Feb. 28, 2009
AUSTIN, Texas - Texas scored three runs off of wild pitches to cruise to a 6-2 victory over Penn State in the first game of a twinbill in Austin, Texas on Saturday. For the second straight game, the Longhorns used a monumental fourth inning to break open a stalemate.
Ben Heath and Cory Wine went 2-for-2 and reached base in all three at-bats. Heath had his first RBI of the season - the lone RBI in the game for Penn State.
Scott Kelley (1-1) took the loss for Penn State, which now sees its record slide to 2-3. Kelley pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing four hits, four earned runs and four walks.
Taylor Jungmann secured the victory for Texas (7-0). Jungmann allowed one earned run in six innings pitched and struck out five batters.
Travis Tucker had two RBIs and scored a run for the Longhorns.
Heath put the Nittany Lions ahead by 1-0 in the top of the second inning. Wine led the inning with a single to the right side of the field and moved along with his first stolen base of the season. With runners on first and second, Heath recorded his season-first RBI of the season with a groundball single that sneaked between the third baseman and shortstop to allow Wine to score the game's first run.
For the second consecutive day, miscues in the field led to Longhorn unearned runs. After Heath gunned down Connor Rowe at second, a throwing error by Michael Glantz allowed Travis Tucker to get on base and eventually tie the game at one apiece in the bottom of the third inning. Tucker, who was moved along by a Brandon Loy single, slid under Kelley's glove following a wild pitch that caromed off of the backstop.
The fourth inning plagued Penn State for the second day in a row as Texas scored four runs with just two hits. Tant Shepherd reached based after being hit by a pitch and scored off a bunt single by Rowe. Cameron Rupp scored the second run of the inning by way of a Kelley wild pitch. Tucker gave the Longhorns a four-run lead with a single to centerfielder that scored David Hernandez and Rowe.
Penn State's fourth wild pitch gave Texas its sixth run. Shepherd tripled to deep right and scored on a pitch by David Lutz that went array. It was the third run scored on an errant throw by a Penn State hurler.
A doubleheader ended Penn State's chances for a comeback in the seventh inning. Blake Lynd had a pinch-hit single and two free passes given away by Stayton Thomas filled the bases with no outs. Austin Wood received a save after he forced Wes Borden to ground into a double play.
Ryan Ignas threw a scoreless inning of relief for Penn State.