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Sunday - February 20, 2011

Game 4: Maryland at Texas

As I expected, the Horns did not mess around at all today. Hoby Milner got the start and took care of Maryland in the first inning with 4 (four!) pitches. The offense scored 6 in the bottom of the inning and that was all she wrote. The line:

Erich Weiss proved himself human today by only going 2-for-3...with 2 walks, a sac fly, 3 runs scored, and 3 batted in. Not to mention a spectacular defensive play to end the game and preserve the shutout. P-shaw. Anybody can do that, right? Yikes! The guy had a phenomenal weekend. Like I said last night: it can't last. We all know it can't. But, geesh...so much fun. On the weekend his plate appearances went like so:

• Game 1
• 2nd inning: rbi triple
• 4th inning: single
• 6th inning: rbi single, run scored
• 7th inning: rbi walk
• Game 2
• 2nd inning: 9-pitch full-count walk, run scored
• 4th inning: single, stole 2b
• 7th inning: single
• Game 3
• 2nd inning: ground out to ss (horrors!)
• 4th inning: rbi single
• 6th inning: single
• 8th inning: walk, run scored
• Game 4
• 1st inning: walk, run scored
• 2nd inning: rbi triple, run scored
• 3rd inning: walk
• 5th inning: rbi double, run scored
• 6th inning: sac fly (rbi)
• 8th inning: ground out to 2b

Took this shot of the scoreboard when he came up to bat in the 9th:

Just look at his numbers there at the bottom of the board. Scary! How often do you see someone with a .900 batting average? I'm pretty sure I've never seen that before. I certainly don't remember ever seeing that before. It's crazy.

Mark Payton also showed some flash at the plate and in the field this afternoon. He went 3-for-4 with 2 doubles, 2 runs batted in, 3 runs scored, had a sac fly, was hit by a pitch, and struck out once. He made a beautiful diving catch in the 3rd to rob Jordan Hagel of a lead-off single. Purty.

Ah well...on to the details. The starting lineups for today's game...

• Maryland: (1) Alfredo Rodriguez, ss; (2) Korey Wacker, cf; (3) Tomo Delp, 1b; (4) Brandon Padula, dh; (5) Michael Montville, lf; (6) Jake Stinnett, 3b; (7) Ryan Holland, 2b; (8) Jordan Hagel, rf; (9) Jack Cleary, c. Brady Kirkpatrick (rhp) on the mound.
• Texas: (1) Paul Montalbano, lf; (2) Brandon Loy, ss; (3) Mark Payton, rf; (4) Erich Weiss, 3b; (5) Jonathan Walsh, dh; (6) Tant Shepherd, 1b; (7) Cohl Walla, cf; (8) Kevin Lusson, c; (9) Jordan Etier, 2b. Hoby Milner (lhp) on the mound.

I wasn't gonna do the whole play-by-play thing but...what the heck. There were lots of runs scored and you want to know how they were scored, right? Right. So, here you go...

