Longhorns Notebook: No. 24 Texas Takes Series Against No. 17 Texas Tech
Take a deep breath, folks. The No. 24 Texas Longhorns (9-6, 2-1) held off the No. 17 Texas Tech Red Raiders in Sunday's series finale for a thrilling 9-7 win to clinch the firs conference series of the season.
It wasn't looking pretty for the Longhorns on Sunday, however, as they found themselves trailing 6-3 entering the fifth inning. However, they refused to rollover and roared back to life and clinched a key series win.
For a Texas squad that entered the weekend reeling off four consecutive losses, taking two out of three from the Red Raiders was a massive, massive confidence booster. From here they turn their attention to a 10-game home stand that they aim to parlay into momentum.
Now, here are three key takeaways from the Longhorns' opening Big 12 series win over the Red Raiders.
Clutch gene activated
Texas could have easily rolled over and died following the fourth inning after the Red Raiders launched back-to-back home runs to take a 6-3 lead. Instead, though, the Longhorns turned it on and fought back with a flurry of punches over the following innings.
The first came off the bat of Peyton Powell in the fifth, as the third baseman took a pitch deep to left for a solo home run. Next came up three-run sixth inning, capped off by none other than a Powell RBI double to give Texas the 7-6 lead.
Landing the knockout blow, the Longhorns added a pair of runs in the seventh inning to extend the lead 9-6. Texas Tech added one final run but Texas held on for the clutch 9-7 win.
Starting pitching worries
What matters most for the Longhorns as they leave Lubbock on Sunday will undoubtedly be the series win. That being said, they do not do so without facing key questions that must be answered before they venture further into conference play.
Chief among them being whether or not the starting rotation can figure things out. They once again struggled to give any length on the mound, tossing a combined 8.2 innings of work and giving up 13 runs. Charlie Hurley was the worst offender, providing only one inning and allowing three runs on Sunday.
Hopefully for Texas the upcoming weekend series against Washington sees them get back on track. If not, a serious panic may be in order.
Build on this
A single conference series win does not make or break your season, but a series win of this magnitude could have a huge positive impact on the Longhorns heading forward. First and foremost, they keep themselves towards the top of the standings after one weekend of Big 12 play.
Secondly, after losing four straight games this series win is a major confidence booster. Issues aside, building on these pair of wins is imperative. Stacking up wins and gaining momentum heading deeper into conference play could turn the Longhorns into a squad no one wants to see on any given weekend.
What's next for Texas?
The Longhorns are back in action on Tuesday evening as they return home to kick off a 10-game home stand against the Incarnate Word Cardinals at 6:30 p.m. CT.