Longhorns’ second baseman Ethan Mendoza racked up four RBI (after posting five RBI in a 12-2 win on Tuesday over Houston Christian) as No. 2 Texas extended its SEC winning streak to nine games with a 6-3 victory over Kentucky in chilly, 40-degree Lexington on Friday night.
The Longhorns (28-4, 12-1 SEC), who are tied atop the Southeastern Conference with No. 1 Arkansas (32-3, 12-1), haven’t lost an SEC game since dropping Game 1 of its series with No. 3 LSU back on March 21.
Kentucky, which fell to 18-13 and 5-8 in SEC play, has held the lead in all 13 of the Wildcats’ SEC games this season. The Wildcats led Texas 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth inning on a solo home run by right fielder Shaun Montoya.
Texas junior right-handed pitcher Max Grubbs (3.1 ip, 3 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 6 Ks) got the win, while freshman left-handed pitcher Dylan “The Praying Mantis” Volantis picked up save No. 8 this season by pitching a perfect final inning with one strikeout.
Mendoza went 2-for-5 with four RBI, including a two-RBI double, and scored one run for the Longhorns, who scored three in the seventh and two in the eighth to take control of the game.
Texas took a 6-2 lead in the top of the eighth inning after Mendoza hit a two-RBI single, scoring designated hitter Adrian Rodriguez, who walked, and first baseman Kimble Schuessler, who doubled down the left-field line.
Texas went up 4-2 in the top of the seventh inning on an RBI single by catcher Rylan Galvan, scoring Mendoza, who gave the Longhorns a 3-2 lead in the previous at-bat with a two-RBI double into right field, scoring Schuessler and Tommy Farmer IV. Schuessler and Farmer both singled to get on base earlier in the frame. It looked like Mendoza’s hit would be a single, but it took a hop to the right and got by Kentucky right fielder Shaun Montoya.
The Wildcats tied the game, 1-1, in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by Kentucky first baseman Hudson Brown, scoring second baseman Luke Lawrence, who bunted for a single to lead off the frame. Kentucky went up, 2-1, in the bottom of the sixth on a solo home run by right fielder Shaun Montoya off of Grubbs.
Texas took a 1-0 lead on Kentucky in the top of the third on an RBI single by shortstop Jalin Flores, scoring catcher Rylan Galvan from third after Galvan hit a double down the left field line with one out.
Texas left-handed senior pitcher Jared Spencer (4-1, 3.20 ERA) started Friday’s game and went 4.2 innings, giving up one run on four hits with seven strikeouts, two walks, one wild pitch and three hit batters. Spencer, who had hit three batters all season before Friday, threw 97 pitches (62 for strikes) in the chilly conditions.
Kentucky had freshman right-handed pitcher Nate Harris (3-1, 4.21 ERA) on the mound to start the Texas series. Harris went 4.0 innings against Texas, giving up one run on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks before handing the ball to right-handed reliever Scott Rouse. The Wildcats retired 10 straight Texas batters from the final out of fourth inning through the sixth inning.
Freshman infielder/designated hitter Adrian Rodriguez (.326, 5 HR, 14 RBI), who missed the last seven games with an upper body injury, returned to the lineup Friday against Kentucky. Rodriguez popped out to third base in his first at-bat; flew out to right field for the third out in the third inning with men on first and second; grounded out to the shortstop in the sixth; and drew a walk in the eighth.
Last Friday, Spencer had his best outing of the season for Texas in a 5-1 victory over then-No. 3 Georgia at Disch-Falk Field in which Spencer struck out a career-high 11 batters while going 7.2 innings, giving up one run on two hits after throwing 111 pitches. Texas used only five pitchers in the Longhorns’ three-game sweep of Georgia.
The Wildcats, which had lost three straight coming into Friday’s game, are led by senior left fielder Cole Hage (.346, 9 HR, 26 RBI), senior designated hitter Patrick Herrera (.333, 1 HR, 20 RBI) and freshman shortstop Tyler Bell (.322, 5 HR, 31 RBI).
