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Saturday - June 4, 2011

Game 59: Princeton at Texas (Austin Regional)

It was hot at Disch-Falk Field. But, not as hot as it had been for the afternoon game, thankfully. Texas beat Princeton 5-3. Sam Stafford got the win for Texas, moving his record to 6-2, and Corey Knebel earned his 17th save of the year. I have to say I would've liked to see the Horns win a bit more decisively but a win's a win. And, I will take this one happily.

The line:

Look at that. Princeton with one more hit than Texas. Texas did more with their hits, though. Whew.

The lineups:

Princeton		Texas
Matt Bowman (ss) John Mishu (rf) Mike Ford (1b) Sam Mulroy (c) Jonathan York (3b) Steve Harrington (dh) Alex Flink (2b) Nate Baird (lf) Tom Boggiano (cf)		Tant Shepherd (1b) Mark Payton (rf) Brandon Loy (ss) Erich Weiss (lf) Paul Montalbano (lf) Jonathan Walsh (dh) Cohl Walla (cf) Jordan Etier (2b) Jacob Felts (c)

Yep...just when we think Coach Garrido has finally settled on a lineup, he goes and makes a change on us. Apparently he had one of those gut feelings of his and he switched Shepherd and Loy. And, it paid off nicely.

Play by play:

• 1st inning, Princeton
• Sam Stafford (lhp) on the mound for Texas.
• Bowman struck out looking (8 pitches, full count). Nice to start out with a strikeout but did it have to take 8 pitches? Heh.
• Mishu struck out looking (only 4 pitches this time).
• Ford drew a 7-pitch full-count walk.
• Mulroy grounded out to 2b.
• 22 pitches (14 for strikes).
• 1st inning, Texas
• Zak Hermans (rhp) on the mound for Princeton.
• Shepherd drew a 6-pitch full-count walk.
• Payton moved Shepherd to 2b on a 1-3 sac bunt down the 1b line.
• Loy drew a 5-pitch walk.
• With Weiss at the plate, Shepherd and Loy advanced to 3b and 2b on a double steal!
• Weiss grounded out to 2b, scoring Shepherd and moving Loy to 3b.
• with Montalbano at the plate, Loy scored on a wild pitch (the ball sailed over the catcher's head to the backstop).
• Montalbano flew out to lf.
• Texas up 2-0.
• 2nd inning, Princeton
• York struck out swinging.
• Harrington also struck out swinging.
• Look at that...two innings in a row that Stafford started out with a couple of Ks. Nice.
• Flink lined a single just over the outstretched glove of Shepherd into rf. Shepherd only need another couple of inches and he would've had that. Shucks.
• Baird grounded out on a high-chopper to the pitcher.
• 18 pitches (12 for strikes).
• Texas up 2-0.
• 2nd inning, Texas
• Walsh grounded out to 1b (unassisted).
• Walla struck out looking (3 pitches...ouch).
• Etier popped out to 3b.
• Texas up 2-0.
• 3rd inning, Princeton
• Boggiano drew a 6-pitch full-count walk.
• Bowman reached on a 4-unassisted fielder's choice. Loy fielded the ball in front of (and a bit down the 1b line from) 2b. It looked like he had a bit of trouble getting the ball out of his glove to flip to ss so stepped on the bag and then threw to 1b (trying to complete the double play) but the throw was late.
• Mishu lined out to lf.
• Ford struck out swinging.
• 13 pitches (8 for strikes).
• Texas up 2-0.
• 3rd inning, Texas
• Felts struck out looking (full count).
• Shepherd flew out to rf.
• Payton doubled to left-center. Purty!
• Payton advanced to 3b on a balk. I did not see what happened.
• Loy drew a 4-pitch walk.
• Weiss flew out to cf.
• Texas up 2-0.
• 4th inning, Princeton
• Mulroy grounded out to ss.
• York flew out to rf.
• Harrington grounded out to ss. Nice play by Loy deep in the hole. Close at 1b. Whew.
• 14 pitches (8 for strikes).
• Texas up 2-0.
• 4th inning, Texas
• Montalbano grounded out to 1b (unassisted).
• Walsh popped out to ss (in foul territory down the lf line).
• Walla struck out swinging (3 pitches).
• Texas up 2-0.
• 5th inning, Princeton
• Flink drew a 6-pitch full-count walk.
• Baird grounded out to ss, moving Flink to 2b. Controversy! The ground ball was hit right at the 2b bag. Loy fielded, appeared to tag 2b, and then threw to 1b. The umpire at 2b ruled that Loy did not tag 2b, though. Coach Garrido argued the call but you know how much good that does. Sigh.
• Boggiano popped out to the catcher...high pop-up right at the plate.
• Bowman reached on a bloop single into cf, scoring Flink. The crowd really gave it to the 2b ump. That always makes me laugh.
• Mishu lined out to cf.
• 17 pitches (10 for strikes).
• Texas up 2-1.
• 5th inning, Texas
• Etier flew out to lf.
• Felts lined a single into lf. Really nice hit.