• 1st inning, Maryland
• Hoby Milner (lhp) on the mound.
• Alfredo Rodriguez (ss) grounded out to the pitcher...first pitch.
• Korey Wacker (cf) lined out to rf.
• Tomo Delp grounded out to ss.
• Milner threw 4 pitches. Wow.
• 1st inning, Texas
• Paul Montalbano (lf) reached on a bunt single down the 3b line. The third baseman tried to field bare handed but could not scoop up the ball.
• Brandon Loy reached on a sac bunt/error down the 1b line, moving Montalbano to 2b. The pitcher fielded the ball but threw off-line to 1b. E1.
• Mark Payton (rf) reached on another bunt single down the 3b line, to load the bases. The third baseman, again, tried to field bare handed and managed to trip and fall this time.
• With Erich Weiss (3b) at the plate, Montalbano scored, Loy moved up to 3b, and Payton moved to 2b...all on a wild pitch that sailed over the catcher's head.
• Weiss walked to re-load the bases.
• Jonathan Walsh (dh) walked in a run.
• Tant Shepherd (1b) was hit on the arm by a pitch to walk in another run.
• Maryland sent Blair Delean (rhp) to the mound, replacing Kirkpatrick.
• Cohl Walla (cf) smoked a base-clearing double down the lf line.
• Kevin Lusson popped out to 3b.
• Jordan Etier (2b) struck out looking.
• Montalbano, in his second plate appearance of the inning, grounded out to 2b.
• Texas up 6-0.
• 2nd inning, Maryland
• Brandon Padula (dh) singled up the middle.
• Michael Montville (cf) struck out swinging.
• Jake Stinnett (3b) flew out to cf (toward the lf/cf gap).
• Ryan Holland (b) struck out looking.
• Texas up 6-0.
• 2nd inning, Texas
• Loy reached on a 4-pitch walk and then stole 2b with Payton at the plate.
• Payton doubled to lf, scoring Loy. That could've easily been scored a single plus an error as Montville struggled to field the ball and get it back into the infield.
• Weiss tripled to the lf/cf gap, scoring Payton. It looked like the left fielder had a bead on the ball but then lost it in the sun.
• Walsh grounded out to ss, scoring Weiss.
• Shepherd popped out to 2b.
• Walla was hit by a pitch (on the helmet...second time hit on the head in the series).
• Lusson grounded out to ss. Nice play by Rodriguez who was ranging toward 2b to cover a possible stolen base attempt. He had to quickly readjust back to his right to make a diving stop. He jumped up and threw to 1b in time to nick Lusson and end the inning.
• Texas up 9-0.
• 3rd inning, Maryland
• Jordan Hagel (rf) lined out to rf. This was the really nice diving catch by Payton I mentioned earlier.
• Jack Cleary (c) struck out swinging.
• Rodriguez reached on a 5-pitch walk.
• Wacker struck out swinging. Lusson dropped the ball and had to throw down to 1b to complete the out.
• Texas up 9-0.
• 3rd inning, Texas
• Matt Marquis replaced Michael Montville in lf.
• Creighton Hoke (rhp) to the mound for Maryland.
• Etier reached on a throwing error by the shortstop. On the play, the 1st baseman leapt up trying to catch the high throw and came down in Etier's path to 1b...and into a rather painful collision. Etier took a bit of time to recover and seemed to be favoring his right shoulder for the entire time he was out on the basepads. He was awarded 2b on the overthrow, by the way.
• Montalbano reached on a 5-pitch walk.
• Loy reached on a 4-pitch walk to load the bases.
• Payton hit a sac fly to cf. Etier scored. Montalbano tagged up and moved up to 3b. The throw from cf went into 3b, allowing Loy to also tag and move up to 2b.
• Weiss walked to re-load the bases.
• Walsh hit into a 6-4-3 double play. He actually lined the ball to the second baseman who managed to drop the ball. But, he picked it up and tossed it to the ss who got the relay throw to 1b in time to turn the double play. It was all a bit confusing.
• Texas up 10-0.
• 4th inning, Maryland
• Milner struck out the side (Delp, Padula, and Marquis).
• Texas up 10-0.
• 4th inning, Texas
• Gary Schneider (lhp) to the mound for Maryland.
• Shepherd lined a single into cf.
• Walla ground into a 6-4-3 double play.
• Lusson reached on a 5-pitch walk.
• Etier struck out swinging.
• Texas up 10-0.
• 5th inning, Maryland
