June 1, 2002

Box Score

AUSTIN, Texas - Third-ranked Texas scored three runs in the sixth and four runs in the seventh to pull out a 10-8 win over Baylor Saturday afternoon in the first winners' bracket game at the NCAA Austin Regional, played at Texas' Disch-Falk Field.

Baylor (35-25) knocked out first-team all-America pitched Justin Simmons in the second inning, but Texas (50-14) took its first lead in the fifth on a three-run homer by J.D. Reininger and regained the lead for good in the sixth with four runs off reliever Paul Thorp (4-2). Longhorn reliever Ray Clark (5-4) pitched the final 3 2/3 innings for the win.

The loss means the Bears will have to play again Saturday night, facing Lamar at 7 p.m. Baylor defeated the Cardinals 4-2 Friday afternoon in the first game of the regional.

IN-DEPTH GAME RECAP

After Jared Theodorakos struck out Dustin Majewski with the bases loaded and two outs in the top of the first to escape a jam, lead-off man Trey Webb hit the first pitch in the bottom of the first he saw over the left-field fence for a solo home run.

Simmons then walked Paul Richmond, and Chris Durbin blooped a 1-2 pitch into right field for a single. Jared Clements showed bunt, then slashed away and beat out a grounder to shortstop when the Texas infielders were slow covering their bases. Mike Huggins followed with a two-run single up the middle on the first pitch he saw, pushing Baylor's lead to 3-0.

David Murphy struck out swinging after fouling off two bunt attempts for the first out. Michael Griffin lined out to second baseman Tim Moss, whose flip to second doubled off Clements for the third out.

Simmons walked Josh Ford on four straight pitches, then gave up a double to Eric Errante in the second before being pulled in favor of right-hander Jesen Merle. The one-plus inning stint was the shortest of the year for Simmons. Merle got Webb to pop up on the infield for the first out, and Paul Richmond grounded out to second for the second out while driving in Ford from third. After Merle hit Durbin with a pitch, pinch-hitter Ross Bennett flew out to right to end the frame with Baylor leading 4-0.

Texas bounced back in the third, scoring once and stranding a runner on third. Theodorakos walked Omar Quintanilla to start the inning, then gave up an 0-2 double to Reininger that put two men in scoring position with nobody out. After a pop out in foul ground, a passed ball brought home Quintanilla from third for the Longhorns' first run. Theodorakos escaped further damage by getting a pop-up to shallow center and a strikeout, leaving Reininger on third base.

Merle pitched around trouble in the fourth. The righty hit two batters but got out of the jam when Richmond flew out to the warning track in right and Durbin popped up to first.

Texas pushed across another run in the fifth, putting together two hits and a walk but leaving the bases loaded. With two outs and the sacks full of Longhorns, Majewski beat out a tapper in front of the plate as Moss came home to cut Baylor's lead to 4-2. Theodorakos got Michael Holliman to pop up to shortstop for the third out, stranding three men.

The Bears were not as lucky in the sixth. A walk and single were followed by a two-out, three-run homer to left by Reininger, putting Texas on top for the first time all day at 5-4. That marked the end of Theodorakos' day, as Paul Thorp took over on the mound and closed out the inning.

Baylor got the first two men on in the bottom of the sixth as Merle walked the first batter in the inning and reliever Brantley Jordan walked the next batter. Errante's fielder's choice grounder to first resulted in a force at second for the first out, and Webb followed with a bunt single that scored Griffin from third to tie the game. With a 2-0 count on the next batter, Paul Richmond, the Longhorns brought in another reliever in Eugene Espinelli. Espinelli completed the bases-loading walk, throwing only two pitches, before being relieved by Clark. Clark struck out Durbin, but gave up a first pitch single to Ross Bennett that scored two men and regained the lead for Baylor at 7-5.

Texas tied the game in the bottom of the frame, plating two runs on three hits. With runners on first and second and nobody out, pinch-hitter Matt Rosenberg beat out a bunt in front of the plate. Richmond's throw from the plate skipped past Errante covering first base and allowed Rosenberg to take third while the first two runners scored. Rosenberg was gunned out at the plate when he attempted to score on a ground ball to shortstop, but another base hit knocked Thorp from the game in favor of closer Kyle Edens. Reininger tapped out an infield hit to load the bases, and Jeff Ontiveros followed with a bouncer that just made it through the right side for a two-run single.

Murphy doubled down the right-field line and Griffin singled him in to start the bottom of the seventh, cutting Texas' lead to 9-8, but Griffin was picked off and Clark got the next two outs easily to end the inning.

Texas got that run back on a bloop double with two outs in the eighth that just eluded a diving Tim Hartshorn in left and scored Majewski from second.

Clark nailed down the win with a 1-2-3 ninth inning for Texas.