AUSTIN (KXAN) — What a return to action for Texas outfielder Max Belyeu.
Back in the lineup for the first time since March 28, Belyeu belted a go-ahead, 3-run home run in the top of the ninth inning off of Oklahoma closer Dylan Crooks, lifting the Longhorns to a 7-4 win Thursday over the Sooners at L. Dale Mitchell Park in Norman, Oklahoma.
Belyeu needed thumb surgery following an injury sustained while diving for a fly ball against Missouri, missing 26 games. His seventh homer of the season was his only hit of the night, but it came at the right time.
The win clinched at least a share of the Southeastern Conference regular season championship for Texas (41-10, 21-7 SEC) in their first year as members. If Arkansas loses to Tennessee, then the Longhorns will win the title outright. As of this writing, the Volunteers were ahead of the Razorbacks 7-3 in the eighth inning.
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The Texas offense got it going late, scoring six runs over the last three innings. Tommy Farmer IV hit a 2-run single in the seventh and Kimble Schuessler smacked an RBI single in the eighth, taking advantage of a Sooners bullpen that couldn’t make Kyson Witherspoon’s effective start stand up. Witherspoon struck out eight and walked one in 6.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits before the bullpen squandered the lead.
Dylan Volantis worked the eighth and ninth to become the pitcher of record for Texas, but labored a little bit in the process, throwing 47 pitches. Head coach Jim Schlossnagle turned the series opener into a bullpen game, using starter Kade Bing only 2.2 innings before Grayson Saunier ate up 3.1 frames. Thomas Burns worked one inning before letting Volantis take it the rest of the way for his fourth win.
Farmer had a great game out of the No. 9 spot in the batting order, going 3-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and two runs scored. Schuessler and Adrian Rodriguez had two hits each. The Longhorns out-hit the Sooners 10-5 despite striking out 10 times.
Trey Gambill hit a solo home run in the third for the Sooners (32-18, 13-15 SEC). Easton Carmichael and Jaxon Willits had two hits each. Oklahoma’s 5-9 hitters in the lineup went a combined 0-for-17.
The series continues at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
