Super Horns: Texas Beats Air Force 10-1, Advances to Super Regionals
The Texas Longhorns entered their regional final matchup on Sunday against Air Force knowing they were one win away from reaching a Super Regional. They would take care of business in dominant fashion, cruising to a 10-1 victory over Air Force to sweep the Austin Regional.
No. 1 Texas 10 No. 4 Air Force 1
This game was all Texas right from the jump, as the Longhorns would put five runs on the board in the top of the first. Ivan Melendez got the scoring started as he blasted a two-run home run for his 30th of the season to put Texas ahead 2-0. The Longhorns would add three more runs on a passed ball that scored Silas Ardoin and a Trey Faltine RBI double that plated two, making it 5-0 Texas early.
Those five runs would be all the support the Texas pitching staff needed, as the Longhorns would employ a bullpen game. Travis Sthele started on the mound for the Longhorns, giving them three shutout innings while only allowing two hits and stifling the Air Force bats. Sthele would be relieved by Jared Southard out of the Longhorn bullpen, who would go on to pitch three shutout innings of his own, racking up six strikeouts and only allowing one hit.
The Longhorns would put up five more runs throughout the rest of the game, adding a single run in the third, fourth, fifth, eighth and ninth innings, including a pair of solo home runs from Dylan Campbell who has started to heat up in recent games. They would turn to Andre Duplantier II and Lebarron Johnson Jr. to finish the last three innings, and they would deliver, only allowing a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth before securing the victory and sending Texas to the Super Regionals.
What's next for Texas?
After sweeping their way through the Austin Regional, the Longhorns find themselves in the Super Regionals and one step closer to returning to Omaha. They will undoubtedly be watching the Eastern Carolina-Coastal Carolina game on Monday afternoon, as the winner determines who they face in their Super Regional. Should Coastal Carolina knock off ECU, Texas will host a Super Regional, but an ECU wins means the Longhorns hit the road for a Super Regional in Greenville.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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