FINAL: No. 2 TEXAS 6, KENTUCKY 3
Junior RHP Max Grubbs (5-0) gets the win
Freshman LHP Dylan “The Praying Mantis” Volantis gets save No. 8
NINTH INNING
Texas at bat …
Flores struck out swinging (2-2) for OUT#1
Borba flied out to lf (2-2) for OUT#2
Rodriguez grounded out to p, bunt (0-0) for OUT#3
Kentucky at bat …
L. Lawrence walked (3-1)
T. Bell singled to left field (3-2); L. Lawrence advanced to second.
Texas pitching change: Freshman LHP Dylan “The Praying Mantis” Volantis in for Grubbs (3.1 ip, 3 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 6 Ks)
P. Herrera grounded out to ss (1-2); T. Bell advanced to second; L. Lawrence advanced to third.
D. Koontz grounded out to 1b unassisted, RBI (0-2) for OUT#2; T. Bell advanced to third; L. Lawrence scored, cutting Texas’ lead to 6-3.
H. Brown struck out looking (0-2) for OUT#3
EIGHTH INNING
Texas 6, Kentucky 2
Texas at bat …
Borba struck out swinging (3-2) for OUT#1
Rodriguez walked (3-0)
Schuessler doubled down the lf line (1-2); Rodriguez advanced to third
Farmer IV struck out looking (1-2) for OUT#2
Duplantier J walked (3-1)
Mendoza singled up the middle, 2 RBI (0-0); Duplantier J advanced to second; Schuessler scored; Rodriguez scored, giving Texas a 6-2 lead.
Kentucky pitching change: H. Smith to p for S. Rouse.
Galvan walked (3-2); Mendoza advanced to second; Duplantier J advanced to third.
Gasparino struck out swinging (0-2) for OUT#3
Kentucky at bat …
D. Burkes lined out to lf (1-2) for OUT#1
S. Montoya singled to right field (0-1)
E. Hindle struck out looking (0-2) for OUT#2 (K No. 6 for Grubbs)
G. Cameron flied out to cf (1-0) for OUT#3
SEVENTH INNING
Texas 4, Kentucky 2
Texas at bat …
Schuessler singled to pitcher (1-1).
Farmer IV singled to third base (0-1); Schuessler advanced to second, advanced to third on a throwing error by 3b.
Stewart pinch hit for Winfield.
Stewart struck out swinging (0-2) for OUT#1
Mendoza doubled to right field, 2 RBI (1-0); Farmer IV scored; Schuessler scored, giving Texas a 3-2 lead.
Galvan singled to left field, out at second lf to 3b to 2b, RBI (3-2) for OUT#2; Mendoza scored, giving Texas a 4-2 lead.
Gasparino singled to third base, advanced to second on a throwing error by 3b (2-1).
Flores struck out looking (1-2) for OUT#3
Kentucky at bat …
Texas’ Jaden Duplantier to LF for Stewart.
T. Bell out at first 1b to p (3-2) for OUT#1
P. Herrera walked (3-0)
C. Hage struck out swinging (0-2) for OUT#2
H. Brown struck out swinging (0-2) for OUT#3
SIXTH INNING
Kentucky 2, Texas 1
Texas at bat …
Flores grounded out to 3b (2-2) for OUT#1
Borba struck out swinging (0-2) for OUT#2
Rodriguez grounded out to ss (1-2) for OUT#3 (That’s 10 straight retired by Kentucky pitchers)
