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Sunday - March 28, 2010

Game 24: Texas at Texas Tech

I'm gonna watch the game on TV...this post will be based on that broadcast. I sure do hope the Horns win the series.

By the way, my folks are driving through West Texas today...on their way to New Mexico. They called and asked me to look up the radio station in Lubbock that carries baseball so they could listen to the game. 'Looks like Tech doesn't cover baseball on the radio. That seems odd to me. Shrug.

So, here's the play-by-play for today's game:

• 1st inning, Texas
• Chad Bettis (rhp, who threw about 50 pitches on Friday night) on the mound for Tech.
• Cohl Walla (cf) reached on an infield single to ss deep in the hole.
• Brandon Loy (ss) squared to bunt on the first pitch and took a ball. He got the next pitch down the 1b line for a nice 1-3 sac bunt, moving Walla to 2b.
• The TV guys haven't said anything about wind but it does not look like a bad West Texas wind...more like a windy day but not a terribly windy day.
• Cameron Rupp (c) grounded out to 3b. Walla could not advance.
• Kevin Keyes (rf) struck out swinging (2-2 count).
• 1st inning, Texas Tech
• Brandon Workman (rhp) on the mound for Texas.
• Jamodrick McGruder (2b) struck out swinging to start the game for Tech.
• Joey Kenworthy (ss) grounded out to 3b.
• Michael Reed (lf) struck out swinging.
• 1-2-3. Nice.
• 2nd inning, Texas
• Jonathan Walsh (lf) struck out swinging (2-2 count, foul tip).
• Kevin Lusson (3b) singled into cf.
• With Russell Moldenhauer (dh) at the plate, Lusson moved up to 2b on a bad pick-off throw by the pitcher (E1, 2-2 count at the time of the bad throw).
• Moldenhauer singled just past a diving second baseman into rf, scoring Lusson.
• Tant Shepherd (1b) struck out swinging (1-2 count).
• Jordan Etier (2b) struck out swinging (0-2 count, he swung at all three pitches).
• Texas up 1-0.
• 2nd inning, Texas Tech
• Barrett Barnes (1b) flew out to lf.
• Scott LeJeune (rf) hit a hard ground ball to 2b. Etier knocked the ball down and threw to 1b but the ball was a tiny bit late. Infield base hit. Wow.
• Jeremy Mayo (c) singled through the left side, moving LeJeune to 2b. LeJeune was running on the play but had no chance to advance to 3b with the ball quickly fielded by Walsh.
• Kevin Whitehead (dh) flew out (high fly ball) to shallow rf.
• Taylor Ashby (cf) popped out to ss in shallow lf.
• Texas up 1-0.
• 3rd inning, Texas
• Walla reached on another infield single to ss deep in the hole!
• Loy hit a 1-3 sac bunt, moving Walla to 2b. Loy almost beat out the throw from the pitcher!
• Rupp doubled off the base of the wall down the line in rf, scoring Walla.
• Keyes grounded out to 1b (unassisted), moving Rupp to 3b.
• Walsh grounded out to 1b (3-1, p covered bag) for the 3rd out.
• Texas up 2-0.
• 3rd inning, Texas Tech
• Aside, is the guy that narrates the Big 12 commercials, the guy who plays one of detectives on the current season of "Law and Order"? The actor's name is Anthony Anderson. 'Sure sounds like him.
• Nick Popescu (3b) grounded out to 2b.
• McGruder struck out swinging. Nice.
• Kenworthy doubled to the cf/rf gap. Nice hit. Maybe caught up in the wind a bit.
• Reed popped out to the pitcher down the 3b line. That could've been bad. Lusson was in position to field the ball and Workman sliced in front of him to get it. Yikes.
• Texas up 2-0.
• 4th inning, Texas
• Lusson grounded out to 1b (3-1, p covered bag).
• Moldenhauer homered over the lf fence!
• Shepherd drew a 5-pitch walk.
• After the first pitch to Etier (a ball in the dirt), Tech made a visit to the mound.
• Shepherd moved up to 2b on the next pitch...passed ball that went off the catcher's glove, high but not too high to catch. After a foul ball, he stole 3b on a swinging strike by Etier.
• Etier went on to strike out swinging (2-2 count).
