Casey Borba Clinches Series Sweep for No. 2 Texas Longhorns

Deja vu, anyone?

For the second night in a row, the No. 2 Texas Longhorns battled back from an early deficit to top the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners in the 10th inning, this time winning, 5-4, on Saturday night at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Texas.

Texas first basemen Casey Borba opened the night going 0-4 at the plate, but in his last appearance of the game, he made up for his previous at-bats — knocking in the game-winning RBI to clinch the Longhorns' first Southeastern Conference sweep of the season.

“Anything I can do to help the team win,” Borba said. “[It was a] rough game going into it. So just being able to pull out a win and being the game winner was awesome.”

Longhorns Grind Out The Series Sweep

Texas Longhorns Aiden Robbins, Casey Borba and Anthony Pack Jr. throw up the Hook 'Em Horns. | University of Texas Athletic

Texas found itself down early once again when the Sooners were able to pepper four hits and two runs in a very rough second inning for starting pitcher Dylan Volantis. Oklahoma added another run and three more hits against Volantis in the third to go up 3-0.

The Longhorns bats were able to quickly respond in the bottom of the third with a single from lead-off hitter Ethan Mendoza and a YETI Yard home run from catcher Carson Tinney to make it a one-run game heading into the middle frames.

“He's a stud, he's a Buster Posey Award finalist, great catcher. But also, he rakes,” Mendoza said. “He hits the ball really hard. Super nice having behind me, because I know the other teams are going to come after me because they don't want to face him.”

After a brief pitchers' duel in the fourth and fifth innings, the Sooners began to heat up again as Volantis pitch count started to rise closer to his career high. Tossing for two strikeouts and two singles, Volantis stayed out to complete the sixth inning, but started to falter.

He nailed Oklahoma left fielder Trey Gambill and walked third basemen Camden Johnson, for an loaded bases walk. Volantis was swiftly replaced by relief pitcher Brett Crossland, who quickly picked up his first strikeout to close out the sixth.

Texas right fielder Anthony Pack Jr. kick-started the Longhorns' late-game rally, shooting a lead-off single and stealing a base to put himself in scoring position.

Mendoza was able to come up big, driving in Pack Jr. to make it a one-run game again, but Ashton Larson, last night’s hero, was too aggressive in base running, getting caught at third base for the final out of the inning.

“No one feels worse than him, except for maybe me, because I wanted Tinney to hit next,” head coach Jim Schlossnagle said.

The Longhorns didn’t have to wait long for Tinney to continue the offensive fury on his next at-bat. Tinney and Robbins quickly put themselves on base with back-to-back singles to open up the eighth.

Texas shortstop Adrian Rodriguez tapped an infield ground ball, getting Robbins out at second, but enough time for Tinney to score the game-tying run.

The Sooners' bullpen collapsed in the 10th inning, with both relief pitchers, Jason Brodin and Gavyn Jones, walking three Longhorns hitters in a row, despite already working with a pair of outs.

Borba picked up two early strikes in the count but was able to bat through a single in the middle, narrowly missing Oklahoma shortstop Jaxon Willits’ glove in the game-deciding play.

“It's crazy that the game ended the way it did,” Schlossnagle said. “Willits had such an awesome weekend at shortstop, not that I don't think that was an error, but just scooted under his glove a little bit… that's a good team that can happen to anybody at any time.”

Despite the rough two innings by Volantis, the second-year pitcher still tossed for seven strikeouts and only walked two batters. Texas, only using one relief pitcher heading into the game, got to save its best — Brett Crossland and Haiden Leffew for tonight.

Crossland and Leffew tore up the Sooners' batting order down the stretch, allowing a combined three hits while striking out seven.

Texas will face the Texas State Bobcats on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. CT at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Texas.

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