Texas Beats Stanford 4-3 On Walk Off Wild Pitch

It was a weird day at the Disch on Saturday and the weirdness started early, continued throughout a game which also finished weird.

A foul ball in the top of the 1st hit Stanford starting SS Drew Jackson in the face while standing in the dugout causing him to miss the game. Texas then scored in the bottom of the 1st thanks to a throwing error by Jackson's replacement at SS putting the Horns ahead 2-0. They'd remain up through the first 6 innings until Stanford tied things in the 7th in the weirdest way possible, putting the first two runners on before hitting a baserunner with a ground ball that would've scored a run had it gone through. Stanford scored three batters later with a bases loaded two RBI single just as it seemed Dillon Peters would get out of it unscathed.

Texas retook the lead in the bottom half of the inning when Mark Payton singled with two outs and runners on first and second to end an eight pitch at bat. Senior closer Nathan Thornhill then took the mound for his first real action as the team's closer and struggled, giving up three hits and a walk in his two innings but also inducing a pair of double plays. There may be an adjustment period for Thornhill as closer, but getting his first high pressure situation out of the way is a good thing.

Stanford tied the game in the 8th on a two out double but couldn't take the lead in the 9th setting up a very weird ending to a very weird ballgame. Ben Johnson drew a one out walk and was replaced by Collin Shaw on a fielder's choice. Shaw advanced to second on a Brooks Marlow walk and the Cardinal pitched around Payton to load the bases for CJ Hinojosa. Hinojosa was in the middle of what probably would've been an epic at bat when a wild pitch scored Shaw and won the game for Texas.

Payton was nothing short of magnificent, going 3-3 with a walk. The senior is now hitting .621 (18-29) with an OPS of 1.622. Those aren't typos. If the freshman trio of Tres Barrera, Zane Gurwitz and Andy McGuire ever start hitting (currently a combined .155 though McGuire is doing a good job getting on base and in the field) the Horns could be downright dangerous.

It wasn't a pretty win but Texas got the victory and can go for the sweep today. The Horns pitched well and played sterling defense which was enough to secure a series win over a solid but flawed Stanford squad. Texas has now won five straight games after scoring just once over the season's first two games. They won five straight twice in 2013. They didn't win six straight.

Game three starts at 1 PM and this'll be your open thread.