No. 2 Texas keeps rolling through SEC, picks up road series over Kentucky
AUSTIN (KXAN) — No. 2 Texas captured another Southeastern Conference series with a 5-4 win over Kentucky on Sunday at Kentucky Proud Field in Lexington, Kentucky.
The Wildcats outlasted the Longhorns 4-3 in 15 innings on Saturday after Texas opened the series Friday with a 6-3 victory.
On Sunday, Texas centerfielder Will Gasparino continued his hot hitting, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs. He drove in a pair in the third inning with his first double, and he hit another in the eighth before scoring on a Kimble Schuessler double.
Jalin Flores hit an RBI single in the third inning, and Tommy Farmer IV plated a run with a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
Starting pitcher Ruger Riojas didn't rack up strikeouts like he typically does, but he still got the job done. He pitched 6.2 innings and allowed three runs on nine hits with three strikeouts and two walks. He threw 114 pitches, 79 for strikes, and forced the Wildcats to fly out nine times. Grayson Saunier, a junior transfer from Ole Miss, picked up his first save of the season after 2.1 innings of work, allowing one run on one hit with a strikeout.
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After Texas had to nearly empty its bullpen for the 15-inning game Saturday, Riojas getting them into the seventh was huge, head coach Jim Schlossnagle said.
"Just given where we were after a 15-inning game in the bullpen, it was huge," he said. "I didn’t sleep much last night, but I slept a little bit better knowing that he was starting the game because you know you’re getting strikes."
The Wildcats had the winning run at the plate in the ninth, but Saunier got catcher Devin Burkes to ground into a game-ending double play. Flores ranged up the middle to field the grounder, stepped on second base and completed the play with a strong throw to a stretched-out Schuessler at first base.
Schuessler and Ethan Mendoza each had two hits for the Longhorns. Kentucky out-hit Texas 10-9, but the Longhorns had three hits with runners in scoring position to the Wildcats' one.
Saturday's marathon took 5 hours, 12 minutes and ended with Burkes scoring on a throwing error by the Longhorns. Flores and Rylan Galvan hit home runs and the Texas pitching staff struck out 16 batters.
The loss ended an 8-game SEC winning streak for the Longhorns.
On Friday, four Longhorns talled two hits apiece: Mendoza, Galvan, Gasparino and Schuessler. Max Grubbs earned his fifth win with 3.1 innings out of the bullpen and six strikeouts. Dylan Volantis picked up his eighth save of the season.
Texas (29-5, 13-2 SEC) hosts UTRGV at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday before Auburn comes to town for a 3-game series beginning Thursday.