Texas Baseball Completes Sweep of Cal State Fullerton
Dawson Merryman pitched four hitless innings of relief to lead Texas Baseball to an 8-4 win over Cal State Fullerton, completing the sweep on Sunday at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
Merryman picked up his third win of the season and second of the weekend series. He struck out two batters in his longest outing of the season.
The Longhorns (13-3) had a season-high 12 hits and tied the season-high for scoring with eight runs. Austin Todd led the way with a 3-for-4 game with two RBI and three runs scored. He hit a double and his first home run of the season, which proved to be the winning runs.
Duke Ellis, Trey Faltine, Eric Kennedy and Peyton Powell also delivered multiple-hit games, with two hits apiece.
The Longhorns opened the scoring for the first time in the series, plating three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Todd started the game with a single to left and Ellis followed with a perfect bunt single.
After a pair of strikeouts, Faltine delivered an RBI double to left field to drive in the first run. Kennedy followed up with a two-run single to right field to make the score 3-0.
Cal State Fullerton came right back to tie the game up with three runs in the second off of Texas starter Coy Cobb. Texas called on Tristan Stevens to get out of the jam and he did his job.
Todd launched the Longhorns back into the lead for good with a two-run homer to left field in the bottom of the second.
Following Todd's go-ahead homer, Merryman entered the game and shut down the Titans. The only baserunners allowed were a hit batter and a two-out error that allowed a run to cross the plate.
Texas added a run to its lead in the third inning after Faltine and Kennedy both singled. Murphy Stehly drove in the run with an RBI groundout to give Texas a 6-3 lead. Another run came home in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Zubia. The inning started with a double by Todd and an infield single by Ellis.
Powell got in on the action in the sixth, smashing a solo homer to right field to make the score 8-4. He now has four career hits and they are all for extra-bases.
Kamron Fields pitched a scoreless seventh inning of relief, followed by Sam Walbridge and Jared Southard combining for a scoreless eighth. Andre Duplantier II, who made his first career start in the field, came in from third base to close out the game with a perfect ninth inning.
UP NEXT
The Longhorns remain at home and welcome Abilene Christian to UFCU Disch-Falk Field on Wednesday, March 11 at 6:30 p.m.