the mound; Bosnic took the defeat, drawing with his 1-1 record. South Carolina reliever Andrew Peters did nothing to contain the Texas attack, however, while UT central defender Mike Antico worked on the countdown to 3-2 before scoring into the right field, loading the bases without no way out. Zubia started to score in the Horns’ four-race frame, throwing a long ball into the center of the field, allowing Hodo to score and score from third place. A double in the bat from catcher DJ Petrinsky scored two more and a single from Faltine scored Petrinksy for an additional insurance run.
The lead held steady for the Longhorns, with three Texas relievers, including Tanner Witt (1-0), who took his first win, combined to allow only five hits and hit seven in the last five entries. South Carolina continued its offensive problems, although the Gamecocks added a race on the fifth and two more on the ninth.
Kubichek started the game on the right foot for Texas, throwing four entries. He allowed the Gamecocks to score two in the second, but otherwise he posted a solid exit, as he remained mentally tough in the fourth, winning two eliminations after placing the runners in first and second place.
“As you know, when I get off the bench, it means that the launcher is coming out, most of the time,” said Pierce. “Some guys are very deliberate about looking you in the eye and saying, ‘Coach, I know what I’m going to do, I’m going to hit him from the inside. I take care of that. ‘ He said the right things and I felt much more comfortable with that confrontation than with Tanner (Witt) in the inning. “
The Longhorns host UT-Rio Grande Valley at 6:30 pm on Tuesday in a game that can be seen on the Longhorn Network; they will open the Big 12 in Baylor next weekend.
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