Austin, Texas – Texas Baseball No. 19 beat South Carolina No. 12 8-5 on Sunday afternoon, completing a series of three Gamecocks sweeping games at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
For Texas (11-5), it is the first series of three games for a ranked opponent since defeating No. 2 LSU at home in March 2019. The last series of three sweeping games for the Longhorns occurred last season against Cal State Fullerton.
Each batter in the Texas line-up had at least one hit, with Eric Kennedy and Ivan Melendez registering two each. Zach Zubia and DJ Petrinsky they both drove in a couple of races and Kennedy and Trey Faltine scored two runs each.
Tanner Witt obtained his first victory of the season after entering fifth place, eliminating six and allowing a race in two strokes in three work entries.
The Longhorns attacked early, scoring a run in the first inning after Kennedy was hit by a shot, then advanced to third place after a stolen base and a field error. Zubia took him home with a double-out single to the center-right.
South Carolina equalized the score 1 to 1 at the top of the second, taking a lap after loading the bases on two occasions on the board.
Texas responded at the end of the entry, scoring on a sacrificial fly to regain the lead, 2-1. Walks through Faltine and Melendez to open the inning, followed by Cam Williams reaching in a field error loaded the bases with no way out. A flying ball to the center by Mitchell Daly he drove in Faltine, to give the Longhorns leadership.
A home run to lead South Carolina’s third place tied the game 2-2.
Melendez made it 3-2 at the bottom of the third with a double center field for the center that marked Faltine, who had arrived on a two-way walk and then stole the second place. Williams followed with a single to the center-right to drive in Melendez, pushing the advantage to 4-2.
Texas scored four more runs in the fourth to open the game, giving the Longhorns an 8-2 lead. Zubia launched a sacrificial fly with the base loaded into the deep center that was hoisted against the wall to mark the first run of the shift. Petrinksy followed with a double of two races and was driven in a single one by Faltine.
SC added a race on Thursday and two on the ninth to cut Texas’s lead and end the score at 8-5.
Beginner Kolby Kubichek played four entries, awarding two runs in five strokes and eliminating five. Cole Quintanilla threw an eighth goalless entry out of the bullpen and Aaron Nixon closed the game, allowing two runs in the ninth.
The Longhorns will host the UTRGV at UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Tuesday, March 16 at 6:30 pm, before heading out on the road to open the big 12 game with a series of three games over the weekend against Baylor in Waco.