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Sunday - March 7, 2010

Game 11: Missouri at Texas (Houston College Classic)

I was messing around this morning and forgot about the game until almost 11:30. Oh my! I turned in just in time for the start of the 3rd inning to find Texas behind 0-2. The Missouri runs were scored on a 2-run homer in the 2nd. GameTracker wasn't working today so it took me awhile to catch up on the action.

The details, from that point on...

• Mizzou, top of the 3rd
• Cole Green on the mound for Texas.
• Michael Liberto (ss) struck out swinging.
• Russell LaFleur (cf) struck out swinging.
• Eric Garcia (2b) singled through the left side.
• Garcia took off on a hit and run as Aaron Senne (1b) hit a ball right at the spot Loy had vacated as he went to cover 2b. Sigh. Garcia moved up to 3b, Senne safe at 1b.
• Brett Nicholas (3b) singled through the right side, scoring Garcia and moving Senne to 3b.
• Skip Johnson made a visit to the mound. 2 out, runners at the corners, a run in.
• Dane Opel (rf) grounded into a 4-unassisted fielder's choice. Jordan Etier fielded a ground ball and stepped on 2b in stride for the force out.
• Texas down 0-3.
• Texas, bottom of the 3rd
• Aaron Blunt on the mound for Mizzou.
• Jordan Etier (2b) reached on a full-count walk.
• Tant Shepherd (1b) singled through the left side, moving Etier to 2b. Yes.
• Mizzou made a pitching change, calling Ryan Clubb in to replace Blunt on the mound.
• Brandon Loy (ss) squared to bunt. The first bunt went off his foot and the second went foul quickly...both to the left side. He then flew out to rf shallow in the cf/rf gap. No chance for Etier to advance.
• Cameron Rupp (c) popped up to 1b on the foul line about 40 or 50 feet past 1b. Nice play by the first baseman.
• Kevin Keyes (dh, interesting) lined into cf for a single. Etier was on the move with the pitch and scored easily. Yes! Shepherd moved to 2b.
• Cohl Walla (lf, getting his first start of the year) grounded into a 4-6 fielder's choice.
• Texas down 1-3.
• Mizzou, top of the 4th
• Jonah Schmidt (dh), who hit the homer earlier in the game, struck out swinging. Rupp dropped the ball so had to throw down to 1b to complete the out.
• Kale Gaden (lf) singled past 1b into rf.
• Ryan Ampleman (c) grounded into a 1-3 fielder's choice. It was a hit & run but he did not get much on the ball.
• Liberto flew out to right-cf. Rowe, who was shaded to left had to make a long run to get to the ball. Very nicely done.
• Texas down 1-3.
• Texas, bottom of the 4th
• Connor Rowe (cf) flew out to cf...just short of the warning track.
• Kyle Lusson (rf) grounded out to 3b.
• Kevin Lusson (3b) singled through the right side.
• Etier was hit by a 2-2 pitch. Lusson moved up to 2b.
• Shepherd popped up to rf near the line. Sigh...
• Texas down 1-3.
• Mizzou, top of the 5th
• LaFleur struck out swinging.
• Garcia grounded out to 2b.
• Senne reached on an error by 1b. Shepherd misplayed the ground ball as he appeared to look up to see if he should throw or run to 1b.
• Nicholas flew out to lf.
• Texas down 1-3.
• Texas, bottom of the 5th
• Mizzou sent Zack Hardoin to the mound, replacing Clubb.
• Loy walked his way aboard (on 4 pitches, I think).
• Rupp singled past 3b into lf, moving Loy to 2b.
• Keyes lined off the pitcher's thigh to load the bases. Ouch. The ball hit his left thigh and then dribbled all the way to the foul line between 3b and the plate. Ouch. That's gonna leave a nasty bruise.
• Pitching change. Brad Buehler sent to the mound, replacing Hardoin.
• Paul Montalbano (pinch-hitting for Walla) reached on a 5-pitch walk, scoring Loy!
