Throughout the remainder of the season, I'll be filing series reports for each of the Texas baseball team's Big 12 matchups.
Game One: Texas 4 Oklahoma 3
Texas starter James Russell didn't turn in his most efficient performance of the season (106 pitches in 5 2/3 innings), but he was once again extremely effective. The big lefthander, who has quickly become one of my favorite 'Horns pitchers in some time, walked none, struck out seven, and allowed just two Sooner runs on six base hits.
On the back end, Randy Boone got it done for Texas, pitching the 'Horns through the final four outs with just one hit allowed. He struck out two batters for his 8th save of the season.
Kyle Russell hit his NCAA best 17th home run of the season during the fifth inning, a solo shot to center over the Monster that gave Texas a 3-2 lead. Russell became just the 32nd player in history to homer over the high wall in deep center field. The Longhorns added an insurance run in the seventh when Jordan Danks singled, stole second, advanced to third on a groundout, and then scored on a balk.
Game Two: Texas 3 Oklahoma 1
Nobody in college baseball is pitching better than Adrian Alaniz right now. The talented junior right hander tossed an absolute gem on Saturday afternoon, going the distance for Texas while allowing just three hits, walking none, and allowing only one run to cross the plate. He struck out five batters and faced just three more batters than the minimum on the afternoon. Alaniz improved to 8-1 on the season while lowering his ERA to a team-best 1.75.
Oklahoma's Heath Taylor was solid as well, matching Alaniz with six scoreless innings before coming undone in the seventh. After getting the first two outs of the afternoon, Taylor allowed a Jordan Danks single, an RBI single to Bradley Suttle, and a two-run double to Preston Clark following an intentional walk to Kyle Russell.
Game Three: Oklahoma 5 Texas 2
Sooner pitchers Joseph Hughes and Nick Conaway combined to limit Texas to just seven hits and two runs on the afternoon, while the Sooners picked up five runs and eleven hits of their own to avoid a sweep at Disch-Falk field. Nich Conaway, in particular, absolutely murdered the Horns, pitching four scoreless innings of one-hit baseball, including four strikeouts. Texas just couldn't get a rally going on a beautiful Sunday afternoon to miss out on a sweep for the second straight series.
Joseph Krebs started for the Horns and didn't have his best stuff working. In just four innings, he allowed seven hits, walked one, and allowed two Sooners to cross the plate. Keith Shinaberry and Pat McCrory couldn't get the Longhorns out of trouble in fifth, each allowing run scoring singles during a three-run fifth inning.
--PB--