• Stinnet grounded out to ss. A fantastic diving stop followed by a great throw by Loy!
• Holland and Hagel both struck out swinging.
• Texas up 10-0.
• 5th inning, Texas
• Kyle Convissar replace Holland at 2b and Alex Ramsay replaced Cleary at c for Maryland.
• Ben Brewster (lhp) to the mound for Maryland.
• Montalbano drew a 5-pitch walk.
• Loy reached on a 5-4 fielder's choice.
• Payton was hit by a pitch, moving Loy to 2b.
• Weiss lined a double into cf, scoring Loy and moving Payton to 3b.
• Shepherd struck out looking (full count).
• Walla lined a single into rf, scoring Payton and Weiss.
• Lusson drew a 5-pitch walk, moving Walla to 2b.
• Etier flew out to cf.
• Texas up 13-0.
• 6th inning, Maryland
• Ramsay struck out swinging. Lusson dropped the 3rd strike so had to throw down to 1b to complete the out.
• Rodriguez grounded out to the pitcher. He hit a little "nubber" off the end of the bat down the 3b line. Milner made a great play to charge the ball, field it, spin, and then he threw a bullet to 1b for the out. Purty!
• Wacker reached on a 5-pitch walk. Milner's adrenaline a bit high after that previous play? Heh. Maybe.
• Delp grounded out to 3b.
• Texas up 13-0.
• 6th inning, Texas
• Austin Kilbourne (rhp) to the mound for Maryland.
• Montalbano lined a single into rf.
• Loy struck out swinging.
• Payton hit a pop-up single into no-man's land in lf. It fell between the left fielder, 3rd baseman, and shortstop...none of whom could get close enough to make the catch. Montalbano moved up to 3b on the play.
• Weiss scored Montalbano on a sac fly to cf.
• Walsh hit a towering fly ball to cf for the 3rd out of the inning.
• Texas up 14-0.
• 7th inning, Maryland
• Tim Kiene (pinch hitting for Padula) grounded out to 2b.
• Marquis doubled through the left side.
• Stinnett grounded out to 3b. Marquis moved up to 3b on the play.
• Convissar flew out to cf.
• Texas up 14-0.
• 7th inning, Texas
• Matt Lynch (rhp) to the mound for Maryland.
• Shepherd singled past the ss into lf.
• Tim Maitland (pinch-hitting for Walla) was hit by a pitch, moving Shepherd to 2b.
• With Lusson at the plate, both runners moved up a base on a wild pitch (way over the catcher's head).
• Lusson grounded out to 1b (unassisted), scoring Shepherd and moving Miatland to 3b.
• Christian Summers (pinch-hitting for Etier) drew a 4-pitch walk.
• Montalbano singled up the middle, scoring Maitland and moving Summers up to 2b. Summers tried to reach 3b but was thrown out (8-5). Montalbano moved up to 2b on the throw to 3b.
• Loy flew out to rf.
• Texas up 16-0.
• 8th inning, Maryland
• Texas sent Josh Urban (rhp) to the mound. Maitland remained in the game in cf and Summers stayed in at 2b.
• Hagel struck out looking (2-2 pitch).
• Ramsay popped out to ss.
• Curtis Lazar (pinch-hitting for Rodriguez) reached on a full-count 7-pitch walk.
• Charlie White (pinch-hitting for Wacker) flew out to rf.
• Texas up 16-0.
• 8th inning, Texas
• White stayed in the game at cf. Lazar stayed in at 1b. Delp moved from 1b to 3b. Stinnet moved from 3b to 2b. Convissar moved from 2b to ss. And, Michael Murphy (rhp) went to the mound for Maryland.
• Payton struck out swinging.
• Weiss grounded out to 2b.
• Walsh flew out to cf. Nice running catch by White toward the cf/rf gap.
• Texas up 16-0.
• 9th inning, Maryland
• Stayton Thomas (rhp) to the mound for Texas.
• Delp lined a single into lf.
• Padula grounded out to ss, moving Delp to 2b.
• Marquis out on a high pop-up behind the plate to the catcher.
• With Stinnett at the plate, Delp moved up to 3b on a wild pitch.
• Stinnett grounded out to 3b. Weiss made a spectacular diving catch, jumped up, and fired a rocket to 1b to make the out, end the game, and preserve the shut out. Wow.
• Texas wins 16-0!

Texas played a great game today. They were firing on all cylinders. It was really nice to see them do so well after they struggled so much yesterday. They now face Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at home on Tuesday afternoon before flying out to Hawaii for a bit of fun in the sun. Hook 'em, Horns!

Posted by Joanna at 11:47 PM