• Walla hit an easy ground ball to 2b. The second baseman made a terrible throw to 1b, though. E4. Shepherd scored and Walla moved up to 2b.
• Loy singled off the mound and into cf, scoring Walla.
• With Rupp at the plate, Loy was caught stealing (2-4) for the 3rd out. It was ball three to take the count full on Rupp, by the way.
• Texas up 5-0.
• 4th inning, Texas Tech
• Barnes reached on a throwing error by 3b. Lusson made a bad throw...just a bit wide toward the outfield. Barnes moved up to 2b on the error.
• LeJeune doubled to the lf/cf gap, scoring Barnes.
• Mayo reached on an infield single to ss. Loy dove and kept the ball from going into cf. LeJeune held up at 2b...base-running mistake.
• Visit to the mound by Skip Johnson.
• Whitehead popped up to ss in shallow cf. Very nice catch by Loy.
• Ashby grounded out to 1b (3-1, p covered). Workman eased up as he made his way to 1b and just barely beat the batter to the bag. Geesh. Runners at 2b and 3b with 2 out.
• Popescu grounded out to 1b, unassisted.
• Texas up 5-1.
• 5th inning, Texas
• Texas Tech sent Jay Johnson (lhp, who also threw about 50 pitches on Friday) to the mound.
• Rupp lined out to lf.
• Keyes doubled to the lf/cf gap. Nice hit.
• Walsh grounded out to 1b (3-1, p covered), moving Keyes to 3b.
• Lusson lined out to cf. The center fielder made a great diving catch. Sigh...
• Texas up 5-1.
• 5th inning, Texas Tech
• McGruder grounded out 2-3 on a bunt attempt. Nice play by Rupp to get the ball and throw hard to 1b in time for the out.
• Kenworthy grounded out to 2b.
• Reed singled off the pitcher. It looked like the ball (hard liner) hit Workman on his pitching hand as he tried to protect himself from the ball. He took a few practice pitches and stayed in the game. A close-up showed a bright red swelling spot on the knuckle of his right index finger. Ouch. I don't see how he could keep throwing but he seemed to retain control. Amazing.
• Barnes hit a bloop single into rf. Reed, off with the pitch, made it to 3b on the play.
• Another close-up showed that Workman's finger was bleeding a bit...to go along with the swelling.
• LeJeune doubled down the rf line. Reed scored and Barnes moved up to 3b.
• Visit to the mound. Workman stayed in the game.
• Mayo flew out to rf. First pitch. Wow.
• Texas up 5-2.
• 6th inning, Texas
• Moldenhauer grounded out to ss.
• Shepherd doubled down the lf line.
• Visit to the mound for Tech. No pitching change, though.
• Etier drew a 4-pitch walk.
• Walla singled to left center, scoring Shepherd and moving Etier to 3b. The left fielder dove and almost caught the ball but was about 2 inches short. Walla advanced to 2b on the throw to the plate.
• Tech sent Colton Farrar (rhp) to the mound.
• With the infield pulled in, Loy singled past a diving second baseman into cf, scoring Etier and Walla.
• Rupp drew a 5-pitch walk, moving Loy to 2b.
• Keyes drew a 4-pitch walk to load the bases.
• Walsh drew a full-count walk to score Loy. Bases still loaded.
• Lusson hit a sac fly to cf, scoring Rupp. Runners at 1b and 2b with 2 out.
• Moldenhauer (up for the 2nd time in the inning) doubled off the top of the wall in cf, scoring Keyes and moving Walsh to 3b.
• Shepherd singled to lf, scoring Walsh and Moldenhauer!
• Etier grounded out to 3b.
• Texas scores 8 to take their lead to 13-2!
• 6th inning, Texas Tech
• Texas, surprisingly, kept Workman in the game on the mound.
• Whitehead singled to cf.
• After 2 balls to Ashby, the trainer and Skip Johnson went out to the mound to look at Workman's finger. And, decided to send Chance Ruffin in, replacing Workman.
• Ashby ended up drawing a full-count walk. The walk gets charged to Workman.
• Popescu singled through the right side to load the bases. Sigh...10-run rule, people!
• McGruder grounded out to 1b unassisted. Whitehead scored, Ashby to 3b and Popescu to 2b.