Kentucky at bat …
S. Montoya homered, RBI (1-2), giving Kentucky a 2-1 lead.
E. Hindle struck out swinging (0-2) for OUT#1
G. Cameron grounded out to 2b (3-2) for OUT#2
L. Lawrence struck out swinging, out at first 1b to c (2-2) for OUT#3
FIFTH INNING
Texas 1, Kentucky 1
Kentucky pitching change: RHP Scott Rouse in for Nate Harris
Texas at bat …
Mendoza lined out to 1b (2-1) for OUT#1
Galvan grounded out to 3b (2-1) for OUT#2
Gasparino struck out swinging (2-2) for OUT#3
Kentucky at bat …
L. Lawrence singled, bunt (0-0).
T. Bell popped up to 1b, bunt (0-0) for OUT#1
P. Herrera hit by pitch (0-2); L. Lawrence advanced to second (third hit batter by Spencer, who had hit three batters all season before Friday)
C. Hage struck out swinging (1-2) for OUT#2
(Max Grubbs warming up in Texas bullpen)
H. Brown singled to left field, RBI (1-1); P. Herrera advanced to second; L. Lawrence scored, tying the game 1-1
Texas pitching change: RHP Max Grubbs in for Spencer (4.2 IP, 4 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 7 Ks, 1 wild pitch, 3 hit batters, 97 pitches)
D. Burkes struck out looking (2-2) for OUT#3
FOURTH INNING
Texas 1, Kentucky 0
Texas at bat …
Schuessler grounded out to ss (0-1) for OUT#1
Farmer IV struck out looking (2-2) for OUT#2
Winfield grounded out to ss (1-0) for OUT#3
Kentucky at bat …
D. Burkes flied out to 2b in right field (3-2) for OUT#1
S. Montoya flied out to cf (1-2) for OUT#2
E. Hindle hit by pitch (1-2)
E. Hindle stole second
G. Cameron popped up to ss (3-2) for OUT#3
THIRD INNING
Texas 1, Kentucky 0
Texas at bat …
Mendoza struck out swinging (1-2) for OUT#1
Galvan doubled to left field (0-0)
Gasparino grounded out to 3b (3-1) for OUT#2; Galvan advanced to third.
Flores singled to left field, RBI (0-0); Galvan scored, giving Texas a 1-0 lead.
Borba walked (3-2); Flores advanced to second.
Rodriguez flied out to rf (1-0) for OUT#3
Kentucky at bat …
L. Lawrence singled to shortstop (2-2).
T. Bell flied out to cf (2-1) for OUT#1
P. Herrera singled to right field (0-1); L. Lawrence advanced to second.
C. Hage flied out to rf (2-2) for OUT#2
H. Brown struck out looking (0-2) for OUT#3
SECOND INNING
Texas 0, Kentucky 0
Texas at bat …
Borba doubled to left center (3-2)
Rodriguez popped up to 3b (3-2) for OUT#1 (Rodriguez missed the last seven games with an upper body injury)
Schuessler flied out to rf (2-2) for OUT#2; Borba advanced to third
Farmer IV walked (3-2)
Winfield struck out swinging (1-2) for OUT#3 (Texas left men on 1B and 3B)
Kentucky at bat …
H. Brown walked (3-1)
D. Burkes struck out swinging (1-2) for OUT#1
S. Montoya struck out swinging (2-2) for OUT#2
E. Hindle hit by pitch (0-0); H. Brown advanced to second.
G. Cameron struck out swinging (3-2) for OUT#3
FIRST INNING
Texas 0, Kentucky 0
Texas at bat …
Mendoza grounded out to 3b (2-1) for OUT#1
Galvan struck out swinging (1-2) for OUT#2
Gasparino singled to third base (2-1)
Flores flied out to lf (1-2) for OUT#3
Kentucky at bat …
L. Lawrence lined out to 3b to second base (3-2) for OUT#1
T. Bell struck out swinging, out at first c to 1b (1-2) for OUT#2
P. Herrera walked (3-1)
P. Herrera advanced to second on a wild pitch.
C. Hage struck out swinging (1-2) for OUT#3
PRE-GAME
TEX Line Up
SpotPos# PlayerBatsTodayAvg12b5 Ethan MendozaR0-1.3582c6 Rylan GalvanR0-1.3213cf8 Will GasparinoR1-1.2804ss1 Jalin FloresR0-1.28553b31 Casey BorbaR0-0.2696dh24 Adrian RodriguezB0-0.32671b10 Kimble SchuesslerR0-0.2888rf43 Tommy Farmer IVR0-0.2789lf9 Easton WinfieldL0-0.20010p12 Jared SpencerL0-0-
UK Line Up
SpotPos# PlayerBatsTodayAvg12b10 Luke LawrenceL0-0.2802ss6 Tyler BellB0-0.3223dh1 Patrick HerreraR0-0.3334lf12 Cole HageR0-0.34651b23 Hudson BrownL0-0.3046c7 Devin BurkesR0-0.2807rf2 Shaun MontoyaL0-0.28783b9 Ethan HindleR0-0.2229cf8 Griffin CameronL0-0.28610p36 Nate HarrisR0-0-
