Baylor Baseball Drops Saturday Contest to Texas, 10-2

AUSTIN, Texas – Baylor baseball (8-14, 3-5) ended its three-game Big 12 winning streak with a 10-2 loss to Texas (15-9, 3-2) Saturday afternoon at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

After an emotional come-from-behind victory on Friday night, the Bears found themselves in an early deficit and were shut down on offense by UT’s starting pitcher, Ace Whitehead (Jr.), who tossed a complete game and allowed just two earned runs and six hits while fanning five.

“Ace [Whitehead] is a guy that can pitch, and he did exactly that,” head coach Mitch Thompson said after the defeat. “I give him credit – he threw the ball well. … He was pitching with the lead the entire ballgame. I’m disappointed we couldn’t have gotten him out of the game. If we could have, maybe it’s a little different.”

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All five of the UT’s runs off RHP Collin McKinney (RFr.) came with two outs.

With two runners on and two outs in the first inning, UT’s center fielder Will Gasparino (Fr.) smoked a three-run no-doubter over the left field wall off right-handed pitcher Collin McKinney (RFr.).

Texas added another run in the second to extend its lead to 5-1, and McKinney was pulled in the third after surrendering four hits and five earned runs across 2.2 innings tossed. All five of the Longhorns’ runs off McKinney came with two outs.

“Collin [McKinney] didn’t have great secondary stuff today,” Thompson said. “There were a couple of real big pitches in the ballgame. The 0-2 single in the first inning and then the three-run home run, and from that time on, we were chasing [Texas].”

Designated hitter Wesly Jordan (Jr.) continued his hot streak with a leadoff double to the center field wall in the second. Last night’s hero, Daniel Altman (Sr.), plated Jordan a few at-bats later with an RBI sacrifice fly.

In the third, the Bears were threatening again with the bases loaded and two outs. Third baseman Hunter Teplanszky (Jr.) lined an RBI single through the left side, but UT’s left fielder Porter Brown (RSr.) made a perfect throw home to get Enzo Apodaca (RJr.) at the plate to end the frame.

From that point on, Whitehead settled in on the mound and dominated the short-handed Baylor lineup. Whitehead retired 13 consecutive batters in the middle-to-late innings and went the distance.

Out of the bullpen for Baylor, lefty RJ Ruais (Fr.) issued four walks and didn’t have his best afternoon command-wise but surrendered only two runs and struck out four Longhorn batters across three innings. Texas broke the game open in the eighth with multiple home runs off veteran reliever Grant Golomb (Sr.), extending its lead to 10-2. 

Final: Texas 10, Baylor 2

W: Ace Whitehead (2-0) L: Collin McKinney (1-3)

POTG: Hunter Teplansky (2-for-4, RBI)

WHAT’S NEXT

Baylor baseball (8-14, 3-5) will look to finish its three-game set against Texas Longhorns (15-9, 3-2) with a series victory on Sunday. The first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.