Baseball: Tigers fall to No. 7 Longhorns, Texas State

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Despite a furious late rally in the final two innings, the baseball team lost its NCAA Tournament opener at No. 7 Texas on June 3, 5-3. Sam Stafford held the Tigers to one run in seven innings, helping regional host Longhorns advance to the winner’s bracket of the four-team double-elimination tournament.

The hosts took the lead in the first inning without a base hit. Sophomore Zak Hermans walked two batters; one scored on a groundout, and the other came home on a two-out wild pitch, staking Stafford to a 2-0 lead.

The lefty fanned four of the first six Tigers he faced, and though sophomore second baseman Alex Flink poked an opposite-field single for the game’s first hit, he was stranded on first base. Princeton put runners on base in each of the first three innings, but none made it past first.

Hermans settled down after the rocky first inning, pitching out of a jam in the third inning and setting down the side in order in the second and fourth, fanning three batters and allowing only one hit.

In the top of the fifth inning, outfielder Nate Baird hit a chopper up the middle that looked like a sure double play ball, but the second base umpire ruled that shortstop Brandon Loy did not touch second base before throwing to first, allowing Flink to stay on second. The call loomed large minutes later, when sophomore shortstop Matt Bowman’s two-out bloop single drove home Flink to halve the lead.

Texas answered the favor in its half of the inning, however, as first baseman Tant Shepherd jacked a home run over the left-field bullpen, extending the Longhorns’ advantage to 4-1. Hermans put the next two runners on base and was pulled for senior left-handed pitcher David Palms with one out in the fifth. Palms sandwiched a hit batter with two strikeouts to escape the jam.

The co-captain struggled in the next inning, walking one batter and hitting two more and allowing the Longhorns to push another insurance run across. Oddly, not a single batter recorded an at-bat in the frame; Palms induced outs on a sacrifice bunt, a sacrifice fly and a pickoff.

Safford tied his career high by throwing seven innings, allowing only one run on two hits while earning the win. He was particularly successful against Princeton’s three left-handed hitters, who went 0-for-8 against the southpaw with three strikeouts and one walk.

But with Safford out of the game, the Tigers rallied against the Texas bullpen in the eighth inning. Junior center fielder Tom Boggiano singled, Bowman doubled and sophomore outfielder John Mishu singled, putting runners on the corners and the tying run at bat with no outs.

Freshman first baseman Mike Ford grounded into a fielder’s choice but beat the relay throw to first as Bowman scored, bringing up leading hitter Sam Mulroy. Facing the Longhorns’ third pitcher of the inning, Mulroy grounded into a 4-6-3 double play, ending the threat.

Freshman pinch hitter Ryan Albert led off the ninth inning with a single, but reliever Corey Knebel retired the final three batters in order to save the 5-3 victory.

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Princeton notched six hits to its opponent’s five, but the Tigers walked or hit nine batters while Texas only issued three free passes.

It was a special start for Hermans for many reasons, as the Coppell, Texas native grew up a fan of the Longhorns. He twice faced Texas designated hitter Jonathan Walsh, who was his teammate and catcher at Coppell High School, retiring his friend both times.

The Tigers (23-24) lost to Texas State the following afternoon, 3-1, eliminating them from the postseason. The Longhorns won the regional and eventually reached the College World Series.