Longhorns drop finale vs. BYU, lose 1st Big 12 series of the season
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas lost its first Big 12 Conference series of the season following Saturday’s 7-5 defeat to BYU at UFCU-Disch Falk Field.
BYU picked up the first game of the series Thursday by the same 7-5 count then the Longhorns evened it 4-3 on Friday.
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In Saturday’s game, BYU catcher Collin Reuter had a career day at the plate. All three of his hits were home runs and he drove in five runs. He smacked a 2-run homer in the first inning, another 2-run blast in the third and then capped his monster performance with a solo shot in the fifth.
Porter Brown and Jalin Flores hit solo home runs for the Longhorns, but the team hit just 2 for 12 with runners on.
Starting pitcher Max Grubbs allowed five earned runs in 2 1/3 innings before Cole Selvig took over. Texas used six pitchers in the game.
Head coach David Pierce said BYU had a good game plan against Grubbs and executed it.
“They know he’s a strike thrower and they were real aggressive,” he said. “They got after him. It was a tough Game 3 in a series you want to win at home.”
Flores finished the game 3 for 4 with a home run and a double while Max Belyeu had two hits.
“I thought they (BYU) pitched outstanding all weekend,” Pierce said. “We’ve got some guys that are really getting after it and we’re trying to get some other guys over the hump. We pitched ahead yesterday and pitched from behind today.”
Texas (19-12, 7-5 Big 12) takes on Texas State in a 2-game home-and-home series beginning Tuesday. The Bobcats beat the Longhorns 11-10 March 2 at the Astros Foundation College Classic in Houston on an Aaron Lugo 2-run walk-off home run. BYU (13-15, 6-9) clashes with rival Utah on Tuesday in Salt Lake City.
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