In the final game of the College Baseball Classic at Minute Maid Park, the Texas Longhorns and former conference foe the Missouri Tigers met for some Sunday afternoon baseball. Coy Cobb was on the mound for the Longhorns looking for the team’s 11th win through 12 games.
Early on the Longhorns found themselves playing from behind before they even got their opportunity to bat. Cobb gave up a run on a wild pitch and throwing error before retiring the side. The Longhorns bats wouldn’t come to life until the bottom of the fourth inning with the Tigers leading 2-0. With Cam Williams standing at third base, Eric Kennedy drove him in for the Longhorns first run of the game. In the top of the next inning, the Tigers extended the lead back to two with a Pete Zimmerman solo shot. His second RBI of the game, he ended with three.
In the bottom of the inning Texas would respond. With the bases full of Longhorns, first baseman Zach Zubia would be hit by a pitch to drive in Lance Ford. Williams would walk on four straight pitches to tie the game up at three. Eric Kennedy hit into a fielder’s choice that drove in Duke Ellis. Texas led 4-3 after five. Cobb’s day would be done on the mound, giving way to Kolby Kubichek.
Kubichek threw just 12 pitches to record one out and gave up three earned runs. Zimmerman singled in a run to make the score 8-4 Tigers after five and half innings. Tristan Stevens would relieve Kubichek with less success. Couldn’t record a single out on 11 pitches and gave up the run on the Zimmerman hit.
The Longhorns fought and clawed their way back into the game, closing the gap to 8-7 in the bottom of the eighth. Zubia drove in a run on an RBI single. The seventh run came on a wild pitch that allowed Ellis to score. In the top of the ninth the Longhorns gave up another unearned run on their fifth error of the game. It would be the eventual winning run. The controversy came in the bottom of the ninth with winning run on first base.
A Texas 9th inning rally stifled by this questionable strike 3 call to end the game.
Horns go 1-2 at the Shriners College Classic. pic.twitter.com/76ISU7iX9W
— Jake García (@Jake_M_Garcia) March 2, 2020
In the final pitch of the game with runners on the corners and two outs, Duke Ellis was at the plate with an opportunity to be the hero in Houston. Austin Todd was on first following a RBI single to bring the Longhorns within one, with a 1-2 count, Ellis took the pitch for the called third strike. The Missouri catch did his job with framing the pitch to get the ball.
This loss was a punch to the gut after a weekend of questionable calls. Texas will now face Arizona on Tuesday before a weekend series with Cal State Fullerton.