| Hookem
At UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Friday night, Texas found a foundation for its 2021 baseball season.
After an eighth round of three races, Texas recorded a 4-1 win over South Carolina. The win was UT’s ninth in its last 11 games.
The victory was also the biggest of a young season for Texas. Ranked 19th in the D1Baseball poll, Texas (9-5) opened its year with defeats for the Arkansas, Mississippi State and Ole Miss programs, which are currently ranked first, third and fourth. South Carolina (11-1) was listed as the 12th best team in the country this week.
“I think it’s a great game to build,” said veteran Zach Zubia. “It gives people confidence, it gives people the idea that you can walk these Power 5 schools left and right.
“We were blown up earlier. We came back and we have been quite resilient, I would say. It was really a lot of fun to watch this turnaround.”
Texas and South Carolina faced off for the first time since the Longhorns secured a championship at the 2002 College World Series. And over the first seven starts of this meeting, the two teams faced off in a 1-1 draw.
To lead Texas in the middle of the eighth inning, Eric Kennedy tripled to the right field. Mike Antico then walked over and stole second base without getting it right.
With the first base open, South Carolina decided to launch for Zubia. After Will Sanders threw two balls at the UT clean-up hitter, Zubia hit a double that was considered fair in the first base line.
“It is a throw for me or for (Silas Ardoin, 5th hitter for UT),” said Zubia. “I was not too shocked because Sy, he is crying. Only the ball has not yet fallen and will fall.”
Zubia later scored on a single from hitter DJ Petrinsky. This gave Aaron Nixon enough cushion for the ninth entry.
Called relief in the eighth inning, Nixon allowed only a single infield in the last two frames. That ninth-entry baserunner was also quickly wiped out when he was eliminated after turning to second base. Nixon’s third strikeout ended the game.
“This is a big lesson tonight,” said Texas coach David Pierce. “We shot and played defense in a 1-1 game. And then, when we were opportunists, we won the game in the eighth inning and eliminated them.”
Pierce told reporters that Texas started recruiting Nixon when he was a high school freshman. Pierce initially felt uncomfortable recruiting that potential young man, but he was won over by Nixon’s maturity.
A second-degree sprain in the hamstring cost Nixon time to play in the early fall. Its availability for spring was never in doubt, however. On Friday, Nixon made his fourth appearance in the season.
“This spring I felt really good,” said Nixon. “I had a great catcher tonight and a great catcher always on Sy. Great hitting, a great overall game tonight.”
None of the initial pitchers influenced Friday’s decision. Texas ace Ty Madden allowed three hits and three walks in his seven innings. South Carolina’s Thomas Farr threw six innings, hit 10 hitters and earned seven hits and a well-deserved run.
After his performance, Madden saw his ERA drop to 1.33. Madden had played 16 baseball innings eliminated in the previous two weeks. The only race he allowed against the Gamecocks came after he walked through the loaded bases and then gave up on a second entry sacrifice fly.
Around the bases: Due to the threat of bad weather, the first pitch on Saturday between Texas and South Carolina was moved to 2:30 pm … UT volunteer assistant coach Troy Tulowitzki was sent off on the seventh inning. As a rule, Tulowitzki will be suspended for the next game of the Longhorns. … Texas announced a crowd of 17,016 for Friday’s game. … Antico has stolen five bases in the last two UT games.