No. 9 Texas Sweeps Doubleheader from K-State
Apr 21, 2002 | Baseball
April 21, 2002
Manhattan, Kan. - Ninth-ranked Texas used five home runs, including a pair by senior first baseman Jeff Ontiveros, to earn an 8-4 win in game one, then junior transfer Alan Bomer allowed just two runs and struck out a career-high nine in 7-1/3 innings of work in an 8-2 win in game two, as the Longhorns completed the three-game sweep of Kansas State with a pair of wins in a doubleheader played Sunday at Tointon Family Stadium.
With the doubleheader sweep, Texas moved to 34-10 on the season and 12-6 in Big 12 Conference play, while Kansas State dropped to 20-19 and 6-9 in conference action. It marked the third straight season that the Longhorns have swept the Wildcats in league play and improved their advantage in the all-time series to 19-5. K-State has not beaten Texas since a 8-4 win in Austin on March 13, 1999.
"Texas is the best team we've played all season and we played some ranked teams," said Wildcat head coach Mike Clark. "They played well all weekend. They pitched as well as you could possibly asked. We were about as efficient as we could be. Our guys played hard, didn't quit and kept competing the whole time, sometimes you just have to tip your cap to your opponent. We just have to keep believing and playing positive and good things will eventually happen."
In game one, Texas opened up the scoring in the top of the second inning, as Ontiveros led off the inning with a solo home run to right center field. Kansas State responded an inning later, as outfielder Pat Maloney laced a single down the left field line to score fellow outfielder Nick Sorensen from second base.
With the score knotted at 1-all, the Wildcats plated two runs on a hit and an error in the fourth inning to take a 3-1 lead. After designated hitter Tim Doty walked to lead off the inning, third baseman Ty Soto doubled to right field to put runners in scoring position at second and third. Outfielder Gabe Luttrell scored Doty on a sacrifice fly to center field, while Soto moved to third on an error by the pitcher then advanced home on a sacrifice fly by catcher Ryan Baldwin. Texas re-took the lead in the fifth inning on a pair of two-run home runs by outfielders Eric Sultemeier and Kalani Napoleon then pushed it to 7-3 in the sixth on two runs scored on a pair of fielding errors.
Kansas State cut the lead to 7-4 on Baldwin's RBI-single to right field in the bottom of the sixth before Texas answered on Ontiveros' second solo home run of the game in the seventh for the final 8-4 score.
Ontiveros paced Texas offensively with his 3-for-3 performance with two home runs, two RBIs and two runs scored in game one. Sultemeier and Napoleon each added a pair of RBIs. Catcher Ryan Baldwin lead Kansas State, as he went 1-for-2 with two RBIs.
Texas starter Justin Simmons improved to 11-0 on the season, as he allowed four runs (three earned) on three hits with five strikeouts and four walks in the minimum five innings of work. Freshman right-handed pitcher Huston Street picked up his third save of the season, as he closed out the ninth with back-to-back strikeouts and the bases loaded.
Senior left-handed starter Brock Smith took the loss for Kansas State and dropped to 2-5 on the year, as he allowed six runs (five earned) on five hits with four strikeouts and three walks in 5-1/3 innings. Wildcat reliever Franco Pezely allowed just two runs (one earned) on one hit in the final 3-2/3 innings with a season-best seven strikeouts.
In game two, Kansas State jumped on top first, as Doty singled to right field to score shortstop Osmar Castillo from third base. Castillo led off the game with a walk then moved to second on a sacrifice then stole third base. Texas answered two innings later with two runs on two hits and two errors in the third inning. With one out, third baseman Omar Quintanilla connected on a solo home run to right-center field followed a Sultemeier reaching on an error by the pitcher. Ontiveros then laced his second double of the doubleheader to left field to score Sultemeier.
Texas broke open the tight 2-1 affair in the fifth with five runs on four hits and an error. After the Longhorns loaded the bases on a single, an intentional walk and an error, Hollimon singled to right field for the first run of the inning followed by catcher Curtis Thigpen's fielder's choice that pushed the lead to 4-1. Pinch-hitter J.D. Reininger then cleared the bases with a two-RBI doubled to center field. Napoleon singled in the last run of the inning with a single to center field. Kansas State responded with a run in the sixth on Maloney's 10th home run of the season, a solo shot over the scoreboard in left field, to cut the lead to 7-1. However, the Longhorns answered with another run in the top of the eighth to finish the scoring, 8-2. The game was cut short after eight inning due to Texas' travel schedule.
Quintanilla went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a RBI to lead Texas offensively in the second game, while Hollimon and Napoleon each went 2-for-4 with a RBI. Maloney paced Kansas State offensively, as he went 2-for-4 with a RBI and a run scored.
Bomer improved to 6-2 on the season, as he allowed just two runs (both earned) on six hits with a career-best nine strikeouts in 7-1/3 innings. Wildcat starter Kevin Melcher dropped his second straight game, as he allowed six runs (two earned) on seven hits with two walks in 4-1/3 innings.
Kansas State returns to the road briefly on Wednesday, as the Wildcats travel to Omaha, Neb., to face regional rival Creighton at the CU Sports Complex beginning at 3 p.m. Earlier this season, the Wildcats took a nail-biter 10-9 in Manhattan against the Bluejays. K-State returns to Big 12 Conference play next weekend, as the Wildcats play host to 15th-ranked Baylor for a three-game series beginning at Friday at Tointon Family Stadium.