• Rowe struck out swinging.
• Kyle Lusson flew out to rf. Sac fly scored Rupp. Keyes did not advance. Runners at 1b and 2b with 2 out.
• Kevin Lusson walked to re-load the bases.
• Etier singled to lf, scoring Keyes and Montalbano! Lusson moved up to 2b.
• Mizzou sent Jeff Scardino to the mound, replacing Buehler.
• Shepherd doubled off the wall in lf, scoring Lusson.
• Loy grounded out to 3b.
• Best inning of the year for the Horns!
• Texas up 7-3.
• Mizzou, top of the 6th
• Montalbano stayed in the game in lf for the Horns.
• Opel flew out to lf.
• Schmidt grounded out to 2b.
• Gaden also grounded out to 2b...almost the same spot.
• Texas up 7-3.
• Texas, bottom of the 6th
• Rupp flew out to rf in foul territory. Nice long run by the right fielder.
• Keyes flew out to rf at the wall.
• Montalbano grounded out (hard-hit ball) to the pitcher.
• Texas up 7-3.
• Mizzou, top of the 7th
• Ampleman flew out to lf in foul territory. Nice play by Montalbano.
• Liberto grounded out to 3b.
• LaFleur singled through the left side.
• Garcia grounded out to 2b.
• Texas up 7-3.
• Texas, bottom of the 7th
• Rowe flew out to straightaway cf about 10 feet shy of the warning track.
• Kyle Lusson grounded out to ss.
• Kevin Lusson flew out to lf.
• Texas up 7-3.
• Mizzou, top of the 8th
• Senne grounded out to 2b. Etier struggled to gather the ball up and just barely nipped the batter out at 1b. Whew.
• Nicholas doubled down the lf line.
• Opel drew a full-count walk.
• Texas sent Chance Ruffin to the mound, replacing Green.
• Schmidt drew a 5-pitch walk to load the bases. Texas trying to be very careful with Schmidt (who homered in the 2nd) but...yikes.
• Gaden singled up the middle, scoring Nicholas. Bases still loaded.
• Ampleman reached on a 6-4 fielder's choice. Opel scored. Schmidt moved up to 3b. Loy had to dive and knock the ball (headed into cf) down. He just managed to get the ball to Etier covering 2b. No chance at a double play. Good job by Loy to keep the ball in the infield.
• Liberto struck out swinging. Whew.
• Texas up 7-5.
• Texas, bottom of the 8th
• Etier hit his first homerun of the year to lf! Full-count pitch. Nice.
• Shepherd singled over 2b into rf.
• Pitching change. Mizzou sent Jeff Emens to the mound, replacing Scardino.
• Loy moved Shepherd to 2b with a 1-3 sac bunt.
• Rupp grounded out to ss deep in the hole. Shepherd had to hold at 2b.
• Keyes flew out to lf.
• Texas up 8-5.
• Mizzou, top of the 9th
• LaFleur struck out swinging on 3 pitches. Nice.
• Garcia grounded out to 3b.
• Senne singled into lf and then moved up to 2b on defensive indifference with Nicholas at the plate. Texas made no attempt to hold Senne at 1b and made no throw to 2b as he took off on the first pitch.
• Nicholas struck out swinging. Whew.
• Texas wins 8-3.

The line:

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Missouri	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	2	0	5	10	0
Texas	0	0	1	0	6	0	0	1	x	8	12	1

Very nicely done. It was great to see the Horns hitting the ball today. Texas shuffled their line-up a bit, expecting left-handed pitching from Missouri. Walla got his first start of the year in lf. Kyle Lusson moved to rf. And, Keyes went to work at dh...taking Russell Moldenhauer's customary spot. It seemed to work out rather well. I'm curious to see how things continue to develop as the season progresses.

Green earned his 3rd win of the year to improve his record to 3-0. And, I think Ruffin earned his 3rd save of the year.

The Horns come back to town and play Texas State on Tuesday evening. Hook 'em!

Posted by Joanna at 1:52 PM