Texas beats error-prone Indiana 5-2

The Texas Longhorns secured a series victory against the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday at UFCU Disch-Falk Field despite only four hits in the 5-2 win.

Three errors by the Hoosiers led to three unearned runs for the Longhorns, who were only 2-of-11 with runners in scoring position but did enough in the batters box and in the field to record the third win of the 2023 season. Texas pitchers held Indiana 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and 0-for-3 with the bases loaded — the visiting team had several opportunities to produce a vastly different outcome.

The Longhorns didn’t record their first base hit until a double by catcher Garret Guillemette to lead off the fourth inning, but already had a 1-0 lead notched in the first inning when center fielder Eric Kennedy reached third base on an error by the right fielder and scored on a sacrifice fly by left fielder Porter Brown.

On the mound, right-hander Zane Morehouse made the early lead stand by striking out four batters over the first four innings and holding Indiana without a hit until the fifth inning, when he hit the leadoff batter and then threw the ball away on an infield single, putting runners at second and third with no outs. Then Morehouse hit another batter to load the bases and walked the next hitter to tie the game. Texas head coach David Pierce stuck with his starter, however, and Morehouse responded, inducing a popup and then an inning-ending double play.

A one-out walk by third baseman Tanner Carlson, bunt single by Kennedy, walk by right fielder Dylan Campbell, and a single by Brown scored two runs after an error by the first baseman. The lead stretched to 5-1 on a single by Guillemette and an error by the Indiana second baseman that allowed Texas first baseman Jared Thomas to reach base.

Right-hander Andre Duplantier came on for Morehouse in the sixth inning, who allowed one run on one hit with four strikeouts, two walks, and three hit by pitches. Duplantier was only able to record one out, walking the other three batters he faced, resulting in another call to the bullpen for left-hander David Shaw. Initially, Shaw appeared to get another inning-ending double play, but it was overturned on review, allowing the Hoosiers to cut into the lead. A flyout to right field did complete the inning without any further damage.

In the seventh, right-hander DJ Burke replaced Shaw with one out and needed only five pitches to record the final two outs. Burke continued to record outs with efficiency in the eighth, retiring the side on eight pitches. With Burke’s pitch count so low, the San Jacinto transfer’s pitch count came out in the ninth inning with a chance to secure the win. Indiana got a runner on base with a one-out single, but Burke recorded his second strike out of the inning and a groundout to close it out.

Texas goes for the sweep on Sunday at noon Central on Longhorn Network.