No. 1 Texas shuts the door on Lamar’s upset attempt in 9-3 win

Late-inning power and patient plate work push the Longhorns past the Cardinals in the season’s final midweek game.

In a matchup that felt closer than the final score suggests, Lamar University battled toe-to-toe with the top-ranked Texas Longhorns on Tuesday at UFCU Disch-Falk Field as head coach Jim Schlossnagle’s team leaned on late timely hitting and bullpen depth to dismantle the Cardinals, exposing the inability to contain pressure on the Forty Acres in the 9-3 win.

“Lot of frustration, both before the game and during because we have the flu running through our team, it started this weekend and we had some guys out today, so hopefully we can get them back on the weekend,” Schlossnagle said.

Sophomore designated hitter Ethan Mendoza was out in favor of freshman Cole Chamberlain due to sickness.

Early composure, mid-inning issues for Lamar

Lamar’s senior-righty Carter Sutton (5-3) took the hill with poise, keeping Texas hitters off balance through four innings. Though he allowed only two hits, neither of which was hit hard, control issues plagued him with six walks, two hit batters, and a mounting pitch count (87 through 4.1 IP) which ultimately opened the door for the Longhorns. Sutton surrendered three earned runs and took the loss despite a gritty outing.

After the Cardinals struck first with an RBI single from sophomore designated hitter Easton Culp in the top of the fourth, Texas answered with small-ball grit, loading the bases after a hit by pitch, bloop single by sophomore right fielder Tommy Farmer, and a walk drawn by sophomore third baseman Casey Borba, one of four on the evening for the California product. Freshman left fielder Jonah Williams’ infield single brought home the tying run, and first baseman Kimble Schuessler was later hit by a pitch to force in another. That set the tone for Texas’ patient approach, drawing an eye-popping 16 walks on the night.

Four walks drawn in the fifth inning, the last by Borba, forced home a run, as did a walk drawn by Farmer when the Horns loaded the bases on two walks and a bunt single by sophomore center fielder Will Gasparino.

Momentum swings, missed opportunities

Lamar stayed within striking distance thanks to key moments at the plate from junior-catcher Zak Skinner, who launched a solo homer in the eighth and reached base four times. Culp added two RBIs, while sophomore-outfielder Damian Ruiz continued his hot streak with a 2-for-4 night with a double.

The Cardinal also stayed in the game because the Longhorns couldn’t get that key hit to open up a comfortable lead

“A lot of base runners. I think that we only had the base- loaded situation with one out two times, all the other times were with two outs. So it’s like you’re one hit away from really breaking the game open. They gave us plenty of opportunities. I think Jonah [Williams’] first three at bats were with bases loaded and two outs. So it’s frustrating because everybody can feel that one hit, but that’s how weird baseball is,” Schlossnagle said.

Through the first seven innings, Texas stranded 15 baserunners as Williams came up empty twice with the bases loaded and junior catcher Rylan Galvan and junior designated hitter Jayden Duplantier joined Gasparino in leaving the bases loaded.

Swirling wind at the Disch contributed — the wind blowing hard out to right field during batting practice shifted to blowing in at 20 miles an hour when Galvan hit a ball with a 105 mph exit velocity that turned into a routine fly as a result of the wind.

Though Texas struggled to find that breakthrough hit, going 1-of-7 with two outs and 1-of-9 with runners in scoring position, the hits finally came in the eighth inning as Lamar was forced to use weaker parts of their bullpen. The Longhorns’ ability to answer with deeper firepower and to wear down pitching with disciplined at-bats proved decisive.

Borba, the slugging third baseman, belted a two-run shot to the opposite field that pushed the Texas lead from 4-3 to 6-3.

It was a positive development for Borba to showcase some power the other way as a strong pull-side hitter who often hits into the shifts put on against him.

“He’s really working hard on staying on the ball and hitting the ball the other way, hitting the ball with some authority the other way. He’s done a really good job in batting practice. He had some balls hit hard in his last several at bats, I think, in Arkansas that way and so good to see him get one that went over the fence,” Schlossnagle said.

For Borba to turn his professional at bats into a batting average that reflects their quality, it’s a necessary development.

“We’re just trying to get him to grow into even being a better hitter and being able to use the whole field. You see the teams playing the shifts on him and over the course of his career, if teams are going to play shifts on you, you better hit homers. Otherwise, it doesn’t matter how hard you hit the ball if you’re hitting right where they’re standing. So he’s working on that,” Schlossnagle said.

Williams added a hard-hit, deep double and an RBI in a 2-for-5 effort, Galvan’s RBI double and junior shortstop Jalin Flores’ situational hitting rounded out a methodical offensive display in the eighth to put the game out of reach.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals showed they could hang with the best, but not for nine full innings.

Bullpen breakdown

The Cardinal bullpen briefly stabilized the middle innings but couldn’t hold. Junior right-hander Ethan Oceguera allowed four runs on four hits in just 0.2 innings, erasing the work of relievers who had previously danced out of trouble.

Texas took control late, turning what had been a tight contest into a convincing win as the Lamar bullpen faltered.

On the Longhorns side, redshirt sophomore left-hander Ethan Walker (1-0) earned his first Division 1 win in relief, holding the Cardinal bats at bay in two hitless innings, while sophomore right-hander Hudson Hamilton closed out the final two innings for the first save of the his college career, slamming the door on any potential rally by limiting Lamar to a solo home run.

Redshirt junior right-hander Cody Howard was also solid in 1.2 innings, working around two walks and a hit in holding the Cardinals scoreless in his outing.

The effective work out of the bullpen supported sophomore left-hander Kade Bing in his 3.1 innings of work, allowing one run on four hits with two strikeouts and a walk.

“Ethan Walker did a great job. Bing did fine, throwing strikes, giving us a chance. Walker got some big guys, he was solid, and Hamilton’s been a really good find for us,” Schlossnagle said

Looking ahead

For Texas (39-8), the win reinforces their standing atop college baseball after the sweep in Fayetteville, while Lamar (37-15) walks away knowing they belonged in the fight, even if the final frame said otherwise.

Texas faces Florida in the upcoming weekend conference series on the Forty Acres.