No. 2 Texas Shocked by Unranked South Carolina in Series Opener

The series-opening loss has become a trend for the No. 2 Texas Longhorns. In their four Southeastern Conference series this season, the Longhorns have dropped the first game three out of the four times.

Against the South Carolina Gamecocks, the Longhorns looked like the team with one win in conference play on Thursday night. South Carolina opened up the night with a five-run second inning, giving starting pitcher Ruger Riojas his toughest challenge of the season.

After that, the Gamecocks relinquished control of the night. Texas fell, 9-1, to South Carolina Thursday night at Founders Park in Columbia, South Carolina.

One Tough Night For The Longhorns

Aiden Robbins — University of Texas Athletics

For the first time this season, both the Longhorns' presence on the mound and at the plate took an ego check. The Gamecocks came into the series opener with a mission and were plainly the better team against the No. 2 Team in the nation.

South Carolina abused Texas starting pitcher Ruget Riojas, making him look pedestrian for the first time this season. Heading into tonight’s game, Riojas has only allowed seven earned runs to pass through the bases under his watch.

Against the Gamecocks, in the second inning alone, he allowed five earned runs and another in the third inning to give South Carolina an early 6-1 lead. A lead, a desperate South Carolina rode until the end of the night.

The Gamecock batters forced Longhorns head coach Jim Schlossnagle to retire his staff ace in just the fourth inning, his earliest retirement of the season so far.

Brody Walls came in relief for Riojas in the bottom of the fourth and played well for three innings until he started to top out in his pitch count.

Walls picked up four strikeouts — two in the bottom of the sixth inning but began to falter, allowing a base hit to Gamecocks third basemen Erik Parker and left fielder Patrick Evans to hit a home run to add to the South Carolina lead.

Jason Flores, who replaced Walls in the seventh inning, did not see much success, picking up just one strikeout and allowing a solo home run to South Carolina catcher Talmadge Lecroy to cap the Gamecocks' offense.

Cody Howard closed the game for Texas in the eighth inning, but the Longhorns' batters were unable to rally in the final two innings.

The Texas batters were completely shut down, with the only runs scored being from the Longhorns' best hitter, centerfielder Aiden Robbins, rocketing a solo shot in the top of the third inning.

Outside of Robbins' solo shot, the Longhorns struggled to just six hits on the night, their third-lowest hit total of the season.

The Gamecocks' pitching rotation had a night, with starting pitcher Alex Valentin setting the tone through 3.2 innings. Valentin allowed the most hits with five, and the Robbins' solo home run in the third inning. Outside of his lapse, he picked up five strikeouts and walked just one Longhorns batter.

Valentin was replaced with Zach Russell at the top of the fourth when Texas went back to the top of the order with second basemen Ethan Mendoza. Russell maintained the dominance on the mound, allowing just one hit, and picked up four strikeouts of his own.

Russell’s biggest moment came in the second inning when he was working with runners at the corners and caught Mendoza striking out looking to escape the inning. That would be the final time the Longhorns would have a runner in scoring position.

Alex Philpott closed out the night for the Gamecocks with another three innings of dominance, putting together three strikeouts and holding off any inclination of a comeback from the Longhorns.

Texas will look to split the series against South Carolina tomorrow at 6 p.m. CT at Founders Park in Columbia, South Carolina.

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