• Kenworthy struck out swinging. Rupp couldn't hold onto the ball. His throw to 1b hit the runner who was called out for running inside the baseline. The other runners had to stay put.
• Reed flew out to lf to end the inning.
• Texas up 13-3.
• 7th inning, Texas
• Texas Tech sent Brennen Stewart (rhp) to the mound.
• Walla flew out to cf.
• Loy popped out (soft liner) to 2b.
• Rupp grounded out to 2b.
• Texas up 13-3.
• 7th inning, Texas Tech
• Texas moved Walla to lf, sent Kyle Lusson into rf (replacing Keyes) and Connor Rowe into cf (replacing Walsh in the lineup).
• Barnes hit a homerun to left center. Sigh. 10-run rule!!! Sigh.
• LeJeune drew a full-count walk.
• Mayo struck out looking.
• Whitehead flew out to rf near the line and at the warning track.
• Ashby drew a full-count walk.
• Popescu struck out swinging.
• Texas up 13-4.
• 8th inning, Texas
• Tech sent Bo Altobelli in at 3b.
• Kyle Lusson hit a homerun over the rf fence! 'Love it!
• Rowe struck out swinging (1-2 count).
• Texas Tech sent Ben Flora (lhp) to the mound.
• Kevin Lusson struck out swinging (2-2 count, very high pitch...ouch).
• Moldenhauer struck out swinging (full count).
• Texas up 14-4.
• 8th inning, Texas Tech
• Texas sent Hoby Milner (lhp) to the mound, replacing Ruffin.
• Garrett Totten (pinch-hitting for McGruder) flew out to cf (full count).
• Kenworthy singled over 3b into lf. Walla dropped the ball as he was transferring it to his throwing hand...E7 allowed Kenworthy to reach 2b.
• Bonham Hough (pinch-hitting for Reed) doubled off the wall in rf, scoring Kenworthy. Damn.
• Barnes flew out to cf. Rowe made a nice play to charge and make the catch.
• LeJeune grounded out to 2b. Close play at 1b as Etier dropped the ball and had to rush his throw. Ump called him out but the play was very close. Tie goes to the runner, right?
• Texas up 14-5. And, to the 9th we go. Sigh...
• 9th inning, Texas
• Shepherd drew a 5-pitch walk.
• Etier homered to lf!
• Walla (TV guys, not surprisingly, think the wrong guy is at the plate...but they eventually figured it out) also homered over the lf fence! More toward the gap than straightaway.
• Loy flew out to cf.
• Texas Tech sent Justin Cooper (rhp) to the mound.
• Rupp struck out looking (full count). The strikeout pitch looked outside but an earlier pitch was called a ball that looked like a strike so...eh.
• Kyle Lusson flew out to rf.
• Texas up 17-5.
• 9th inning, Texas Tech
• Mayo singled up the middle.
• Stephen Hagen (pinch-hitting for Whitehead) flew out to rf.
• Alec Mielnicki (pinch-hitting for Ashby) reached on a fielder's choice. On the play, Kevin Lusson at 3b fielded and threw on a hop to 2b. Etier bobbled the catch a bit and the runner was called safe (E5).
• Altobelli grounded into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game.
• Texas wins 17-5.

Brandon Workman gets the win to move his record to 4-1. 'Not sure why he stayed in past the 5th with his sore hand or why Chance Ruffin went in at all with such a big lead. I have to say that the pitching decisions made by Texas this year confuse me. But, it's been working for the most part so...shrug. I am disappointed that the Horns didn't put things away when they had the chance in the 7th and again in the 8th. Frustrating. But, if they'd won in the 7th, Kyle Lusson wouldn't have had a chance to homer in the 8th. And, we would've missed the back-to-back homers by Etier and Walla in the 9th. Silver lining, eh?

The line:

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Texas	0	1	1	3	0	8	0	1	3	17	16	3
Texas Tech	0	0	0	1	1	1	1	1	0	5	14	2

The Horns come home to face Oral Roberts on Tuesday before they head out to Oklahoma to face a red-hot Sooner team on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday later in the week.

Hook 'em!

Posted by Joanna at 2:58 PM