Texas wins 7-5 in extra innings on walk-off home run

With two outs in the top of the ninth inning, the Texas Longhorns had a chance to win the game, but pitcher Donny Diaz surrendered a two-run home run that sent it to extra innings. Not more than 30 minutes later, the Longhorns got a two-run home run of their own of the bat of Cam Williams. The 7-5 victory over the Boise State Broncos on Sunday at UFCU Disch-Falk Field completed the weekend sweep and preserved Texas’ pristine unbeaten record, which now stands at 8-0.

Sophomore right-hander Coy Cobb got the nod to start today’s game, and he looked to have one of his own stellar performances like Bryce Elder and Ty Madden each had this weekend. Cobb’s day got off to a great start in the top of the first inning, as he retired the side in order and struck out the last two batters to get to the bottom of the first.

Like every other game this weekend, Texas got on the board in their first inning of work at the plate. After a Duke Ellis walk, he stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error, before finally coming home courtesy of a Zach Zubia sacrifice fly to right field.

Cobb continued to throw well in the second inning, allowing only one baserunner in the frame that got on by a throwing error from Williams at third base. Boise State got that runner all the way over to third base with two outs, but an incredible diving stop from Zubia at first base got Cobb and the Longhorns out of the top half of the inning with a 1-0 lead.

The Longhorns added to their lead in the bottom of the second. After a Douglas Hodo III walk and Williams single put runners on first and second, Austin Todd doubled to right field to bring in the two base runners and push the Texas lead to 3-0.

Scoring resumed in the top of the fourth inning. Cobb got two ground outs to start the inning, but allowed a full count walk and long single that scored the runner from first and surrendered the first Boise run of the day. Texas got that run back immediately, though, in the bottom of the fourth. After a Todd triple, Ellis brought Todd in from third on a sacrifice fly that got the Longhorn lead back to three runs at 4-1.

Texas added a fifth run in the fifth inning. Trey Faltine doubled to left field, then scored on a Hodo single to push the lead to 5-1. Cobb retook the mound in the top of the sixth, but allowed the first two runners to reach base, ending his day. Head coach David Pierce called on Tristan Stevens to pitch in relief of Cobb, who allowed a run but ultimately slammed the door on Boise State with a combination of groundouts and one three-pitch strikeout.

Cobb probably stayed in the game just a few batters too long. But overall, his line was another solid starting performance that helped keep the Longhorns lead through five innings of work. In all, Cobb threw 5.0 innings, allowed two runs, three hits, and two walks, and also struck out three.

With Cobb out of the game, Boise State started chipping away at the Texas lead. After adding a run in the sixth inning, they got another run in the seventh off of Cole Quintanilla to make the game 5-3, Longhorns. The eighth inning was uneventful scoring-wise, but things started to pick up again in the top of the ninth.

Pierce called on the veteran Diaz to close out the game for the Horns, and he got off to a good start. Diaz induced a lead off fly out to centerfield, then forced a groundout to get two quick outs and pit Boise State down to their final out of the game. After working a full count, Diaz allowed a single to right, followed immediately on the next pitch by a two-out, game-tying homer to right field. Diaz allowed another single up the middle before getting pulled in favor of Mason Bryant, who forced a groundout to get out of the top of the ninth, with the game now tied at five runs a piece.

Texas’ Eric Kennedy got on base in the bottom of the ninth, but no other Longhorns could move him as Boise State’s pitchers shut the door on regulation and sent the game into extra innings. Dawson Merryman made quick work of the Broncos in the 10th, and got the Longhorns bats another chance to win the game in the bottom of the inning.

After a leadoff strikeout by DJ Petrinsky, Douglas Hodo III singled up the middle to get a runner on base for the Horns with just one out. Instead of going with small ball and moving the runner across using steals and in-the-park hitting, Williams had other plans and launched a ball over the left field foul pole. After a short umpire review, the call on the field stood in favor of a home run, ending the game and winning it for the Horns to the tune of 7-5.

The Longhorns finish off their six game homestand on Tuesday night, as they host the visiting Sam Houston State Bearkats. That game is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. Central, and can be seen on Longhorn Network or heard on 104.9 The Horn.