• Shepherd blasted a homerun off the top of the Princeton bullpen wall. Purty, purty, purty!
• Payton reached on a bunt single past the pitcher toward 2b. Also purty. First pitch. It caught everyone off-guard after that homer.
• Loy drew a 5-pitch walk, moving Payton to 2b. Princeton did make a visit to the mound after the first pitch (a ball) to Loy.
• Princeton sent David Palms (lhp) to the mound, replacing Hermans.
• Weiss struck out looking.
• Montalbano was hit by a pitch (first pitch) to load the bases.
• Walsh struck out swinging (3 pitches). Too bad. It would've been nice to capitalize here with another couple of runs. Alas...
• Texas up 4-1.
• 6th inning, Princeton
• Ford struck out swinging.
• Mulroy flew out to rf (toward the cf/rf gap).
• York lined out to rf.
• 10 pitches (6 for strikes.
• Texas up 4-1.
• 6th inning, Texas
• Walla drew a 6-pitch full-count walk.
• Etier was hit by a pitch (first pitch), moving Walla to 2b.
• Felts advanced the runners to 2b and 3b on a 1-4 sac bunt.
• Shepherd drew a 6-pitch full-count walk to load the bases.
• Payton scored Walla on a sac fly to rf. Etier moved up to 3b on the play.
• With runners at the corners and Loy at the plate, Shepherd was essentially picked off...not sure if he was trying to draw a throw or not. But, the first baseman took the throw from the pitcher and Etier started for home. The first baseman looked toward Etier and began advancing on Etier. Etier stood his ground (hoping the first baseman would throw to 3b or home?) and the first baseman kept advancing on him. He finally made a move back to 3b but was tagged out by the first baseman. Sigh...
• Texas up 5-1.
• 7th inning, Princeton
• Harrington popped out to lf.
• Flink flew out to cf (in right-center)
• Baird grounded out to 2b.
• 13 pitches (7 for strikes).
• Texas up 5-1.
• 7th inning, Texas
• Loy reached on a ground-rule double that bounced over the lf fence near the scoreboard.
• Weiss drew a 6-pitch full-count walk.
• Montalbano tried to bunt the runners over. Alas he popped up the bunt down the 3b line. The pitcher made a fantastic diving catch of the ball, jumped up and threw back to the ss covering 2b, beating Loy who tried to get back, for a really nice double play. Damn.
• Walsh popped out to 1b in foul territory down the rf line.
• Texas up 5-1.
• 8th inning, Princeton
• Texas sent Nathan Thornhill (rhp) to the mound, replacing Stafford. Stafford's final numbers: 7 innings, 26 batters, 1 run (earned), 2 hits (singles), 6 strikeouts, 3 walks, 107 pitches (65 for strikes).
• Alec Keller (pinch-hitting for Boggiano) lined a single into lf.
• Bowman doubled down the lf line moving Keller to 3b. That ball just barely scooted past the 3b bag in fair territory. Shucks.
• Texas sent Hoby Milner (lhp) to the mound, replacing Thornhill.
• Mishu line a single into rf scoring Keller and moving Bowman to 3b.
• Ford reached on a 3-6 fielder's choice, scoring Bowman. The relay throw from ss to p was just late. Almost a double play. Shucks.
• Texas sent Corey Knebel (rhp) to the mound, replacing Milner.
• Mulroy hit into a lovely 4-6-3 double play.
• Final numbers for Thornhill: 0 innings, 2 batters, 2 runs (both earned), 2 hits (double, single), 7 pitches (6 for strikes).
• Final numbers for Milner: 0.1 innings, 2 batters, 0 runs, 1 hit, 9 pitches (6 for strikes).
• Texas up 5-3.
• 8th inning, Texas
• Princeton moved Mishu to cf and kept Keller in the game in rf. They also sent Matt Grabowski (rhp) to the mound, replacing Palms.
• Walla popped out to 1b (foul).
• Etier grounded out to ss.
• Felts also grounded out to ss.
• Texas up 5-3.
• 9th inning, Princeton
• Texas sent Tim Maitland into lf (taking Payton's spot in the lineup) and moved Montalbano to rf.
• Ryan Albert (pinch-hitting for York) lined a single into lf.
• Princeton sent Matt Conner to pinch run for Albert.
• Harrington popped out to 2b. Etier made a great diving catch as he ran back toward the rf/cf gap to rob Harrington of a bloop single. Really nice play!
• Flink popped out to shallow cf.
• Baird grounded out to 2b.
• Final numbers for Knebel: 1.2 innings, 5 batters, 0 runs, 1 hit (single), 17 pitches (12 for strikes).
• Texas wins 5-3.

Quotes from the post-game press conference are available on the TexasSports.com site.

So, Texas advances in the winner's bracket to face Kent State (who beat Texas State earlier in the day, while saving their ace for Texas). It should be a good game. Hook 'em, Horns!

Posted by Joanna at 7:48 AM